UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State softball team (23-15, 5-4 Big Ten) enters the final third of the season with five Big Ten contests in five days. The Nittany Lions host the Indiana Hoosiers (22-10, 5-4 Big Ten) over the weekend before traveling to Columbus for a doubleheader against Ohio State (24-10, 4-5 Big Ten) on Tuesday.
The Penn State softball team is coming off one of its biggest wins in 2022. The Nittany Lions downed No. 22 Michigan 3-2 on the road in Ann Arbor on Sunday. Cassie Lindmark's seventh inning home run was the difference as Penn State toppled Michigan for the first time in 15 years.
The Nittany Lions moved back above .500 in Big Ten play with a 5-4 record following the win against Michigan. Penn State returns home to the comfy confines of Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field, where the team has an 11-2 record, before heading back on the road for the team's second Big Ten road trip of the season.
Game Information
- Game 1: Penn State vs. Indiana- Friday April 15; 6 p.m.
- Game 2: Penn State vs. Indiana- Saturday April 16; 3 p.m.
- Game 3: Penn State vs. Indiana-Sunday April 17; Noon
- Game 4: Penn State at Ohio State-Tuesday April 19; 3 p.m.
- Game 5: Penn State at Ohio State- Tuesday April 19; 5:30 p.m.
All games will be streamed on B1G+ ($)
Series Histories
- The Nittany Lions are 39-40 all-time against the Indiana Hoosiers, with the first meeting coming back in 1977. Last season, Penn State dropped the series to Indiana in Bloomington.
- Penn State is 33-60 all-time against Ohio State. The Nittany Lions dropped the series against the Buckeyes in 2021.
Scouting the Hoosiers
- The Hoosiers enter the weekend riding a four-game winning streak and boasting a 22-10 record, with a 5-4 mark in Big Ten play. Indiana has played stiff competition in 2022 against the likes of No. 3 Florida State, No. 1 Oklahoma, and No. 23 Ohio State. Their most notable victory was a 17-5 win over then-No. 23 Ohio State on March 25.
- Last time out, Indiana swept Rutgers at home in a three-game series. The Hoosiers won the first two games in close contests, 6-4 and 5-4, before pulling away and winning game three 11-6. Indiana was set to face Purdue on Wednesday in a doubleheader, but those games were postponed.
- Taylor Minnick and Cora Bassett are two offensive weapons for Indiana. Minnick, who is batting .463 on the year with three home runs and 15 RBI, was name Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the third straight week for her performance against the Scarlet Knights. She hit .667 with four hits, five runs, one home run, and a 1.500 slugging percentage. Basset has seen more action than Minnick this season and has equally impressive numbers. The junior is batting .455 with a team leading 11 home runs and 25 RBI. She ranks first time the country in runs per game (1.41) and is second in doubles (14.)
- The pitching staff is headed by sophomore Macy Montgomery and freshman Heather Johnson. Montgomery is 10-3 on the year while Johnson is 6-3. That duo has seen 158.2 combined innings for the Hoosiers this season. Brianna Copeland has also seen some action in the circle, having a 5-4 record over 41 innings pitched.
Scouting the Buckeyes
- The Buckeyes come into the weekend 24-10 with a 4-5 record in conference play. Ohio State will play Iowa in Iowa City this weekend before facing off against the Nittany Lions in Columbus on Tuesday.
- Last time out, the Buckeyes defeated in-state opponents Toledo 5-4 in Columbus on Tuesday. Last weekend, Ohio State plated a rough series against No. 10 Northwestern. The Buckeyes were run-ruled in game one 12-3 in six innings before dropping game two 9-8 and game three 7-1.
- At the plate, the Buckeyes are led by committee. Sam Hackenbracht, McKenzie Bump, Melina Wilkison, and Niki Carver are all solid contributors for the Ohio State offense. Hackenbracht paces the group with a .365 batting average and team leading 11 home runs and 32 RBI.
- Lexie Handley is the ace of the Ohio State pitching staff and one of the better pitchers in the Big Ten. Handley is 13-6 with a 2.46 ERA with 168 strikeouts through 131 innings pitched. She is fourth in the Big Ten in innings pitched and strikeouts.
Last Time Out
- Last time out, Penn State concluded a weekend series at Michigan with a massive 3-2 over the No. 22 Wolverines. Ally Kurland and Cassie Lindmark both hit home runs in the win. Lindmark's seventh inning blast was the difference in the game.
- It was the first win for Penn State over Michigan since 2007, when the Nittany Lions defeated No. 9 Michigan 5-2 at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. It was the first Big Ten victory over the Wolverines since 2006 and the first at Alumni Field since 2005.
- Lindmark hit .500 with two home runs, a 1.500 slugging percentage, and a .727 on base percentage over the course of last weekend. She also reached base in her final seven at bats in the series.
Queen B
- Senior Bailey Parshall continues to be the standout leader on the Penn State pitching staff in 2022. Parshall leads the Nittany Lions with a 13-6 record and a 1.57 ERA in 134 innings pitched.
- Parshall's seven shutouts is the best mark in the Big Ten and the fifth best in Division I. Her 1.54 ERA is the fourth best mark in the Big Ten.
- Parshall was named Big Ten Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 21 after going 4-0 with two complete game shutouts. It was the second Big Ten weekly award of her career with her other honor coming in March 2020.
- The gem of Parshall's season is her perfect game against FIU Feb. 18. The perfect game was the fifth in program history and second to be a seven- inning perfect game. Parshall's perfect effort is the first for Penn State since Missy Beseres blanked St.Francis (Pa.) in five innings on March30, 2005.
- This was also the 14th no-hitter in Penn State history and first since Ashley Esparza shutdown Illinois in a 13-0 win in five innings on April 5, 2008.
Lindmark Leads the Way
- Along with Ally Kurland, Cassie Lindmark's offensive output has helped create one of the most formidable one-two punches in the Big Ten.
- After transferring to Happy Valley from Kentucky, the catcher from Lyons, Illinois leads the Nittany Lions in batting average (.416) and hits (47). She is sixth in batting average and third in on-base percentage (.521) in the Big Ten.
- In the win over No. 22 Michigan, Lindmark's seventh inning home run was the difference that led Penn State to the upset victory. In Ann Arbor last weekend, she batted .500 with two home runs, a 1.500 slugging percentage, and a .727 on base percentage. She also reached base in her final seven at bats in the series.
- Lindmark put up monster numbers on the way to being among the Louisville Slugger/Wilson D1 Top Performers of the Week on March 21. The junior hit .500 with eight hits and six RBI. She also had an on base percentage of .636 and a .688 slugging percentage.
Home Sweet Home
- Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field has been kind to the Nittany Lions in the 2022 season.
- Penn State is 11-2 at home in 2022, including a 7-0 record against non-conference opposition in Happy Valley.
- Last time at home, the Nittany Lions swept Purdue in dominating fashion. Penn State outscored the Boilermakers 26-5 in the three game, including a 11-3 run-rule victory in game three. It was the first Big Ten series sweep for Penn State since 2016.
Play Them Tough
- The Nittany Lions have not backed down and showed grit when playing against ranked opponents in 2022.
- Last weekend's win was the Nittany Lions the first ranked win of the season and first ranked win on the road since 2/10/17 against No. 4 LSU.
- Before last weekend's win against No. 22 Michigan, the Nittany Lions played closely contested games against No. 11 Missouri and No. 13 Duke.
What's Next
The Nittany Lions continue Big Ten play with a series in the Garden State against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Game one of that series is set for Friday, April 22 at 3 p.m. All games will be streamed on B1G+ ($).