UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State softball team finally kicks off its home slate at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field, playing host to Robert Morris on Wednesday, March 20. The Nittany Lions and the Colonials will play two games for a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
Both games will be streamed for free on LionVision. Live stats will also be available via GoPSUsports.com. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY or by visiting the box office on gameday.
SERIES HISTORY
- Penn State has a three-game edge on Robert Morris, leading the all-time series, 8-5.
- Last season, the teams split the doubleheader in University Park, with the Nittany Lions winning game one, 9-7, before the Colonials took game two, 5-0.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
- Robert Morris is 3-15 through the first five weeks of the 2019 season and comes to Happy Valley having not played since March 9.
- Abrielle McCartney leads the Colonials at the plate with a .300 batting average with 15 hits and six RBI in 17 games played.
- Dana Vatakis has two of the Colonials' three wins in the circle and holds a 5.04 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 41.2 innings pitched.
SPRING BREAK TOUR
- Penn State went 10-2 during its 2019 spring break tour, playing 12 games in 10 days in the Clearwater, Fla., area.
- The Nittany Lions went 5-0 at the USF Tournament Series to close out the trip, including a walk-off win against South Dakota State.
- Both losses only came by a one-run differential.
FRESHMEN DUO COMBINES FOR SHUTOUT
- The Penn State pitching staff has shut out three opponents in 2019 via the work in the circle by freshmen Kylee Lingenfelter and Bailey Parshall.
- Lingenfelter and Parshall combined to shut out Duke, 6-0, in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Feb. 15, Florida A&M, 2-0, in the Madeira Beach Invitational on March 3, and Saint Joseph's, 6-0, in the USF Tournament Series on March 9.
- It marks the first time since the 2017 season that Penn State has had three shutouts in the same season.
WE'RE PARSHALL TO BAILEY'S STRIKEOUT SUCCESS
- Freshman left-handed pitcher Bailey Parshall has made an immediate impact in the circle for Penn State.
- The Belle Vernon, Pa., native leads the team in total strikeouts (103) and has three games with 10+ strikeouts.
- Parshall struck out 15 Detroit Mercy batters on March 2 to tie the program record for most strikeouts in a single game.
- Parshall is third in the conference and 17th in the nation in total strikeouts as of March 13.
SENIOR CLASS AWARD
- Senior Tori Dubois has been named one of 30 candidates for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate softball.
- To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
NO WALK ZONE
- Junior transfer pitcher Hannah Shields leads the nation in walks allowed per seven innings.
- The State College area native has given up just two free bases in 28.0 innings pitched.
LUCKY NUMBER 3
- Penn State is 11-0 this season when scoring three or more runs.
DINGER CITY
- Penn State has hit 14 home runs through the first 25 games, including three multi-home run games.
- Senior Toni Polk and freshmen Ally Kurland and Chelsea Bisi lead the team with three dingers each.
ROAD WARRIORS
- Penn State played 25-straight road games to start the season before finally getting to play in Happy Valley.
- The Nittany Lions spent five straight weekends on the road, including four tournaments in the Sunshine State.
300 CAREER WINS IN THE LEHOTAK FILE
- Head coach Amanda Lehotak enters her sixth year under the helm of Penn State softball.
- Lehotak recorded her 300th career win as the Nittany Lions took down Central Michigan on March 3 of the Madeira Beach Invitational and now has a 306-379 career record.
- Lehotak tallied her 100th win at Penn State in the 2018 season and now has a 118-173 record with the Nittany Lions.
HOME SWEET HOME
- Penn State will play 17 schedule games on 13 dates inside the friendly confines of Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
- After a 25-game road game swing, the Nittany Lions will face Robert Morris for a home-opener doubleheader on Wednesday, March 20.
- The Blue and White will host their first conference series of the season March 29-31 against Wisconsin.
- Penn State is 67-74-1 at Beard Field in its eight year existence for a .475 win percentage.
ON DECK
Penn State will open conference play on the road, traveling to East Lansing, Mich., to take on Michigan State in a three-game series. The games are set for a 6 p.m. start on Friday, March 22 and 1 p.m. starts on both Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24. All games will be streamed via BTN-Plus ($).