Penn State Softball Travels to East Lansing for Big Ten TournamentPenn State Softball Travels to East Lansing for Big Ten Tournament
Craig Houtz

Penn State Softball Travels to East Lansing for Big Ten Tournament

Opens in a new window Big Ten Tournament Game Notes

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Following a successful 2022 regular season in Happy Valley, the Penn State softball team (31-21, 13-10 Big Ten) returns to postseason play with the Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing, Mich.  
 
After a series victory against Illinois last weekend, Penn State enters the tournament as the No. 7 seed and are slated to face off against No. 10 Indiana (27-21, 10-13) to start the tournament. That game is set for Wednesday, May 11 at 11 p.m. All tournament games will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network and streamed on the Fox Sports App.
 
The Nittany Lions' 2022 regular season was one of the best in recent memory. The Nittany Lions finished above .500 in Big Ten play for the seventh time in program history and first time since 2016. Penn State's 13 Big Ten wins are also the third most in program history.
 
Following a down year in 2021, the Nittany Lions flipped the narrative, seeing the largest increase in winning percentage in the country. Second-year head coach Clarisa Crowell looks to lead the Nittany Lions on a run for the tournament crown in the first Big Ten Tournament appearance of her career. 
 
Game Information

  • Round One: No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 10 Indiana- Wednesday, May 11; 11 a.m.
  • Quarterfinal: vs. No. 2 Nebraska- Thursday, May 12; 11 a.m. (if necessary) 
  • Semifinal-Friday, May 13; 2 p.m. (if necessary)
  • Final- Saturday, May 14; 1 p.m. (if necessary)

Scouting the Field

  • No. 10 Indiana comes into the tournament with a 27-21 record and a 10-13 in Big Ten play. Penn State and Indiana matched up earlier in the season in Happy Valley, with Penn State taking the three-game series winning games one and three. The Nittany Lions are 17-28 all-time against Indiana. Cora Bassett is the Hoosiers' do it all player at the plate, leading the team in almost all offensive categories. The Hoosiers' pitching staff is headlined by Heather Johnson and Macy Montgomery, with Johnson leading the way with a 4.00 ERA through 140 innings pitched.
  • If the Nittany Lions make it past Indiana, a date with No.2 Nebraska will be on tap. The Cornhuskers have had a spectacular year, going 37-14 and earning the second seed in the tournament with a 17-5 record in Big Ten play. At one point in the season, Nebraska was on an 18-game winning streak, which was the longest in the country at the time. Six Cornhuskers are batting over .300 on the season and the pitching staff has a combined 2.95 ERA. Penn State and Nebraska did not meet earlier in the season.
  • Northwestern comes into the weekend as the No. 1 seed. The Wildcats claimed the Big Ten regular season crown on Friday with a 39-9 record and a 19-4 record in Big Ten play. Northwestern is highlighted by senior pitcher Danielle Williams, who is on pace to win the Big Ten pitching triple crown. 

Last Time Out

  • The Nittany Lions concluded the regular season with a weekend trip to Illinois last weekend. Penn State dropped the first game 4-3 before taking the next two games by the same 2-0 score.
  • In the second game of the series, junior Lexie Black's two-run home run was all Penn State needed to secure the win. Kylee Lingenfelter and Bailey Parshall both pitched great in the circle for the Nittany Lions, combining for the shutout and securing Penn State's 30th win of the season.
  • In the third game of the series, Parshall put on a show in the circle for a televised audience on the Big Ten Network to see. She struck out seven in the game and secured her ninth shutout of the season. Cassie Lindmark and Ally Kurland both had an RBI in the win.

The Resurgence

  • The Nittany Lions have had a historic turnaround from 2021 to 2022. Out of teams who played at least five games in 2021, the Nittany Lions have the most improved winning percentage out of all teams in Division 1 (.171 in 2021 to .596 in 2022).
  • Penn State finished above .500 in Big Ten play for the seventh time in program history and the first since 2016. The Nittany Lions' 13 Big Ten wins are the third most in program history.
  • Penn State returns to the Big Ten tournament after not qualifying in 2021.

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 21-8 record and a 1.65 ERA in 199.2 innings pitched.
  • Last weekend, Parshall picked up two wins against the Fighting Illini. In the third game of the series, Parshall went all seven innings, striking out seven and securing her ninth shutout of the season. 
  • Parshall's 21 wins in 2022 are the second most all time in a single season in program history, trailing Kelly McCann who won 22 games in 2001. She also became only the third pitcher in program history to strikeout 200 batters in a season, joining Missy Beseres (2005, 2006) and Jackie Hill (2010, 2011). 
  • Parshall's nine shutouts is the best mark in the Big Ten and the sixth best in Division I. Her 1.65 ERA is also the second 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.

Kurland Killin' It

  • Senior Ally Kurland has been one of the best sluggers in the Big Ten and country in 2022. She leads Penn State in home runs (16), RBI (43), and slugging percentage (.686). Her 16 home runs this season is the third most all-time by a Nittany Lion in a single season. Her 17 doubles are also the third best mark all-time by a Nittany Lion in a single season. 
  • After Penn State's sweep over Purdue in early April, Kurland was named the Big Ten Player of the Week. Against Purdue and Bucknell, she batted .583 with seven hits, three home runs, and eight RBI while posting a 1.417 slugging percentage and .667 on base percentage. She was the first Nittany Lion to win the award since Alyssa VanDerveer in 2015. 
  • On March 4, Kurland rocked a grand slam in the seventh inning as part of a 12-0 victory over North Carolina. Before Lilia Crouthamel's grand slam against Bucknell she was the first Nittany Lion to hit a grand slam since Toni Polk against Purdue on April 5, 2019. 
  • Kurland also had a career-high six RBI off of her two-run double and grand slam against the Tar Heels. Her six RBI are tied for the third-most in program history and the most by a Penn State player since Alyssa VanDerveer had a school-record seven RBI against Fordham on February 27, 2016.

Defense Wins Championships

  • Penn State's defensive game in 2022 has been one of the best in the country.
  • The Nittany Lions' .971 fielding percentage is the second-best mark in the Big Ten.

Lilia"I Love Defense" Crouthamel

  • Senior center fielder Lilia Crouthamel has been a human highlight film in the outfield for Penn State in 2022. Her highlights this past weekend included a diving catch in center field and she made three crucial defense plays in the team's win over Wisconsin on Senior Day.
  • Crouthamel also had a grand slam in Penn State's 5-1 win over Bucknell last week. It was the first grand slam of her career and second home run as well. She was the second Nittany Lion to hit one in 2022 and it was Penn State's third grand slam since 2019.
  • In Penn State's win over Rutgers Saturday, Crouthamel registered six RBI via a two-RBI double and her second grand slam of the season. She became the fifth Nittany Lion ever to register six RBI in a game.