Penn State Softball Concludes Regular Season with Trip to IllinoisPenn State Softball Concludes Regular Season with Trip to Illinois
Mark Selders

Penn State Softball Concludes Regular Season with Trip to Illinois

Opens in a new window Illinois Game Notes

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Penn State softball team (29-20, 11-9 Big Ten) finishes the regular-season with weekend trip to Illinois (33-17, 14-5 Big Ten) to battle with the Fighting Illini. The first game of the series is set for Friday night a 6 p.m. EST and will be streamed on B1G+.
 
The Nittany Lions are coming off an emotional Senior Day victory over the Wisconsin Badgers last Saturday. Lexie Black hit a walk off double in the second game of the doubleheader to give Penn State a comeback 4-3 win over the Badgers. It concluded a home slate that saw the Nittany Lions go an impressive 14-5 at home in 2022.
 
Penn State now looks to improve its seeding entering next week's Big Ten tournament in East Lansing, Mich. The Nittany Lions find themselves in the eighth seed entering the weekend, with a chance to jump the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin by the end of the weekend. The first day of the tournament is slated for Wednesday, May 11 with all the game taking place at Michigan State.
 
Sunday's game against the Illini will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network. It will be the second time the Nittany Lions have been on TV this season, with the first game being Penn State's 6-0 victory over Pitt which was on the ACC Network. That game is slated to start at 2:30 EST/ 1:30 CST.
 
Game Information

  • Game 1: Penn State at Illinois- Friday, May 6; 6 p.m. EST/ 5 p.m. CST (B1G+)
  • Game 2: Penn State at Illinois- Saturday, May 7; 2 p.m. EST/ 1 p.m. CST (B1G+)
  • Game 3: Penn State at Illinois- Sunday, May 8; 2:30 EST/ 1:30 CST (Big Ten Network)

 
Series History

  • The Nittany Lions have a 15-27 all-time record against Illinois with the first meeting coming back in 2001.
  • The Nittany Lions dropped a three-game series against Illinois last season in Leesburg, Fla.

 
Scouting the Fighting Illini

  • Illinois comes into the weekend sitting with a 33-17 mark on the season, including a 14-5 record in Big Ten play. The Fighting Illini currently find themselves sitting in the third seed in the Big Ten before next week's tournament. 
  • Last time out, Illinois run-ruled Western Illinois 8-0 in five innings on Wednesday night at Eichelberger Field. Last weekend in Big Ten play, the Illini took two games in a three-game series from Indiana. They won the first games 6-4 in eight innings then 2-0 before dropping the final game 3-2 in 11 innings. Illinois has either won or split every Big Ten series they have played so far this season.
  • The Illinois offense is one of the best in the Big Ten, batting a combined .315 as a team, which is the second-best mark in the conference. Leading the offense are players like Avery Steiner, Danielle Davis, and Kelly Ryono. Steiner currently leads the Big Ten in hits (67) and is ninth in batting average (.385). 
  • The Illinois pitching staffs is also another unit that is towards the top of the Big Ten. Leading the way is senior Sydney Sickels and sophomore Tori McQueen. Sickels has pitched the majority of the innings (125) with a 11-8 record and a 2.13 ERA. She ranks second all-time in program history in strikeouts. On the other hand, McQueen has a 13-4 record on the season and has an equally impressive ERA with a 2.35. Lauren Wiles has also seen a lot of action in the circle, going 8-4 with a 2.69 record though 93.2 innings pitched.

 
Last Time Out

  • The Nittany Lions concluded Senior Day with a 4-3 walk-off victory against Wisconsin. Lexie Black was the hero for Penn State, driving in seniors Shelli Rivard and Ally Kurland to score the winning runs and secure the victory. The comeback victory marked the first time this season the Nittany Lions won when entering the sixth inning losing (previously 0-12). 
  • In game two of the series, Rivard hit a home run in only the third plate appearance of her college career. It was her first career home run and first career hit.
  • The Nittany Lions finished the season 14-5 at home. It was a significant improvement for Penn State after going 4-11 at home in 2021.

 
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.
  • Penn State has improved its winning percentage by .421, going from a .171 winning percentage in 2021 to a .592 in 2022. 
  • The Nittany Lions also improved its home winning percentage by .497, going from .266 in 2021 to .736 in 2022. 

 
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 19-7 record and a 1.70 ERA in 185.2 innings pitched.
  • Last weekend, Parshall pitched two complete games against the Badgers, dropping the first game after only allowing five hits through ten innings pitched before winning the second game on Sunday.
  • Parshall's eight shutouts is the third best mark in the Big Ten and the fifth best in Division I. Her 1.70 ERA is also the third 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.

 
 
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 (.403) and hits (58). She is fourth in batting average and third in on-base percentage (.517) in the Big Ten.
  • 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.
  • Lindmark has been hit by a pitch (19) more than she's struck out (14) this season.

 
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 (41), and slugging percentage (.710). Her 16 home runs this season is the third most all-time by a Nittany Lion in a single season. Her 16 doubles are also the fourth 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.

 
On Deck
The Nittany Lions enter postseason play with the Big Ten tournament in East Lansing starting on Wednesday next week. Penn State's opponent has yet to be determined.