UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- It has been exactly 699 days since the Penn State softball team played an official, in-season game at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
That is all about to change Saturday.
The Nittany Lions will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the team's home-opening series Saturday, April 3 through Monday, April 5, in what senior Dani Fey said "feels like a long time coming."
The team had to cut its season short last year in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, just before they were going to have their first home game of the season.
"We keep talking about it, because it kind of feels crazy that it's been two years," Fey said. "It doesn't feel like we've lost that much."
When the team had their first spring practice a few weeks ago, Fey said it was hard to believe that they were even on the field.
It will not only be the freshmen's first time playing an official game at Beard Field, but it will also be the sophomore's, too.
"It's weird to think that the sophomores didn't even have a game here yet," Fey said. "That class has been waiting to play a Big Ten game on Beard Field, so I'm really excited for them."
Although sophomore Michelle Leone has played a game in Beard Field during the fall, she said that experience is much different than playing in the spring.
Leone said she is "so excited" to finally play at home during the regular season, but it has been frustrating to practice at the field without having a spring game there. In fact, this past weekend against Nebraska was also the first time the sophomores and freshmen were able to play at another Big Ten campus.
"I think it just shows that you have to be grateful for the time that you do get at the softball field and invest in that time, rather than looking at the clock, and waiting for practices to be over and to be really just grateful to be where you are because, you never know what can happen," Leone said.
Both Fey and Leone also said there are a lot of advantages playing at home. The energy from the fans, the Blue and White atmosphere, "We Are" chants and not having to travel will, according to Leone, help the team settle down and walk on to the field with a lot of energy.
Leone was not able to play in front of her family yet this season, so not only is she excited to see them, but she also said having a "family atmosphere" will hopefully help the team turnaround from a rough start.
Fey added the feeling on Beard Field is "refreshing."
"That game day feeling at Beard Field is kind of unmatched for us, and playing at home is just amazing for anybody," Fey said.
Beard Field is a memorable place for a lot of the team and alumni. A sign in the team's locker room says, "We play for those who came before us," and Fey said that quote is a main belief within the program.
"We really take that to heart, and at the end of the day its really is all about Penn State softball and our program and protecting that, preserving that, and growing it for people to come," Fey said. "Especially as a senior, that is something I've been able to focus on no matter how the season goes."
Similarly, for Leone, when she puts on her Penn State jersey, she said she is playing for the alumni that have come before her, and there is a sense of community that she is grateful to share by upholding their standards and continuing their traditions.
Despite having limited fans, Fey said she cannot wait to show up and play this weekend.
"It's still going to be a really special moment for every single class," Fey said.
