UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State softball freshman pitcher Bridget Nemeth continued her stay in the national spotlight this week, as the right-hander garnered National Freshman of the Week honors in D1Softball's release Tuesday afternoon.
One of the most decorated freshman athletes in Penn State history, Nemeth achieved her second National Freshman of the Week accolade of the 2024 season, as well as her second in the last three weeks. The Glendora, California, native is fresh off a dominant weekend of outings in PSU's third straight Big Ten series victory against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the road. Nemeth tossed a total of 17.0 innings over the weekend, logging a pair of complete game victories in the process. She tallied a 2-0 record in the circle and yielded a .188 opponent batting average in her weekend at the pitcher's rubber, striking out 18 batters in two games with a combined 2.06 ERA during the team's stay in Lincoln.
In the series finale against the Cornhuskers, Nemeth went all 10 innings and finished the game with a career-high 14 strikeouts, surpassing her previous total of 13 set during the Liberty Softball Classic against Morgan State back in February. At the plate on Sunday, Nemeth stepped into the most high-pressure situation she had faced to date and recorded her first hit, home run, RBI and run scored all in one swing with an emphatic two-run shot to center that forced extras and led PSU to the eventual 6-5 victory. Nemeth's work in the circle and at the plate has been instrumental in leading the Nittany Lions to their best start to Big Ten Conference play since the 2016 season, directing Penn State to a 28-8 overall record and 7-2 B1G ledger.
Nemeth ranks as one of the most dominant pitchers in the nation and Big Ten Conference, leading the league with a 17-1 individual record while ranking third nationally in total victories behind Texas State's Jessica Mullins and Southern Illinois' Maddia Groff. PSU's ace currently boasts a 1.17 season ERA, the best mark in the Big Ten and 17th-best nationally while simultaneously managing a 5.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2024, the second-best tally in the B1G and 22nd-best in Division I.
Nemeth adds to her record-setting tally of conference and national weekly accolades in her star-studded freshman season, notching her second D1Softball National Freshman of the Week honor in the last three weeks. On March 26, Nemeth became the first student-athlete in program history to collect that award, additionally becoming the most decorated Big Ten weekly athlete in program history after earning B1G Co-Freshman of the Week honors this Monday.
Highlighted by Nemeth's contributions on the diamond, Penn State continues Big Ten Conference regular season action this Friday through Sunday, April 12 through 14, as the Nittany Lions host their Blue-White Weekend series against the Michigan State Spartans at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. All three games of the weekend slate will stream live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app, with live stats provided by the Pennsylvania State University and StatBroadcast available at the Nittany Lion Softball schedule webpage.
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