Penn State softball will travel to Piscataway, New Jersey, for a three-game Big Ten Conference series against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights from March 27 through 31. All games will be streamed live via B1G+ and the B1G+ app.
The matchup is significant as Penn State continues its conference schedule following a split series with Wisconsin at home. The Nittany Lions demonstrated strong offensive performance during that weekend, outscoring Wisconsin by a narrow margin and making program history with two players hitting two home runs each in one game. Junior designated player Jordan George contributed significantly with a grand slam and a solo home run, recording five runs batted in during her first start of the season. Freshman outfielder Breanna Hanik also matched the program’s single-game record for runs scored.
This season, Penn State’s offense has been notable, achieving the fourth-best team batting average in school history at .295 and tying its sixth-highest home run total with 42 so far. The team currently ranks fourth in scoring offense within the Big Ten Conference and stands among national leaders in both total runs scored and doubles.
Rutgers enters this series under head coach Kristen Butler with an overall record of 17-15 and a conference mark of 3-6. The Scarlet Knights recently celebrated their renovated stadium with a sold-out series against UCLA before securing a win over Seton Hall. Offensively, Riley Hwang leads Rutgers with a .397 batting average while Sam Rohwer has hit eight home runs this season.
The upcoming games mark the 74th through 76th meetings between Penn State and Rutgers—one of college softball’s longest-running rivalries—with Penn State holding a historical advantage in wins. Recent years have seen Penn State dominate most matchups, including sweeping last year’s regular season series.
