2026 • JUNIOR SEASON
Awards: Named Penn State’s recipient of the 2026 Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship Award… Garnered College Sports Communicators Academic All-District distinction in the postseason.
Season: Appeared in 34 games while making 11 starts in the circle during her junior campaign, emerging as one of Penn State’s most dependable pitchers throughout the season… Logged a team-high 12 victories and compiled a 12-5 individual record across 77.1 innings pitched… Posted a 3.80 earned run average while striking out 60 batters, the second-most strikeouts on the Nittany Lion pitching staff… Held opposing hitters in check throughout much of the season, limiting opponents to 80 hits while collecting one save in postseason play… Recorded multiple scoreless relief appearances and quality starts while providing stability in both starting and relief roles… Helped anchor a balanced Penn State pitching staff that guided the Nittany Lions to 33 victories and a berth in the Big Ten Tournament… Also made 12 appearances at the plate and in the field, recording three putouts and 13 assists defensively.
Rankings: Ranked 12th in the Big Ten with 12 pitching victories while standing 13th in the league in pitching appearances with 34.
vs. Eastern Kentucky (2/7): Earned her first victory of the season after tossing 5.0 innings and allowing just one unearned run while striking out four. vs. Notre Dame (2/21): Turned in a dominant relief appearance, throwing 3.0 scoreless innings while allowing one hit and striking out three. vs. NC Central (3/1): Authored her best outing of the season, firing the 16th no-hitter in Nittany Lion softball history with five strikeouts in a 14-0 victory. vs. Radford (3/6): Earned the win after working 5.0 innings and striking out five batters. at Rutgers (3/27): Delivered a dominant performance in the circle, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out six in an 8-0 Penn State victory. at Rutgers (3/29): Came through with another strong relief effort, allowing just one hit over 1.2 scoreless innings while striking out three to secure the win. Maryland (4/4): Picked up her 10th victory of the season after spinning 3.0 scoreless innings and allowing just one hit. at Ohio State (4/17): Made a quality start in Big Ten play, allowing only one earned run over 4.0 innings while striking out three. at Ohio State (4/18): Earned the win in relief after tossing 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts in a high-scoring Penn State victory. at Illinois (4/26): Secured her 12th win of the season with a scoreless inning of relief work. B1G Tournament First Round vs. Northwestern (5/6): Came through in postseason play with 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, striking out four while earning her first save of the season and helping Penn State advance to the B1G Quarterfinals.
BEFORE PENN STATE
Young joined the Blue & White following a breakout campaign at the University of South Dakota in 2025 in which she was named a Second Team All-Summit League selection… Young mustered an impressive 14-8 individual record in the circle while clocking an earned run average of 2.46, the best individual effort of her career to date… Young boasts a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio over the course of her career, mustering a 2.55 mark in that category since her debut season in 2024… Young appeared in 32 contests in 2025 and made 21 starts, finishing the season with 10 complete games, five shutouts and a save to her credit… Her 2025 stats included 128.0 innings pitched and 152 strikeouts while holding opposing batters to a meager .229 average… Young’s 152 strikeouts in the 2025 campaign ranked fifth all-time in South Dakota program history, while her 8.3 strikeouts per seven innings ranked 28th in college softball.
HIGH SCHOOL
As a student-athlete at Brodhead High School in Brodhead, Wisconsin, Young was a dominant performer in the circle, and also earned varsity letters in volleyball… On the diamond, Young helped lead her team to the 2023 Wisconsin State Championship, earning Division III Player of the Year and First Team All-State laurels that season… Was a Second Team All-State choice from 2021 to 2022 and also picked up First Team All-District and All-Conference laurels in every season from 2021 to 2023… She was thrice named Team MVP and was also awarded as Rock Valley Conference Player of the Year and RSchool Athlete of the Week in the 2023 campaign… As a travel ball athlete, Young worked with a trio of club organizations, finishing her career with Nebraska Gold in Omaha, Nebraska, under the guidance of coach Moe Anderson… She was awarded as the 2022 18U Home Run Derby Champion, picked up WSC MVP laurels in 2022, and was a two-time USSSA MVP and All-Star Choice while playing travel ball.
PERSONAL
Born in the spring of 2005, McKenna Young is the only daughter and youngest child of Erika and Jeremiah Young… She has one older brother, named Mason… During high school, Young was involved in the National Honors Society while picking up Honor Roll status throughout her academic career… She has also been involved with organizations away from the diamond and classroom, working with Y2Y and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes… While at Penn State, Young will study Human Development and Family Studies and expects to graduate in the spring of 2027… She hopes to one day play softball professionally, but eventually get a doctorate degree in physical therapy with the goal of working at the college or professional level… After years in the professional space, she hopes to open her own gym and give back to her community by training high-level athletes… In her time away from softball, she enjoys hiking, baking and arts & crafts.