UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State softball continues its 12-game homestand with a midweek matchup against Keystone State rival Bucknell on Tuesday, March 26. The Blue & White welcome the Bison to Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field at 6 p.m. (ET), with streaming available via B1G+.
GAME INFORMATION
Bucknell at Penn State | Tuesday, March 26 | 6 p.m. ET | B1G+ | Live Stats | LionVision Audio
PROMOTIONS AND PARKING
Penn State's one-game break from Big Ten Conference play brings the Blue & White to their first-ever Throwback Tuesday promotion, with the Nittany Lion squad set to debut a retro pink and black uniform combination. The colors pay homage to the original Penn State University color scheme from the early 1800's which is prominently featured annually at the PSU homecoming football game. In recognition of the event, Nittany Lion Softball Park will feature a throwback themed music playlist before the game and between innings. Fans are encouraged to wear pink and black in conjunction with the Nittany Lion roster on Tuesday.
Parking for all Penn State softball games will require a valid permit or payment of the applicable parking fee for campus lots. Fans with valid Penn State University parking permits will be permitted to park at softball games for free, following Transportation Services parking policies and access. For softball games, fans are asked to park in the Jordan East, Stadium West or Porter North lots. Fans without a permit are encouraged to prepay for event parking at a discounted rate of $5.50 through the ParkMobile app, or by clicking here. Prepayment is available through 11:59 p.m. the day before each event. Event day parking will be $10 per vehicle.
FOLLOW ALONG
Penn State's midweek matchup against Bucknell will be streamed live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+, with Dylan Price and Ben Palillo on the call. To access the streaming link for Tuesday's game, visit the Penn State softball schedule page at GoPSUsports.com or click the links above. A live radio broadcast of Tuesday's action is available to the listening public for free via LionVision at the link above, or locally in Central Pennsylvania on 1390AM (WBHV) and 93.3FM. Live stats provided by the Pennsylvania State University and StatBroadcast are available at the Penn State softball schedule webpage and the link above.
QUICK HITS
The Nittany Lions recorded their first conference-opening series sweep in eight years last weekend, with Penn State taking down the Indiana Hoosiers in a three-game set at Nittany Lion Softball Park. Freshman pitcher Bridget Nemeth appeared in all three games over the weekend and recorded the victory in all three appearances, moving to 13-0 individually this year. Nemeth stands as one of just two pitchers in major-conference college softball to book double digits in the win column without surrendering a loss. Fourth-year head coach Clarisa Crowell surpassed a major career milestone in the Nittany Lions' season-opener against Indiana, booking her 300th collegiate coaching victory in PSU's 2-1 result. Crowell needs just seven more victories to reach the 100-win mark at Penn State.
In the batter's box, Penn State boasts six regular starters that hit .300 or higher through this point in the season, with senior designated player Kaitlyn Morrison leading the way with a .370 average at the plate. Junior sluggers Haylie Brunson and Maddie Gordon stand tied for the team lead in home runs with five apiece, while Brunson single-handedly paces the squad in RBI with 28. Gordon leads the Nittany Lion offense in total runs scored, shattering her career high from last season with 28 so far in 2024.
START FAST
Penn State's dominant opening weekend of Big Ten Conference competition sent shockwaves across the league, with the Nittany Lions mustering their first series sweep against Indiana in a three-game set since the 1999 team rattled off a trio of victories on the road in Bloomington. The Nittany Lions earned six victories in their eight most recent matchups with Indiana. The Nittany Lions opened B1G play unbeaten through three contests for the first time since the 2016 roster rattled off back-to-back-to-back Big Ten-opening wins in a series sweep of Rutgers. The 2019 squad was the most recent Nittany Lion roster to turn in a B1G-opening series win, responding to a loss against Michigan State with consecutive victories to snag the series.
BATTLING THE BISON
Under the direction of head coach Sarah Caffrey, Bucknell returns to the Penn State campus maintaining a 12-15 overall record coupled with a 3-0 start to Patriot League competition after a weekend sweep of Lafayette in Easton, Pennsylvania, last week. The Bison are 3-2 in their last five competitions dating to a doubleheader defeat to North Florida on the road during Bucknell's spring break road trip. The Bison will face off against their second power-five opponent this week in Happy Valley, with the other contest coming against the Syracuse Orange on opening day, Friday, February 9. Syracuse picked up a 3-0 win against Bucknell. Bucknell is led on the field by a pair of hitters batting above .300, with Haley Speicher leading the team with a .318 average while Zoie Smith paces the squad in home runs (three) and RBI (18). In the circle, Madison Roukey boasts a 1.93 ERA and six victories on the year.
STORY OF THE SERIES
Penn State's longest continuously running series against a Division I opponent, the Nittany Lions and Bucknell get set for the 44th all-time meeting on Tuesday night. PSU maintains an impressive 34-9 lead over the Bison all-time. Bucknell and Penn State first met on April 25, 1966, and have contested the series in every season since 2014 excluding the COVID-effected 2020 and 2021 campaigns. Penn State has not lost to the Bison since a 2-4 decision in 2019, winning each of the last three meetings including both under the direction of Clarisa Crowell. Last year's contest in Happy Valley saw PSU book a 9-0, run-rule victory that featured Bailey Parshall breaking the all-time Nittany Lion strikeout and shutout records in the same outing.
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 Instagram and X @PennStateSB.
