ROSEMONT, ILL. – The Penn State softball team (31-21, 13-10) claimed the No. 7 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Softball Tournament in East Lansing, Michigan. The Nittany Lions will face No. 10 seed Indiana in the opening round of the tournament Wednesday at 11 a.m. The game will air live on the Big Ten Network.
Penn State finished the regular season with a 31-21 overall record and 13-10 mark in conference play. The Nittany Lions' 13 Big Ten wins are the third most in program history and mark just the seventh time Penn State has finished above .500 in conference play in 30 Big Ten seasons. The Nittany Lions claimed at least one win in every Big Ten series for the first time in program history since the Big Ten returned to three-game series in 2012 and second time overall (2003).
The ace of the pitching staff this season has been senior Bailey Parshall, who is 21-8 on the year to become the third pitcher in Penn State history to reach 20 wins in a season joining Kelly McCann (22; 2001) and Jackie Hill (20; 2011). She ranks second for most wins in a season. In Sunday's win over Illinois, Parshall upped her season strikeout total to 201 en route to her ninth shutout of the season. She is the third player in Penn State history to have 200 strikeouts in a season, joining Missy Beseres (2005, 2006) and Jackie Hill (2010, 2011), who each accomplished the feat twice in their careers, and her nine shouts are the third most in a season at Penn State.
Offensively, junior catcher Cassie Lindmark is leading the way with a .399 batting average with 15 doubles and seven home runs. She also has 17 walks and 19 hit by pitches for a .511 on-base percentage. Designated player Ally Kurland has had a strong senior season with a .308 batting average with 16 home runs and 17 doubles for a .686 slugging percentage.