Penn State softball (17-4) will follow a 2-1 weekend in the Penn State Classic with a midweek match up against its cross-state rival in the Pittsburgh Panthers on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY
Penn State and Pitt have seen a lot of each other over the years, meeting each other 26 times previously. The Nittany Lions hold the series advantage at 18-8. They faced off around the same time last year in which Penn State beat the Panthers, 6-0 in Pittsburgh. The two teams have not faced off in Happy Valley since the 2015 season where Penn State beat Pitt, 3-1.
SCOUTING THE FIELD
The Panthers were off to a hot start of their own this season. The Panthers began the season by topping No. 21 Auburn at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Pitt opened conference play this weekend, suffering a sweep by Louisville in their three-game series.
HOT START
The Nittany Lions began the season 7-0, matching their best start in program history with the 1974 team. They are now 17-4 which is the second-best start in program history. The 2006 team went 18-3 before losing a game.
Penn State shut out five of its first six teams that it faced. The five shutouts were consecutive, which is a school record for most consecutive shutouts. They recently shut out Canisius during the Penn State Classic which gives the Nittany Lions six shutouts on the season.
SWINGING HOT BATS
Penn State has outscored their opponents 119-46 this season and are outhitting opponents 153-36.
Kaitlyn Morrison leads the team with a .422 batting average which ranks fourth in the Big Ten. She also leads the team in hits (26).
Lexie Black leads the team in slugging percentage (.733) which ranks fifth in the Big Ten. She also leads the team in RBIs with 19.
The Nittany Lions have six players who hold over a .400 on base percentage. As a team, the Nittany Lions hold a .376 OBP compared to their opponents who only reach base .217 percent of the time.
In addition, Penn State has walked (80) more times than it has struck out (72). The Nittany Lions opponents have struck out (144) more times than they've walked (31) against the Penn State pitching arsenal.
BASE ROBBERS
Penn State is 38-for-41 during the early season when attempting to steal bases.
Junior Melody Coombs leads the team with 15 steals on 16 attempts. She ranks second in the Big Ten in steals this season. Coombs is 12th in the nation is steals per-game and second in the Big Ten in that category with .80. Maggie Finnegan is second on the team with seven steals.
Penn State's 1.95 stolen bases per game is good for third in the Big Ten and 34th nationally.
DOMINANCE IN THE CIRCLE
Bailey Parshall is second in the Big Ten and 44th nationally in ERA (1.07). Kylee Lingenfelter is sixth in the Big Ten in ERA posting a 1.43 mark.
The Nittany Lions as a team hold the 12th best ERA in the nation at 1.58.
BAILEY PARSHALL IN THE RECORD BOOK
With her start against Canisius this weekend, Parshall became the all-time career appearance leader in Nittany Lions program history with 140 career appearances.
She's also nine strikeouts short of 700 career strikeouts. She would join Missy Beseres as just the second player in program history to reach that benchmark. With 691 career strikeouts, Parshall currently ranks second in program history to Beseres who amassed 745 from 2001-2006.
NEXT UP
The Nittany Lions continue their home stand this weekend when they open Big Ten play against the Iowa Hawkeyes. They will then hold another mid-week match up next week when they face Saint Francis at home.
--Nittany Lions--