UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State softball team concludes its 10-game spring break trip this week in the Sunshine State. The Nittany Lions will first play a midweek game at USF on Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. before playing in the second weekend of the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational, March 13-14. There, Penn State will match up with UT Chattanooga, Providence, Winthrop and Army.
GAME INFORMATION
- Game 1: Penn State at South Florida – Wednesday, March 11; 6:30 p.m. | Live Stats
- Game 2: Penn State vs. UT Chattanooga – Friday, March 13; Noon
- Game 3: Penn State vs. Providence – Friday, March 13; 2:30 p.m.
- Game 4: Penn State vs. Winthrop – Saturday, March 14; 9 a.m.
- Game 5: Penn State vs. Army – Saturday, March 14; 11:30 a.m.
- Live stats for all games in the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational available via gopsusports.com.
SERIES HISTORY
- Penn State has met up on the field with three of its five opponents this week.
- South Florida holds a 18-6 edge over Penn State, but the two teams have not met up since the 2012 season.
- Penn State is 2-1 over UT Chattanooga and 1-0 over Winthrop, but have not seen either team in the last decade as the last meetings came in 2008 and 1998, respectively.
- The Nittany Lions will meet both Providence and Army for the first time in program history.
SCOUTING THE FIELD
- South Florida is 15-9 overall and is receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. The Bulls have four wins over ranked opponents in Texas Tech, Georgia and Tennessee (two). AnaMarie Bruni leads USF with a .443 batting average with 35 hits while Brooke Hartman has a team-high 12 RBI. In the circle, Georgina Corrick is 11-3 with a 1.39 ERA and 120 strikeouts.
- UT Chattanooga is 6-14 going into the week, but the Mocs will also play a midweek game before facing the Nittany Lions on Friday. Emily Coltharp leads the team with a .419 batting average with 26 hits. Celie Hudson and Allison Swinford have pitched a similar amount of innings and hold ERAs of 2.01 and 3.73, respectively.
- Providence is 6-9 overall but will also play two midweek games before seeing Penn State Friday. Jessica Tomaso and Mackensie Compton lead the Friars with 15 and 16 hits, respectively, and 14 and 13 RBI, respectively. In the circle, Daniela Alvarez has pitched 47.1 innings and holds a 3.85 ERA with a 2-5 record.
- Winthrop is 12-10 heading into the week. Ansley Gilreath paces the Golden Eagles with a .391 batting average with 25 hits and 15 RBI. Ashley Westbrooks has 23 hits and a team-high 17 RBI. Madyson Watson is 7-5 in the circle with a 3.73 ERA in 62.0 innings pitched while Aisha Weixlmann is 4-1 with a 3.08 ERA in 47.2 innings.
- Army has a 13-9 overall record. Alicyn Grete holds a .490 batting average with 25 hits and nine RBI in 17 games played. Ally Snelling bats .391 with a team-high 27 hits and 20 RBI starting all 22 games. Four Black Knights have all pitched a similar amount of innings to start the season. Jolie Duong holds a team-low ERA of 2.59 while Emily Iannotti has a perfect 5-0 record in the circle with a 4.32 ERA in 34.0 innings.
SPRING BREAK TOUR
- Penn State will play 10 different opponents during its spring break trip down in Clearwater, Fla.
- The Nittany Lions went 3-2 in weekend one in the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational, with wins over Yale, Robert Morris and Western Michigan.
- Penn State will start the second half of spring break with a midweek contest at South Florida on Wednesday, March 11 before concluding play in the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational, March 13-14, against UT Chattanooga, Providence, Winthrop and Army.
PARSHALL TABBED AS BIG TEN PITCHER OF THE WEEK
- Sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on March 9 after a stellar performance in the circle in the first weekend of the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational.
- The left-handed ace threw three complete-game shutouts, leading Penn State to wins over Yale, Robert Morris and Western Michigan.
- Parshall struck out double-digit batters in all three appearances, including a season-high 14 against Yale on March 6.
- She did not give up a run in 19.0 innings pitched, and only allowed eight total hits and three total walks in the three games combined. She picked up three wins in the circle to move to 7-5 on the year.
- Parshall earns her first career weekly Big Ten award and the first for a Nittany Lion since 2016 when Marlaina Laubach was also named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week (4/4/2016).
WE'RE PARSHALL TO BAILEY'S STRIKEOUT SUCCESS
- Lefty ace Bailey Parshall continues to dominate in the circle in 2020.
- The Belle Vernon, Pa., native has 117 strikeouts this season, including four double-digit strikeout games and a season-high 14 against Yale on March 6. Her total strikeout number is good for third in the conference and 11th nationally.
- Parshall has three shutouts this season, the most in the conference and 19th-most in the nation.
- Her 6.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 9.8 strikeouts per seven innings are both top-30 nationally at 22 and 27, respectively.
- Parshall now has 301 career strikeouts, good for eighth all-time in the Penn State record books.
- Parshall also has one save this season to total six in her career, tied for third all-time in program history for career saves.
DEFENSIVE SHUTOUTS
- The Penn State defense has six shutouts so far in 2020, the most in the conference and 28th most in the nation.
- Sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall has a team-high three complete-game shutouts while freshman Vanessa Oatley has two and junior Logan Black has one.
- The six shutouts are the most since the 2011 season when that team shut out 10 opponents.
ON DECK
Penn State finally gets to play within the friendly confines of Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field on Wednesday, March 18 against in-state foe Pittsburgh. The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network with first pitch slated for 6 p.m.