UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State softball returns home to Happy Valley for its third B1G home series in the last four weeks, as the Nittany Lions play host to the Michigan State Spartans for a three-game stretch beginning Friday and concluding Sunday, April 12 through 14. The series coincides with Penn State's annual Blue-White football weekend, and all three games will stream live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+.
ADJUSTED WEEKEND SERIES
Due to inclement weather forecasted in Central Pennsylvania over the weekend, Penn State softball's series against Michigan State has been adjusted. Friday's contest, originally scheduled for 5 p.m. (ET), will now begin at 3 p.m. (ET) to avoid shifting weather conditions. Both Saturday and Sunday's games will proceed as scheduled, with PSU set to face off against MSU at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday and 1 p.m. (ET) on Sunday. Stay tuned to the Penn State softball social media channels for the most up-to-date information.
GAME INFORMATION
Michigan State at Penn State | Friday, April 12 | 3 p.m. ET | B1G+ | Live Stats | LionVision Audio
Michigan State at Penn State | Saturday, April 13 | 4:30 p.m. ET | B1G+ | Live Stats | LionVision Audio
Michigan State at Penn State | Sunday, April 14 | 1 p.m. ET | B1G+ | Live Stats | LionVision Audio
PROMOTIONS AND PARKING
Penn State's weekend series against MSU features a wide array of promotions and opportunities for exciting fan engagement. On Friday, PSU hosts its annual Pink Game in support of the fight against breast cancer. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and pick up pink light-up sticks to show their support throughout Friday's contest. On Saturday, PSU welcomes the return of legendary head softball coach Sue Rankin as she throws out the game's ceremonial first pitch in celebration of Penn State softball alumni day. Sunday's finale will serve as the Penn State softball program's Jared Box and LaceUP game, with fans encouraged to bring toys benefiting children in the hospital. An approved list of toys for donation is located on the Penn State softball social media channels on Instagram, X and Facebook. Beginning in the 2024 season, all Penn State softball home contests will be FREE to the public. Seating preference is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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. Due to the Penn State football Blue-White game, Saturday's contest will feature free parking for fans on a space-available basis in the Stadium West lot beginning at 3 p.m. (ET) on the day of the game.
FOLLOW ALONG
All three of Penn State's Blue-White weekend contests against Michigan State will be streamed live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+. For links to view all three contests, visit the Penn State softball schedule page at GoPSUsports.com or click the links above. Live radio broadcasts of all three games this weekend are available to the listening public for free via LionVision, 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 links above.
QUICK HITS
The Nittany Lions return to action fresh off their third-straight Big Ten series victory last week, turning in a 2-1 performance on the road against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. PSU bookended the series with a pair of close, hard-fought victories and rose to the No. 2 spot in the Big Ten standings following the weekend of work in Lincoln. Penn State boasts one of the strongest resumes in the Big Ten Conference heading into the league's fourth weekend of regular season competition. PSU leads the league in the NCAA's Ratings Percentage Index, coming in at the No. 28 position nationally while boasting the third-toughest strength of schedule in the conference.
On an individual basis, reigning D1Softball National Freshman of the Week Bridget Nemeth leads the Nittany Lions in ERA with a 1.17 mark in addition to the fourth-most victories in Division I with 17 wins this season. Senior infielder Kaitlyn Morrison leads the team with a .350 batting average while junior Maddie Gordon paces the squad with seven homers in 2024. Junior Haylie Brunson stands as the team's RBI leader with 30 ribbies to date.
SQUARING UP WITH THE SPARTANS
Under the direction of second-year skipper Sharonda McDonald-Kelley, the Michigan State Spartans arrive in Central Pennsylvania maintaining a 14-23 overall record with a 1-9 opening to Big Ten Conference competition. Michigan State joined PSU at FAU's Paradise Classic to open the 2024 campaign and logged an 0-5 start to the season but managed to push Arkansas to the brink in their penultimate game of the weekend. Since then, MSU has competed against the fifth-most challenging schedule in the B1G, picking up a pair of wins over top-100 RPI opponents while going 12-5 against all other teams. The Spartans are led on the field by Hannah Hawley's .342 batting average in addition to Britain Beshears' 11 homers and 29 RBI. In the circle, Portland State transfer righty Liv Grey leads the B1G in starts with 20 and boasts a team-best 2.39 ERA.
STORY OF THE SERIES
Penn State gets set to renew one of its longest-running active series this weekend, as PSU and Michigan State prepare for their 73rd, 74th and 75th all-time meetings this weekend. The Nittany Lions first squared off against Michigan State when they joined the Big Ten before the 1991-92 academic year. The Blue & White maintain a 41-31 lead in the series all-time, coming away with victories in four of the last five contests. Penn State and Michigan State have not met since the COVID-adjusted 2021 spring season in which all Big Ten member schools played a conference-only schedule. The Spartans and Nittany Lions split a doubleheader on May 11, 2021, with PSU picking up a 4-3 victory before dropping a 4-0 result in the nightcap.
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.
