ROSEMONT, Ill. – Penn State softball freshman outfielder Breanna Hanik secured the first Big Ten Conference weekly accolade of her collegiate career, landing B1G Freshman of the Week laurels following a release from the league office on Monday afternoon.
Hanik was a menace in the batter's box during PSU's 4-0 week of performances against Saint Francis and Illinois. The rookie Penn Stater made a triumphant return to her home state, leading the Blue & White in every offensive statistic during the three-game Big Ten Conference sweep in Urbana. Hanik turned in a mind-blowing OPS of 2.032 across the three-game set, mustering a .583 batting average in the series with seven hits and five runs scored, with four of those hits going for extra bases in the form of a double and three home runs. Hanik blasted a home run in each of the three games against the Fighting Illini, highlighted by the program's 75th home run of the season to set the Penn State single-season program record in the statistic during the third game of the weekend. Hanik was unblemished in the field over the four games last week, turning in a 1.000 fielding percentage while remaining a threat on the basepaths as well, booking a trio of stolen bases.
Hanik helped contribute to a record-shattering week from the Nittany Lions, with PSU breaking single-season program records in runs scored, RBI and home runs. The first-year Penn Stater owns the fourth-most stolen bases in the Big Ten Conference with 15, as well as the fifth-most stolen bases per game in the league with 0.33. The Oak Lawn, Illinois, native is now one of three Nittany Lions to reach the double-digit threshold in the home run column, blasting 10 to join teammates Allison Oneacre (17), Brooke Klosowicz (14) and Natalie Lieto (11). Her .672 slugging percentage ranks third on the Penn State roster, while her batting average of .344 also stands as the third-best mark on the Nittany Lion squad.
Hanik becomes the second Nittany Lion to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades this season, joining two-time recipient Allison Oneacre, who became the first woman in Penn State history to earn consecutive B1G Freshman of the Week laurels in program history during the first month of the 2026 campaign. Hanik’s honor marks PSU’s third of the year, matching the single-season program record set by Bridget Nemeth during her rookie season back in 2024. Hanik’s recognition also marks the first time in Penn State softball program history that two different student-athletes received B1G Freshman of the Week distinction in the same season. Penn State has now collected 10 B1G Freshman of the Week honors since Alyssa Sovereign first earned that award on May 16, 2011.
With Hanik serving as a key contributor to the Nittany Lion lineup, Penn State returns to action for its final Big Ten Conference three-game series of the 2026 regular season. The Blue & White welcome the fourth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers to Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field this Friday through Sunday, May 1 through 3. Admission to all three games is free, with parking available via ParkWhiz and HONK.
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.
The 2026 Penn State softball season is presented by Highmark.