UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State softball team, under first-year head coach Clarisa Crowell, is set for another four-game home series at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, April 9-10. Due to weather forecasted in the area for Sunday, the series is being shifted to play a pair of doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. All the games will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+.
GAME INFORMATION
- Game 1 (DH): Friday, April 9 | 4:30 p.m. ET | Live Stream ($)
- Game 2 (DH): Friday, April 9 | approx. 6:30 p.m. ET | Live Stream ($)
- Game 3 (DH): Saturday, April 10 | 1 p.m. ET | Live Stream ($)
- Game 4 (DH): Saturday, April 10 | approx. 3 p.m. ET | Live Stream ($)
- Live Stats all games available via GoPSUsports.com
SERIES HISTORY
- Playing a Big Ten-only schedule in 2021, Penn State will face familiar opponents all season long.
- The Nittany Lions are set to play a four-game series against the Scarlet Knights in a pair of doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. Friday's doubleheader will start at 4:30 p.m. and Saturday's will start at 1 p.m.
- Penn State leads Rutgers in the all-time series, 31-26. The two teams face off every year in conference play due to their proximity. With no Big Ten season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last time the Nittany Lions and Scarlet knights faced off was in 2019 in a traditional three-game series at Beard Field. Rutgers swept the series, 3-0.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
- Rutgers is 5-15 so far in the 2021 season. The Scarlet Knights are on a two-game win streak after splitting their home series against Nebraska last weekend.
- Graduate student Gabrielle Callaway is pacing the Scarlet Knights offensively, batting .343 with 23 hits, including four home runs, and 13 RBI. Four other Rutgers players also have double-digit hits.
- In the circle, the Rutgers pitching staff holds a 6.55 team ERA. Sophomore Ashley Hitchcock has pitched the most innings at 65.2 and holds a 3-6 record with four complete games and one save.
LAST TIME OUT
- Penn State finally got to play within the friendly confines of Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field after 699 long days, hosting Ohio State for three games. The series finale got cancelled as an abundance of caution surrounding the health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches and staff.
- The Buckeyes swept the series, 2-1, 9-3, 9-0 (5).
- Sophomore Maggie Finnegan extended her hit streak to a career-high six games before not registering a hit on Sunday.
- Freshman Melody Coombs hit her second home run of the season in game one Saturday, for home runs in consecutive games after hitting a bomb in the series finale at Nebraska.
- Junior Melina Livingston found herself back on the field after missing the previous several weeks due to injury. She had a great game back in game two of the doubleheader, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored.
ON DECK
Penn State hits the road again for back-to-back away series, first at Michigan State in East Lansing, April 16-18.