BOCA RATON, Fla. – Penn State softball kicks off its 59th varsity season in sunny South Florida at the Paradise Classic from Joan Joyce Field on the campus of FAU. The Nittany Lions have five games scheduled beginning Friday, February 9, and concluding Sunday, February 11, with contests against Marshall, host-FAU, No. 16 Arkansas and a pair of matchups with Ohio.
GAME INFORMATION
Penn State vs. Marshall | Friday, February 9 | 4:30 p.m. ET | FLO | Live Stats | TICKETS
Penn State at FAU | Friday, February 9 | 7 p.m. ET | FAUSports.TV | Live Stats | TICKETS
Penn State vs. #16 Arkansas | Saturday, February 10 | 11:15 a.m. ET | FLO | Live Stats | TICKETS
Penn State vs. Ohio | Saturday, February 10 | 3:45 p.m. ET | FLO | Live Stats | TICKETS
Penn State vs. Ohio | Sunday, February 11 | 11:30 a.m. ET | FLO | Live Stats | TICKETS
FOLLOW ALONG
All games at the Paradise Classic will be played at Joan Joyce Field on the campus of FAU. Tickets for each day of the weekend tournament are available at the links above. For more information on FAU softball tickets and facility parking information, click the link here. All games at the Paradise Classic will be streamed live, with Penn State's four combined games against Marshall, Arkansas and Ohio set to stream via FloSoftball. Access to FloSoftball requires a paid subscription. Penn State's game Friday night against FAU will stream live for free at FAUSports.TV and the link above.
QUICK HITS
The Blue & White welcome the return of 2023 All-B1G First Team performer and senior infielder Emily Maddock, who booked a .439 average in the box last season. PSU also returns graduate infielder Kaitlyn Morrison for her fifth year in Happy Valley after cranking seven home runs and 34 RBI a season ago with a .338 average. PSU will introduce nine newcomers in 2024, including three transfers and six freshmen. Junior outfielder Haylie Brunson headlines the group after booking a pair of seasons with in-state rival Pittsburgh, while senior catcher Gaby Garcia arrives in Happy Valley after three seasons at Stephen F. Austin. Garcia ranked 14th nationally in homers a year ago with 18, booking Second Team All-WAC accolades in the process. Pitcher Bridget Nemeth headlines the freshman class after landing First Team All-State accolades in California during her accomplished high school career.
SCOUTING THE FIELD
The Marshall Thundering Herd make their season-opening sojourn to South Florida under the direction of first-year head coach Morgan Zerkle. Marshall set a program record for victories last season with a 45-10 ledger and returns nine players from that roster, including All-Sun Belt shortstop Sydney Bickel. Host-FAU returns to action after a 35-20 campaign in 2023 and begins its first season as a member of the American Athletic Conference this year. Second-year skipper Jordan Clark leads a squad that returns a significant talent roster in the circle, featuring D1Softball's 36th-ranked pitcher, Gabby Sacco.
No. 16 Arkansas kicks off its 2024 campaign in Boca Raton after a 40-19 season last year that afforded the Razorbacks an NCAA Regional hosting opportunity. Head coach Courtney Deifel returns 2023 batting average and home run champ Reagan Johnson, as well as pitcher Robyn Herron who published a 2.30 ERA last year. Under the direction of head coach Jenna Hall, the Ohio Bobcats head to Boca Raton following a 32-23 campaign last season that featured a run to the MAC Tournament Championship Game. The Bobcats return veteran infielder Annalia Paoli, who hit .335 last year with 12 homers and 48 RBI.
STORY OF THE SERIES
Penn State and Marshall will meet for the fifth time in program history on Friday, with the Nittany Lions boasting a 3-1 edge in the series. The programs last met in the 1999 season in Charlottesville, Virginia, with the Thundering Herd picking up a 6-3 victory. The Blue & White will face FAU for the 14th all-time meeting on Friday, and the ninth time in Boca Raton. PSU trails the series by a narrow 6-7 margin and is 3-6 in true road games against the Owls. Penn State and FAU last met in 2020, splitting a February back-to-back. Penn State will face Arkansas for the third time in program history and the second time in Boca Raton, Florida. PSU owns a 2-0 edge in the series, most recently picking up a 6-4 win in Boca on Feb. 6, 2015. One of the oldest series in the Penn State record book, PSU and Ohio will meet for the seventh time since the inaugural test in 1976. The series is tied 3-3, with PSU sweeping the last doubleheader played in 1999.
30 FOR 30
Penn State returns to the field for the first time since its 31-16 season a year ago that featured a Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal appearance. The Nittany Lions published back-to-back 30-win seasons after booking a 32-22 campaign in 2022 followed by last year's 31-win effort, the first instance of back-to-back 30-win seasons since the 2005 and 2006 teams did so. In the 58 seasons of Penn State softball, the 2023 squad became the 14th 30-win team in school history. In Big Ten Conference play, the Blue & White finished with an 11-11 record that featured four series victories and a pair of series sweeps, winning all three games with Rutgers and both games against Illinois. PSU finished with a .500-or-better record in B1G competition in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2005 and 2006.
POSTSEASON PROWESS
Penn State defeated Michigan in the opening round of the 2023 Big Ten Softball Tournament, advancing to the tournament quarterfinals for the second year in a row. PSU picked up its 15th win in the event with the win over the Wolverines, defeating Michigan in a postseason contest for the first time in program history. The Blue & White squared off against second-seeded Indiana in the quarterfinals and dropped a heartbreaking 5-4 decision in nine innings in Champaign, Illinois. The Nittany Lions saw continued success on the Big Ten's biggest stage last year, winning a tournament game in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2016 and 2017 teams did so. PSU also recorded consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in five seasons, reaching back-to-back B1G Tournaments for the first time since PSU appeared in five straight from 2013-17.
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.
