EVANSTON, Ill. – Penn State softball continues its six-game road trek in Big Ten Conference competition, as the Nittany Lions travel to face the No. 23 Northwestern Wildcats in a weekend series on Sharon J. Drysdale Field. Action is set to begin on Friday, April 7 and conclude on Sunday, April 9.
GAME INFORMATION
Penn State at Northwestern | Friday, April 7 | 5 p.m. ET | B1G+ | Live Stats | Tickets
Penn State at Northwestern | Saturday, April 8 | 2 p.m. ET | B1G+ | Live Stats | Tickets
Penn State at Northwestern | Sunday, April 9 | 1 p.m. ET | B1G+ | Live Stats | Tickets
QUICK HITS
Penn State hit the road in Big Ten play for the first time last week against Minnesota, as the Nittany Lions moved to 20-8 overall and 2-4 in the league after taking the last of three games against the Golden Gophers. PSU ranks ninth in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.82), 12th in earned run average (1.76) and 16th in doubles per game (1.64). The Nittany Lion pitching staff owns the best ERA in the Big Ten Conference, clearing the next-closest B1G pitching staff in Wisconsin by exactly 0.5 points.
In 20 Big Ten at-bats through this point in the season, junior designated player Emily Maddock has recorded 12 hits. The Kempton, Pennsylvania, native currently leads the team with a .500 average overall in 2023 and has already booked four RBI in B1G play. Additionally, senior catcher Cassie Lindmark made a triumphant return to the batter's box in Sunday's doubleheader at Minnesota. The Lyons, Illinois, native went 2-for-5 on Sunday against the Golden Gophers, scoring an RBI in the top of the second to add an insurance run in PSU's eventual 2-0 victory in the weekend finale.
TWENTY-DUB BALL CLUB
After picking up a win last weekend against Minnesota, the Nittany Lions reached the 20-win threshold by climbing to 20-8 overall. PSU's 2023 squad became the fastest team to 20 wins since the 2008 Nittany Lions logged an identical 20-8 start to the season. Penn State's fastest team to 20 wins was the 2006 squad, which started its eventual NCAA Regional campaign with a 20-4 opening ledger. The Blue & White also secured their first instance of back-to-back seasons with 20 or more wins since the 2015, 2016 and 2017 teams recorded 20-plus victories in three consecutive years.
HOT START
The Nittany Lions began the season 7-0, matching the best start in program history set by the 1974 squad. The team currently maintains a 20-8 overall record, marking the third best start through 28 games in school annals. The best record through the first 28 games of the year belongs to the 2006 team that started 21-7. Penn State shut out five consecutive opponents beginning with its second game of the season against North Florida, setting a school record for the most consecutive shutouts. PSU has recorded eight shutouts in 2023 and owns the second-most shutouts per game in the Big Ten at 0.286, trailing Maryland's average of 0.323.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Veteran head coach Kate Drohan leads Northwestern into the weekend boasting a strong 21-9 overall record coupled with a stellar 6-1 start to Big Ten Conference action after demolishing Illinois in five innings by a 12-0 margin on Wednesday night. The Wildcats have been to seven of the last eight NCAA Tournaments and reached the Women's College World Series last season after compiling a 45-13 overall record and 19-4 finish in the B1G. The Wildcats are led on the field by Skyler Shellmyer, who owns a .352 average, in addition to home run bomber Angela Zedak, who has left the yard on seven occasions this year. NU has three pitchers with 57-or-more innings pitched, highlighted by Lauren Boyd, who has posted a 1.85 ERA.
SERIES HISTORY
In an all-time series that dates to the 1992 campaign, Penn State trails Northwestern by a 19-51 margin overall. The two programs last met in the Big Ten Bubble during the COVID-maligned 2021 season, with the Wildcats taking both contests in Leesburg, Florida, on Feb. 28. PSU and Northwestern last met in Chicagoland during the 2010 season, with the Nittany Lions dropping both contests in Evanston. PSU's most recent win over the Wildcats came in 2011, when the Blue & White swept a two-game series in University Park.
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.
