NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Penn State softball sophomore pitcher Bridget Nemeth secured her second major national accolade of the week, as the Glendora, California, native right-hander was named a Second Team Preseason All-American by Softball America in the organization’s release Tuesday morning.
One of the most statistically dominant student-athletes in recent memory for the Blue & White, Nemeth booked her second accolade from Softball America in a 24-hour span after garnering the No. 28 individual player ranking in the organization’s release Monday. Nemeth was joined on the list by senior utility Maddie Gordon, who appeared in the No. 92 slot individually to make Penn State one of five Big Ten Conference programs with multiple top 100 student-athletes ahead of the 2025 season. Nemeth’s record-breaking freshman season a year ago helped propel PSU to its first NCAA Regional bid in 13 seasons, closing the book on a 35-20 campaign in 2024.
Nemeth enters her second season in University Park following the winningest single season in Penn State history, as the then-rookie posted a 23-8 individual record a year ago. She added five saves in her inaugural campaign with the Blue & White, already sitting in fifth place all-time at PSU for saves in a career. Nemeth led the B1G and ranked 10th nationally with 210.0 innings pitched, logged the second-best ERA in the league with a 1.77 mark, registered the third-most strikeouts in the conference and 17th-most strikeouts in Division I with 202, and tallied the third-most complete games in the B1G with 17. She also appeared at the plate as a hitter for PSU in 2024, totaling four hits with five RBI and a pair of home runs, highlighted by the game-tying home run in the series finale at Nebraska that helped PSU secure the two-win weekend in Lincoln.
Her bevy of statistical achievements last season warranted myriad national, regional and conference accolades, as Nemeth became the first student-athlete in Penn State history to be named a Freshman All American, collecting those honors from both Softball America and D1Softball. Nemeth additionally filled her trophy case with the Penn State Female Athlete of the Year Award, becoming the second softball athlete to earn that award in the last three years. She secured placements on both the Top 25 and Top 10 Watch Lists for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year Award, was named to both the All-Big Ten First Team and Freshman Team, secured an NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team appointment and became the first individual B1G award winner in PSU softball history after landing the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award.
Nemeth was one of just 34 student-athletes across all of Division I to garner Preseason All-America status from Softball America and was one of 17 selections to the organization’s preseason Second Team. Penn State was one of four Big Ten Conference member institutions to secure a Preseason All-America designee, with Nemeth joining Nebraska’s First Team pitcher selection Jordy Bahl, Michigan’s Second Team third base selection Maddie Erickson and UCLA’s Second Team pitcher selection Taylor Tinsley. Nemeth becomes the first Softball America Preseason All-American in Penn State program history, further cementing her place as one of the most decorated student-athletes in the team’s 60 years of existence.
With Nemeth anchoring the Nittany Lions in the circle, Penn State will open its 60th anniversary season in one month’s time, as the Blue & White travel to Clearwater, Florida, and the Eddie C. Moore Complex to take part in the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic. PSU will battle against defending the Women’s College World Series participant Duke Blue Devils on opening night, a 5 p.m. (ET) contest slated for Friday, February 7. The Nittany Lions will conclude the weekend with games against Mississippi State, Missouri, Kennesaw State and Notre Dame. All games will stream live via the Gamechanger app.
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