UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Only two weeks into the season, senior pitcher Bailey Parshall has already make her presence felt in the circle for the Nittany Lions.
In the season opener against No. 11 Missouri on Feb. 11, she surpassed 400 career strikeouts, sitting her sixth all-time in career strikeouts for the Nittany Lions, but from there she was only getting started.
Parshall then had an outstanding weekend in the Panther Invitational this past weekend, pitching a perfect game against FIU on Feb. 18. Through a total of seven innings, Parshall retired all 21 batters faced, allowing no hits, no base runners, and recording 11 strikeouts. This was a pivotal moment for Penn State, as it was the first time since 2005 a Nittany Lion threw a perfect game.
Head coach Clarisa Crowell attributes Parshall's success to her resilience and strong mindset.
"Bailey had her best stuff [Friday] night, but I think it takes a lot more than just being able to pitch well," Crowell said. "I think from a mindset standpoint, she was able to stay composed. You've got to show some grittiness and some resiliency and some mental toughness to throw a perfect game."
Crowell went on to explain a conversion she had with Parshall when she began her coaching career at Penn State last year, implying that her most recent performance was no shock to her.
"I told Bailey that I believed she could become one of the best pitchers in the Big Ten last year," said Crowell. "Now she is showing us her areas of growth both physically and mentally. I am not surprised at all by her success this year."
While in Friday's game, Parshall revealed she had no idea she was throwing a perfect game, only that she gave up no hits. It was revealed to her by a teammate in the fourth inning how far her game was going.
"I had no idea I was throwing a perfect game, but I did know that I had a no-hitter going," she said. "I started thinking about it, internalizing a little bit, and thought to myself how I needed to stick with the same game plan until they adjusted, but they never did."
"As a pitcher, we put a lot of emphasis on our endurance and durability," she added. "I definitely feel that this past weekend impacted my confidence."
Parshall attributes her growth as a player to not only through her endurance and durability, but through the strong relations established throughout the team in the preseason.
"We've been really intentional this preseason about creating good chemistry between all of us," Parshall said. "We've had a lot of conversations in practice and out of practice that allows us to push off of one another for support. I think it really benefited us to develop those relations before the games."
Parshall is looking forward to the rest of the season and what the team will accomplish.
"We are building momentum going deeper into the season," she said. "I think our confidence, and chemistry is working towards itself. I think we are going to keep that momentum and do really well."
The Nittany Lions will be back on the road this upcoming weekend heading to the I-75 Challenge in Atlanta, Georgia. There the Nittany Lions will face Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, and Georgia State in the weekend showdown. Opening pitch for the first game is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. against Georgia Tech.
