April 7 vs. Indiana (10-21, 1-3)(DH), 2:00 p.m. (WMAJ, broadcast online)
April 8 vs. Purdue (22-19, 1-3), 6:00 p.m.
April 9 vs. Purdue (22-19, 1-3), 12:00 p.m. (WMAJ, broadcast online)
This Week On The Diamond
Penn State (18-8) begins its home and Big Ten Conference schedule this weekend with two-game series against Indiana and Purdue. The Lions, who enter the weekend on a six-game winning streak, will face the Hoosiers in a doubleheader on Friday and wrap up the weekend with single games versus the Boilermakers on Saturday and Sunday.
Lions Off To Best Start Since 1985
Through the first 26 games of the 2000 season the Lions are 18-8 overall, which marks the best start in the program's history since the 1985 campaign when Penn State finished 34-16 overall and captured the Atlantic 10 Conference title. Penn State has won its last six games and eight of its last nine overall.
Series Records vs. Opponents
Indiana: Hoosiers lead series 22-9, first meeting 1977 Purdue: Nittany Lions lead series 10-5, first meeting 1995 Last Year: Penn State swept three games from Indiana last season by the scores of 5-3, 12-0 and 6-1. The Lions also took three-of-three from Purdue in 1999, winning 2-1, 8-3 and 8-2.
Penn State Takes Two From Maryland
The Lions continued their recent hot play with a doubleheader sweep of Maryland last weekend by the scores of 5-0 and 6-1. Jenny Briz keyed Penn State's victory in the opener with a three-run blast, her second home run of the season. Jaci Kalp pitched her sixth complete game shutout to pick up the win and improve her record to 9-4.
The Lions used a four-run second inning en route to a 6-1 win nightcap. Gina Bianchini led Penn State in game two with three hits, three stolen bases and two RBI.
Scouting Indiana
The Hoosiers opened their Big Ten slate last weekend at home versus Michigan and Michigan State. Indiana was swept in the two games with the Wolverines and managed a split with the Spartans. Overall, the Hoosiers have lost four of its last five and has not won more than two consecutive games this season. Penn State swept Indiana in the three games between the teams last season by the combined margin of 23-4.
Senior Sheri Savko leads all Hoosier regulars with a .316 batting average, 10 stolen bases and a slugging percentage of .539. She has ripped a team-high six doubles and three home runs through the first 31 games. Teresa Martinez and Alison Cooke pace the Indiana pitching staff. Martinez has tossed a team-high 97.1 innings , while Cooke has amassed a 5-8 record and a team-low 2.15 ERA in 15 appearances.
Scouting Purdue (Boilermakers face Ohio State (DH) on 4/7)
The Boilermakers opend conference play last weekend with a win over Michigan State before losing three in a row. The Spartans avenged the opening 3-0 loss with a 2-0 shutout of Purdue. Michigan than preceded to sweep Purdue in a doubleheader dropping the Boilermaker's Big Ten mark to 1-3.
Purdue enters this weekend's games fresh off a doubleheader sweep of Butler on April 5 by the scores of 8-0 and 2-0. The Boilermakers will open the weekend with a doubleheader at Ohio State before playing single games in Happy Valley on April 8 and 9.
Sophomore SS/3B Katie Crabtree leads the way for the Purdue offense with a .341 batting average (10th in Big Ten) and a .635 slugging percentage. Crabtree leads the Big Ten in doubles at 10 and ranks fourth with seven home runs. Shahara Nixon provides speed on the basepaths with 16 steals, fourth-most in Big Ten.
Meagan Dooley (8-6, 0.54 ERA) is the ace of a Purdue pitching staff that ranks fifth in the Big Ten with a 1.85 team ERA. Doubleheader at Ohio University Postponed The doubleheader scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Wed., April 5 between Penn State Ohio University was postponed due to inclement weather in the Athens, Ohio, area. It has not been announced by school officials whether the two games will be rescheduled.
Penn State No. 6 In First NCAA Regional Rankings
The initial NCAA Regional Rankings (released March 28), which play a vital role in the selection process of postseason teams, selected Penn State as the No. 6 team in the Mideast Region. Michigan and Iowa were voted as the top two teams in the Mideast. The next NCAA rankings will be released April 11.
NCAA Regional Rankings
(Mideast Region/March 28)
1. Michigan
2. Iowa
3. Illinois-Chicago
4. Wisconsin
5. Michigan State
6. Penn State
7. Minnesota
8. Ohio State
9. Western Illinois
10. Northwestern
Virginia Tourney Title Highlights Early Season Slate
Penn State ended its early season tournament schedule by going 4-0 and winning the team title at the Virginia Hoo's Who Invitational on March 25-26. The Lions defeated Pittsburgh, Bowling Green, Rutgers and Virginia en route to the title.
