The First Pitch
• The No. 3-seeded Youngstown State softball team (32-22) opens the 2022 Horizon League against the No. 6-seeded Northern Kentucky Norse (25-27) on Wednesday, May 11, at the YSU Softball Field in the Covelli Sports Complex.
• First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
• This is the second straight season the Penguins have hosted the Horizon League Softball Championship.
Buffenbarger Named Second-Team All-Horizon League
• Senior
Elle Buffenbarger was named to the All-Horizon League Second-Team after a vote of the league's head coaches.
• Buffenbarger, who is making her third appearance on an all-league team and was the 2021 pitcher of the year, led the league with 21 wins, 195 innings pitched and 222 strikeouts, and ranked seventh with a 2.87 earned-run average.
• She set the YSU single-season record with 222 strikeouts and her 21 wins rank second on the single-season list.
• Buffenbarger is also the only pitcher in school history to record at least 20 wins with 200 strikeouts in consecutive seasons.
• Buffenbarger broke the school all-time wins and strikeout record this season and now has 63 victories and 742 career strikeouts.
• She ranks fourth in Horizon League history in strikeouts and is tied for ninth in wins.
• Buffenbarger is just the fifth player in school history to earn all-league honors at least three times.
Kohler Named to All-Freshman Team
• Freshman
Bree Kohler was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team.
• Kohler, who batted .278 with three doubles, three triples and 13 runs batted in overall, posted a .326 batting average against Horizon League opponents.
• Kohler is the 10th YSU player to be named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team since 2015.
Last Time Out
• The Penguins swept a three-game series, which was played at YSU but originally scheduled at RMU, against Robert Morris on May 7-8 to garner the No. 3 seed in the tournament.
• Youngstown State defeated the Colonials, 4-2, 6-5 and 3-2.
About NKU
• The sixth-seeded Norse enter the tournament with a 25-27 overall record and posted a 14-13 Horizon League mark.
• First-Team All-League selection Kendyl McKeough leads the Norse with a .325 batting average with 14 doubles, 14 home runs and 38 runs batted in.
Last Time Against the Norse
• Northern Kentucky won the season series over the Penguins by taking two of three games back on April 15-16 at the YSU Softball Field.
• The Penguins lost, 5-1, won, 2-1, and lost, 4-1.
•
Bree Kohler led the Penguins with a .667 batting average while
Nikki Saibene hit .375 in the three-game series against the Norse.
• Sophomore
Sophie Howell struck out six in a complete-game victory.
Up Next
• With a win, the Penguins will play the No. 2 seed Cleveland State, Thursday, May 12, at 2:30 p.m. With a loss, the Penguins will play the loser of the Robert Morris-Green Bay game at 5 p.m. on Wednesday
Buffenbarger Makes History
• Senior
Elle Buffenbarger continues to etch her name in the YSU record book.
• Last weekend, Buffenbarger broke the single-season strikeout out record of 218 set by Addy Jarvis in 2019. She now has 222.
• She picked up her 20th and 21st wins of the season becoming the only pitcher in school history to record at least 20 wins and 200 strikeouts in consecutive seasons.
• Buffenbarger tied the school's all-time wins record in the Penguins' 12-4 win over the Mastodons on April 29.
• She broke the school record and tossed her second-career no-hitter in YSU's 6-1 win over PFW on April 30.
• Buffenbarger now has 63 career wins and is just the second player in school history to record multiple career no-hitters.
• She is also the career leader with 742 career strikeouts.
Hoppin Up on Howell
• Sophomore
Sophie Howell has been spectacular in the circle for the Penguins over her last nine appearances.
• During that time, Howell has posted a 5-3 record with a 1.27 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched.
• In her three losses, she has allowed five runs and just three earned runs.
• On the year, Howell is 7-8 with a 2.37 earned-run average and 94 strikeouts in 103.1 innings pitched.
• She ranks third in the league in ERA.
No California Love
• Senior
Yazmine Romero leads the Horizon League with 70 hits, ranks third with a .368 batting average, and fourth with 31 runs scored and 78 total base but was left off the All-Horizon League Teams.
30-For-30
• With the sweep Robert Morris, Youngstown State pushed its overall win total to 32, which ranks second in school history for most wins in a season.
• It marks just the sixth time in school history the Penguins have reached the 30-win plateau.
• It will also be the fifth time that the Penguins won at least 30 games under Head Coach
Brian Campbell.
• It will also be just the second time in program history the Penguins will have won at least 30 games in consecutive seasons.
•The last time YSU won 30 games in two straight years was in 2016 (30) and 2017 (31).
Hold Late Leads
• When the Penguins get past the fourth inning, there's a good chance they will hold on for the win.
• YSU is 24-1 when leading after four innings, 26-2 when leading after five, and 26-1 when leading after six innings.
Home Sweet Home
• Since the Penguins began playing their home games at the YSU Softball Field in 2014 they have found a lot of success in their home ballpark.
• Since 2014, Youngstown State owns a record of 104-57 for a .646 winning percentage in games played at the YSU Softball Field.
• The Penguins have also played well hosting league foes during the same span.
• Youngstown State has a 72-36 mark (.667) Horizon League games played at the YSU Softball Field.
• YSU went 11-4 against league foes at the YSU Softball Field this season.
• Youngstown State went 18-4 against league foes in 2021 and had won 14 straight regular-season home league games, dating back to last season, before the losses to IUPUI.
Campbell Nets Career Win 600
• Head Coach
Brian Campbell picked up the 600th win of his career after the Penguins' 3-1 win over St. Bonaventure on April 13.
• With the Penguins' 2-1 over Hampton on Feb. 25, Head Coach
Brian Campbell picked up his 300th win at Youngstown State and now has 317 with the Penguins.
• Campbell is the school's all-time wins leader and now has 603 for his career.
• He owns a career record of 612-482-2 and a 327-353-1 mark at YSU.
• Over the last five full seasons (2016-19, 2021), the Penguins have averaged 29.4 wins per season.
• Campbell has also been named the Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2021.
• During his time, he has coached 34 All-Horizon League picks, four freshmen/newcomers of the year, two pitchers of the year, two players of the year, and seven National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region selections.
