Youngstown State University
IUPUI
Penguins Close Out Regular Season Hosting IUPUI, Magic Number at One
5/1/2024 12:56:00 PM | Softball
May 2 vs. IUPUI – 3 p.m. | Live Stats
May 2 vs. IUPUI – 5 p.m. | Live Stats
May 2 vs. IUPUI – 1 p.m. | Live Stats
The Youngstown State softball team (33-15, 17-4 Horizon League) closes out the 2024 regular season with a three-game Horizon League series against IUPUI, May 2-3, at the YSU Softball Complex.
The Penguins and Jaguars will play a doubleheader, Thursday, beginning at 3 p.m. while first pitch on Friday is set for 1 p.m.
Magic Number at 1
With a one win over the Jaguars, the Penguins will clinch the 2024 Horizon League regular-season title and serve as the No. 1 seed and host of the Horizon League Softball Championship.
Last Time Out
The Penguins won four of their last five games after sweeping a doubleheader from Bowling Green, 4-2, 9-5, and winning the season series from Cleveland State. The Penguins defeated the Vikings, 1-0, before falling in game two, 3-1. Youngstown State won the rubber match, 8-3.
About IUPUI
The Jaguars enter the series with an overall record of 19-32 and a 9-11 mark in Horizon League play. Kendal Calvert leads the Jaguars with a team-high .419 batting average while Paige McPhearson boasts a .319 average. Leading the pitching staff is Alexa Holman with an 8-15 record and a 4.80 earned-run average.
The IUPUI Series
Youngstown State and Jaguars have met 36 times previously and the Jaguars own a 20-16 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, the Jaguars won the regular-season three-game series, but the Penguins eliminated the Jaguars from the league tournament, 3-1, in the most recent meeting on May 10, 2023.
Guin It All
With a win over IUPUI, Youngstown State will claim its second regular-season championship in program history and the second in the last four years. The Penguins won the 2021 regular-season title with a league mark of 28-8.
30-Win Seasons
Youngstown State is three wins shy of tying the program's single-season wins record of 36. The record was set in 2003 and tied in 2021. YSU has posted seven 30-wins seasons and six of the seven have been under the direction of Brian Campbell. The last time YSU won at least 30 games in a year was in 2022 with 32. The Penguins have also won at least 30 games three times in the last four seasons. Over the last four seasons, Youngstown State has won 128 games for an average of 32 wins per game season.
Historic Howell
Senior pitcher Sophie Howell is having one of the best seasons in program history. Howell has 21 wins with 173 strikeouts and a 1.98 earned-run average. Her 21 victories ranked tied for second on the single-season list, and she needs one more win to tie and two to break the single-season wins record of 22 set by Kelly Murphy in 2003.
Easy E
Senior Elyssa Imler is having the best season of her career at the plate. Imler leads the Penguins with a .350 batting average with 10 doubles, a home run, and 19 RBIs. She also has a team-high 14 stolen bases. In league play, Imler ranks in the top 11 in seven statistical categories.
Wilkerson Impressive Rookie Campaign
Freshman Lydia Wilkerson is having an incredible first collegiate season. She ranks second the team with an overall batting average of .333. In league play, she is even better sporting a .388 clip at the plate.
Rinaldi Rakin'
Fifth-year senior Conchetta Rinaldi is having her best season at the plate in 2024. Rinaldi is batting .311 with 27 runs batted in, eight doubles and one home run. She ranked tied for fifth in the league in RBIs. Against league foes, Rinaldi is raking at a .387 clip and has 18 runs batted in.
Howell Approaching 50, 500
Senior Sophie Howell has the chance to become just the third pitcher in school history to record 50 wins and 500 strikeouts in a career. Howell currently ranks third all-time with 498 career strikeouts and fifth with 48 wins. The only other pitchers to earn 50 wins with 500 strikeouts were Elle Buffenbarger (2018-22) and Casey Crozier (2011-14). Her 1.87 ERA this season ranks eighth on the single-season list and is the lowest since Murphy's 1.46 in 2004.
Penguins Picked Fourth in Horizon League
The Youngstown State softball team was predicted to finish fourth in the Horizon League after a vote by the league's head coaches. The Penguins earned 48 points and finished behind Northern Kentucky and Oakland, who were picked tied for first with 75 points, and Robert Morris, who was third. Green Bay earned 43 points to place fifth while IUPUI was sixth with 37 points, Cleveland State was seventh with 32, Purdue Fort Wayne ranked eighth with 21 points and Detroit Mercy was ninth with 10 points.
Place. Team (First Place Votes) – Points
T1. Northern Kentucky (5) – 75
T1. Oakland (4) – 75
3. RMU – 64
4. Youngtown State – 48
5. Green Bay – 43
6. IUPUI – 37
7. Cleveland State – 32
8. Purdue Fort Wayne – 21
9. Detroit Mercy – 10