Gina Bianchini, Jennifer Tripken, Allison Medellin and Megan Humphrey represented Penn State on the All-Tournament team.
Megan Humphrey Named Big Ten Co-Player-of-the-Week
Penn State freshman Megan Humphrey was named Big Ten Co-Player-of-the-Week for the period ending March 29. The freshman OF/1B earned an All-Tournament berth after leading the Lions to a 4-0 record and the title at the Virginia Hoo's Invitational. Humphrey hit .500 over the four contests and posted three multiple-hit games. She shared the honor with Michigan's Melinda Mouldon. Humphrey is the first Nittany Lion to be honored by the conference this season.
Kalp Leads Pitching Staff
Senior pitcher Jaci Kalp has been the workhorse of the Nittany Lion pitching staff through the first half of the season. Kalp has tossed a team-high 95.0 innings and registered a 9-4 record in 14 starts. She has thrown a team-best six complete game shutouts and registered 90 strikeouts, while allowing only 30 walks.
The Greenburg, Pa., native tossed her second career no-hitter in the Lions' 3-0 win over Temple on March 6.
Penn State Finishes Spring Trip 6-3
The Nittany Lions wrapped up their annual spring break trip with a 6-3 record, which included a 4-3 overall mark at the Speedline Invitational. Penn State picked up a pair of wins over Keystone State rival Temple to open the week. Senior right hander Jaci Kalp sparked Penn State in the opener versus Temple by tossing the second no-hitter of her career in the 3-0 win.
Penn State opened the Speedline Invitational by blanking Georgia Southern 7-0 in the first game of pool play. Tanis Ambelang and Erin Norton combined in the shutout of the Eagles. The Lions wrapped up pool play by picking up wins over North Carolina and South Florida while falling to Mississippi State and Massachusetts.
The Lions' 3-2 mark through the first five games qualified them for a spot in the consolation bracket. Penn State advanced to the championship game by virtue of a 6-0 blanking of Tennessee Tech in the consolation semifinals. Michigan State defeated Penn State 5-4 in the championship, despite a four-run seventh inning rally by the Lions.
Penn State's pitchers combined to toss a total of five shutouts over the nine game roadtrip, including three by Kalp. Kalp finished the trip 3-2 overall with a 0.41 ERA over 34.0 innings pitched.
Megan Humprey led the Penn State offense with a .357 average during the trip. The freshman, along with catcher Colleen Kersey, each drove in a team-high six runs. Gina Bianchini terrorized opposing catchers with a perfect mark of 10 stolen bases on 10 attempts. Jenny Briz highlighted the trip by ripping the first home run of her career in the team's 4-3 extra-inning win over Temple on March 6.
Lions Place Third At Troy Cox Invitational
Penn State finished in third-place at the Troy Cox Invitational (Feb. 25-27) in Las Cruces, N.M., after tallying an overall record of 3-3 during the three-day event. After opening the weekend with consecutive losses against Oregon State and New Mexico, the Lions rebounded to win three of their next four games. Penn State defeated Florida in the quarterfinals of the championship bracket before finally being eliminated when they fell to Oregon State 4-1 in the semifinals.
Kersey Grand Slams Gators
Colleen Kersey belted a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the seventh to clinch a thrilling come-from-behind 6-3 victory for Penn State over Florida in the quarterfinals at the Troy Cox Invitational. Kersey hit her shot after Florida coaches decided to intentionally walk Nittany Lion second baseman Allison Medellin in order to pitch to Kersey.
Tripken Named To All-Tourney Squad
Penn State third baseman Jennifer Tripken was named to the Troy Cox All-Tournament Team after leading the Nittany Lions with a .381 batting average, two home runs and four RBI over six games. Tripken totaled eight hits in 21 at bats and registered a gaudy .857 slugging percentage. The Middletown, N.Y., native recorded a season-high three hits in the team's opening game of the tourney, an 8-7 loss to No. 12 Oregon State.
Ambelang Returns
After missing the team's first trip of the season due to some final rehabilitation for an off-season arm injury, Penn State starting pitcher Tanis Ambelang saw her first action of the season at the Troy Cox Invitational. She made her first start against New Mexico in the Nittany Lions' second game of the tourney. The junior responded by pitching a team season-high eight innings in a 3-2 extra inning loss to the Lobos. In her second start, Ambelang scattered eight hits and recorded a team season-high 10 strikeouts to pick up her first win of the season with a 5-2 complete game victory over Texas Tech.
