Penn State Continues Non-Conference Travels at Hokie Invite

SALEM, Va. – Penn State softball prepares for its fifth-straight weekend of road tournament action this Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7, as the Nittany Lions travel to take part in the Hokie Invite from the James I. Moyer Sports Complex for the second year in a row.

Penn State will open its four-game weekend on Friday with a 1 p.m. (ET) matchup against the Radford Highlanders, followed by a 3:30 p.m. (ET) start against the Boston College Eagles in a rematch of an opening-day Nittany Lion win from the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic presented by MaxBP. Saturday’s action gets underway with a 3:30 p.m. (ET) start against the James Madison Dukes, followed by a pivotal matchup between the Nittany Lions and 11th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies at 6 p.m. (ET). All four games at the Hokie Invite will stream live to an audience of authenticated subscribers via MuscoVision through the links available on the Penn State softball schedule webpage.

QUICK HITS

The Blue & White return to action following a 3-2 performance at the Tennessee Invitational a week ago, hosted by the top-ranked Lady Volunteers in Knoxville. PSU battled the nation’s No. 1 team closer than any opponent UT has faced this year, boasting a lead in game one in addition to having the tying run at the plate in game two. Outside the two losses to Tennessee, Penn State throttled its other two opponents in three games, outscoring App State and N.C. Central by a 29-5 differential. The Nittany Lions picked up a wide array of national acclaim this week in the March release of Softball America’s position player rankings. PSU saw a trio of student-athletes garner spots in the rankings, with freshman third baseman Allison Oneacre picking up the No. 1 spot at her position in the nation. Junior utility Brooke Klosowicz landed the No. 9 utility ranking from SA, and junior right-handed pitcher Bridget Nemeth appeared in the No. 24 spot among pure pitchers in college softball. A balanced and dominant pitching staff has been the highlight of the early going in non-conference play for the Blue & White, with PSU boasting the best team ERA (2.03) and WHIP (1.08) among all Big Ten Conference member institutions. The Nittany Lions have seen five pitchers split time in the circle, with no individual throwing less than 23.0 innings or more than 32.0 frames through this point.

MARCH(ING) ON

Softball America released its March individual player position rankings the week of March 2, with Penn State seeing a trio of student-athletes pick up selections. Freshman infielder Allison Oneacre headlined the group by being named the No. 1 third baseman in all of college softball, earning those laurels after bashing the fourth-most home runs in the B1G with nine, as well as the third-most RBI and RBI per game in the Big Ten Conference this season. Junior utility Brooke Klosowicz landed the No. 8 ranking at the utility/designated player spot, while junior right-handed pitcher Bridget Nemeth rounded out the trio of individually ranked Nittany Lions by securing the No. 24 pure pitcher ranking in the country. Klosowicz has built on a dominant 2025 campaign by amassing the second-best batting average on the Penn State roster with a .354 mark entering the weekend, while Nemeth serves as one of five standout pitchers on the most statistically dominant pitching staff in the Big Ten Conference through the early going in the 2026 campaign.