UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State softball returns to the friendly confines of Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field this week, as the Blue & White get set for a Tuesday twin-bill against the Ohio State Buckeyes on April 11. First pitch in the opening game is slated for 4 p.m., with an approximate 6:30 p.m. start tabbed for game two.
GAME INFORMATION
Ohio State at Penn State | Tuesday, April 11 | 4 p.m. ET | BTN | 93.3 FM | Live Stats | Tickets
Ohio State at Penn State | Tuesday, April 11 | 6:30 p.m. ET | BTN | 93.3 FM | Live Stats | Tickets
QUICK HITS
Penn State returns to action at home in Big Ten play following a three-game stretch against Northwestern that saw PSU move to 20-11 overall and 2-7 in the B1G. The Blue & White hit seven home runs last weekend, with five different Nittany Lions leaving the yard. Senior first baseman Lexie Black and junior second baseman Melody Coombs each launched two. PSU ranks 15th in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.75) and 21st nationally in doubles per game (1.55). The Nittany Lions are second in the B1G in ERA (2.23).
Junior third baseman Emily Maddock has experienced a breakout season for the Nittany Lions, currently pacing the team in batting average with a .447 mark. Since Big Ten play began on March 24, Maddock owns a .483 average against league pitchers. Against Northwestern last weekend, senior catcher Cassie Lindmark went 3-for-7 in the box (.429) including a double and a home run. Lindmark took seven total bases in the series.
TAKING THE HIGH RHOADES
Prior to Tuesday evening's doubleheader, newly appointed Peter and Ann Tombros Endowed Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Rhoades will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. In 19 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Rhoades, a Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania native, has produced a 373-189 record, a winning percentage of .664, seven NCAA Tournament appearances and nine national postseason appearances. Rhoades arrives in Happy Valley following a six-year stint as head coach of the VCU Rams, making three NCAA Tournament appearances in that span.
LIONS LOVE THE LONG BALL
Penn State has launched a total of 24 home runs in the 2023 season to date, including seven homers in the past weekend. Ten of Penn State's 24 homers this year have come since the start of Big Ten play, with the Blue & White averaging over one home run per game in league competition. Last weekend's series against Northwestern saw PSU crank seven dingers, including multiple homers from Black and Coombs. Three Nittany Lion batters are currently tied for the team lead in home runs with five, including Black, Kaitlyn Morrison and Liana Jones.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Eleven-year head coaching veteran Kelly Kovach Schoenly leads Ohio State into Tuesday's midweek matchup boasting a 23-13 overall record coupled with a 4-5 start to Big Ten Conference play. The Buckeyes opened the league season with a 2-1 series win at Michigan followed by a sweeping loss on the road against Indiana. OSU has won two of its last five games, including a 2-1 series win over Rutgers and 1-0 extra-inning loss against Ohio University. In the box, Melina Wilkinson leads the team in batting average (.419), home runs (7) and RBI (31), while pitching staff ace Allison Smith brings a 2.96 ERA and 11-8 record to Happy Valley.
SERIES HISTORY
In one of Penn State's most consistently contested series, the Buckeyes own a 61-34 lead since the first meeting of the two programs in 1975. Ohio State and Penn State battle annually in a B1G midweek doubleheader, with each team taking a game in last year's meeting in Columbus. OSU logged a 4-2 win in the lid-lifter before Penn State snapped back in game two with a 4-2 win of its own. The last meeting in University Park saw Ohio State sweep a three-game stretch during the COVID-affected 2021 season.
FOLLOW ALONG
Tuesday's doubleheader will be broadcast to a national television audience via the Big Ten Network. Sloane Martin (PxP) and Cornell softball alumna Elise Menaker (Analyst) will call the game from BTN Studios in Chicago. The games will be Penn State's first nationally televised broadcasts of the 2023 season. The doubleheader will also be broadcast to a live radio audience throughout Central Pennsylvania on 93.3 FM.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State softball. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion softball team on Facebook at /pennstatesoftball as well as Twitter and Instagram @PennStateSB.