Lions Tally 2-2 Mark In Arizona
Penn State opened the 2000 season with a 2-2 record at the Wildcat Classic in Tucson, Ariz. The Lions faced two nationally ranked teams in their first two games of the event, No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 4 Arizona.
The Sooners, who played eight times previously, handed Penn State a 9-3 loss in its season opener.
Following a 9-0 loss in its second game against tournament host Arizona, Penn State rallied with three straight wins to close out the weekend. The Lions' streak began with a 5-0 whitewash of Tennessee Tech that was highlighted by the pitching of Jaci Kalp and Kelly McCann, who combined to toss the team's first shutout of the season.
Terra Pracht and Adrienne Manzo each produced an RBI hit in the top of the ninth to lead Penn State to a 9-7 extra inning victory over New Mexico. Freshman Megan Humphrey belted her first collegiate home run in the win.
Penn State closed out the trip with its second shutout in three games, as it handed Kentucky a 3-0 setback. Kalp went the distance for the Lions and allowed only a pair of hits over seven innings.
Humphrey paced Penn State with a .625 average during the trip. Allison Medellin recorded a team-best seven hits including a home run. She also drove in a team-high four runs over the five games.
Petrini Notches 100th Career Win
Penn State's 9-7 extra-inning win over New Mexico marked the 100th career win for Nittany Lion Head Coach Robin Petrini. Through 11 games this season Petrini's career record stands at 116-123 overall. Her record during her tenure at Penn State sits at 97-90-1. Petrini needs three more wins to join former Nittany Lion coach Sue Rankin as the only coaches to total 100 victories at Penn State.
Dabrowski Out For Season
Freshman Jackie Dabrowski will be forced to miss her initial season as a Nittany Lion due to a season-ending knee injury that she suffered during off-season workouts.
Thieving Lions
Speed has turned out to be one of the Nittany Lions' greatest assets in 2000. Penn State's current squad features two of the most prolific basestealers in school history. Senior Karen Gulini ranks third all-time in career steals with 57 and needs just eight more swipes to move past Christy Phillips for second on the school's all-time list. Sophomore Gina Bianchini wasted no time in denting the record book as she amassed 28 swipes during her rookie campaign. She has already added 24 steals this season and currenty ranks fourth among Penn State career leaders at 52.
Penn State Record Book
Career Stolen Bases
| 1. | Jodie Ricciardi (96-99) | 99 |
| 2. | Christy Phillips (81-84) | 65 |
| 3. | Karen Gulini (98-) | 57 |
| 4. | Gina Bianchini (99-) | 52 |
| 5. | Susannah Forde (94-97) | 50 |
| 6. | Jen McIntyre (95-98) | 42 |
| 7. | Geri Saya (1982-85) | 40 |
Who's That Playing Shortstop?
Terra Pracht's streak of 120 consecutive starts at shortstop was ended on Feb. 26 vs. Texas Tech when Erin Norton made her first career start at short and Pracht was placed in the designated hitter spot. It marked the first time Pracht wasn't the Nittany Lions' starter at short since the 1997 season.
Medellin Extends Strikeout-less Streak
Junior second baseman Allison Medellin has not been retired via the strikeout in a remarkable 257 consecutive at bats. Medellin, who was the toughest player to strikeout in the nation in 1999, last struckout on April 22, 1998 vs. Kent.
Penn State Receives Votes In Preseason Poll
The Nittany Lions received a total of three votes in the preseason USA Today/NFCA Top 25, 44th-most in the nation. UCLA opened at the No. 1 spot after garnering 25 of 27 first-place votes. The Big Ten was represented by five teams, including Penn State. Michigan was the highest ranked squad in the conference at No. 6. Michigan State at No. 17 and Iowa at No. 25 round out the Big Ten's representatives in the preseason top-25. Minnesota received 16 votes, 35th-most, from the panel.
On The Airwaves
WMAJ-1450 AM will broadcast a total of four Nittany Lion softball games this season beginning with the team's home opener on April 7 against Indiana. Following is a complete listing of games scheduled for broadcast:
April 7, vs. Indiana (DH), 2:00 p.m.
April 9, vs. Purdue, 12:00 p.m.
April 22, vs. Minnesota, 6:00 p.m.
May 7 vs. Ohio State, 12:00 p.m.
New Faces
This year the Nittany Lions feature five new freshmen. Three of the five newcomers hail from the State of California, while the remaining two hail from the Keystone State.
Erin Norton, is expected to contribute immediately at pitcher and first base. Norton, who hails from Orange, Calif., was named MVP of her high school team in each of her four prep seasons.
