UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State softball team begins a five-game conference homestand this week, welcoming Ohio State to Happy Valley for a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday, April 9 at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. Game one is set for a 5 p.m. first pitch with game two starting approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Both games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network with Mike Monaco (pxp) and Carol Bruggeman (analyst) on the call.
FOLLOW ALONG
Live Stats: Both games
Watch: Game 1 | Game 2
GAMEDAY PROMOTIONS
- White Out Beard Field
- Faculty/Staff Night
- Team ICA Night
- Wing Eating Contest for students
SERIES HISTORY
- Ohio State holds the all-time series advantage over Penn State, 56-32.
- The Buckeyes have won three of the last four over the Nittany Lions, however Penn State's last win over a ranked opponent came against then-No. 25 Ohio State in Happy Valley during the 2017 season (4/12/17).
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
- Ohio State is 23-11 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten conference play.
- Four of the Buckeyes' 11 losses came against ranked schools while they picked up a conference sweep over then-No. 22 Indiana in the first weekend of Big Ten play.
- Lilli Piper leads the Buckeyes with a .367 batting average, including a team-high 40 hits.
- Emily Clark leads the team with 12 doubles, seven home runs and 32 RBI.
- Morgan Ray and Lauren Rice have seen the most time in the circle for the Buckeyes, with 108.2 and 74.2 innings pitched, respectively. Ray holds a 1.87 ERA with 101 total strikeouts while holding batters to a .154 batting average.
DINGER CITY TURNED PROGRAM RECORD
- Penn State has hit 36 home runs in the 2019 season so far, setting a new program record for total home runs in a single season. The previous record was 31 set in 2006.
- Nine games this season have been multi-home run performances by the Nittany Lions, including a single-game program record six against Saint Francis on April 3.
- Penn State has had three games this season where multiple home runs in the same inning, including three in the second inning against Saint Francis on April 3.
- Freshman Melina Livingston's two home runs against Saint Francis in game two of the doubleheader on April 3 marked the first multi-home run game for a Penn State hitter since the 2016 season when Macy Jones did so against Michigan State (4/2/16).
- Chelsea Bisi and Toni Polk lead the Nittany Lions with nine home runs each.
- Penn State's 36 home runs is fourth-most in the conference behind Wisconsin (45), Minnesota (43) and Illinois (41).
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 five free bases in 53.0 innings pitched.
MAGIC NUMBER 3
- Penn State is 17-4 this season when scoring three or more runs.
10 RUNS IS A LOT
- Penn State has scored 10 or more runs in four games this season, the most double-digit scoring games since the 2016 season.
- The Nittany Lions' 10 runs in the third inning against Robert Morris on March 20 is the most in a single inning in the Amanda Lehotak era.
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 (144) 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 fourth in the conference and 31st in the nation in total strikeouts as of April 8.
- The freshman is averaging 8.5 strikeouts per seven innings.
- Parshall also has four saves on the season, the most in the conference and seventh in the nation.
SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE
- Senior Tori Dubois was 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.
ON DECK
Penn State continues its conference homestand at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field, welcoming Rutgers to Happy Valley for a three-game series April 12-14. First pitch times are slated for Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m., and Sunday at noon, live on Big Ten Network.