Megan Humphrey is already considered one of the most versatile players on this year's squad by the coaching staff. Humphrey can play any position on the diamond with the exception of pitcher and catcher. She is expected to see time primarily at first base and in the outfield.
Rounding out the freshmen class are Kelley Galigher, OF; Jackie Dabrowski, 3B and Katie Ziegler, C.
All In The Family
Penn State freshman Megan Humphrey (San Diego, Calif./Mount Carmel High Scool) is the sister of Tom Humphrey, a junior cornerback on the Nittany Lion football team. The Humphrey's are the second brother/sister combination on Penn State athletic squads. Ashley Luke, a freshman this past season on the Lady Lion basketball squad is the sister of RJ Luke, a fullback on the football squad.
Head Coach Robin Petrini
In her fourth year at the helm, Robin Petrini has steadily moved Penn State up the Big Ten ladder after spending eight years at Northwestern, the final year as the associate head coach. She has an overall record of 79-82-1 during her tenure at Penn State. She has taken Penn State from tenth in the Big Ten in 1997 to seventh in 1998 and to a third-place finish last season. She coached Penn State to new heights in 1998, including two All-Big Ten honors and a first-ever first-team member in Jodie Ricciardi. Prior to her stint at Northwestern, Petrini was an assistant at Brigham Young for a year before being promoted to head coach, a position she held for four years. As a collegiate player, she was the starting shortstop on Utah State's national championship squads in 1980 and 1981 in addition to being a three-time all-conference player.
USA Today/NFCA Top 25 (4/2)
| Rank | School | Record | Points | LW |
| 1. | Washington (22) | 38-4 | 670 | 1 |
| 2. | Arizona (5) | 39-3 | 648 | 2 |
| 3. | UCLA | 28-5 | 617 | 3 |
| 4. | Arizona State | 34-6 | 575 | 5 |
| 5. | Fresno State | 30-9 | 549 | 6 |
| 6. | Oklahoma | 40-5 | 541 | 7 |
| 7. | California | 38-9 | 535 | 4 |
| 8. | LSU | 31-7 | 479 | 9 |
| 9. | Stanford | 30-7 | 450 | 8 |
| 10. | Southern Mississippi | 34-9 | 413 | 10 |
| 11. | Michigan | 26-6 | 390 | 13 |
| 12. | Oregon State | 26-9-1 | 358 | 11 |
| 13. | Alabama | 42-7 | 341 | 14 |
| 14. | Iowa | 24-7 | 327 | 15 |
| 15. | Long Beach State | 27-11 | 299 | 17 |
| 16. | Cal State Fullerton | 28-7 | 269 | 12 |
| 17. | Louisiana-Lafayette | 27-9 | 264 | 16 |
| 18. | South Carolina | 27-15 | 189 | 18 |
| 19. | Mississippi State | 30-10 | 183 | 19 |
| 20. | Oklahoma State | 27-12 | 151 | 20 |
| 21. | Notre Dame | 26-9 | 132 | 21 |
| 22. | Oregon | 24-13 | 85 | 23 |
| 23. | Florida Atlantic | 43-13 | 66 | 25 |
| 24. | East Carolina | 40-6 | 59 | 24 |
| 25. | Illinois-Chicago | 35-20 | 51 | 22 |
Receiving Votes: North Carolina (35), Nebraska (24), New Mexico (22), Wisconsin (18), Southwest Texas State (9), Texas A&M (5), Florida (2).
2000 Big Ten Standings (Through 4/5)
| | | Big Ten | Pct. | Overall | Pct. |
| 1. | Michigan | 4-0 | 1.000 | 26-6 | .813 |
| 2. | Iowa | 4-0 | 1.000 | 26-7 | .788 |
| 3. | Northwestern | 3-1 | .750 | 14-15 | .483 |
| 4. | Michigan State | 2-2 | .500 | 24-14 | .632 |
| 5. | Wisconsin | 1-3 | .250 | 23-16 | .590 |
| | Purdue | 1-3 | .250 | 22-19 | .537 |
| | Indiana | 1-3 | .250 | 10-21 | .323 |
| 8. | Minnesota | 0-4 | .000 | 22-16 | .579 |
| | Penn State | 0-0 | --- | 18-8 | .692 |
| | Ohio State | 0-0 | --- | 15-12 | .556 |
Up Next
Penn State returns to action on Wed., April 12 when it hosts Kent State in a doubleheader. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. The Lions will follow up that with a trip to the Great Lakes State for a pair of crucial Big Ten series against Michigan State and Michigan. Penn State will open next weekend with a doubleheader versus the Spartans on April 14 and follow that with single games against Michgan on April 15 and 16
