Youngstown State notebook: Baseball team headed to Kansas State

The Youngstown State baseball team (3-10) will open a three-game series at Kansas State (8-5) on Friday at 5 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan. The Penguins and Wildcats will proceed to play on Saturday at 5 p.m. before closing the series on Sunday at 11 a.m.

All three games of this weekend’s series will be broadcast live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Live stats will be available through links on YSUsports.com. Fans can also follow @YSUBaseball on Twitter for live updates.

Fifth-year senior right-hander Travis Perry will take the mound for the Penguins in the series opener on Friday, junior right-hander Nick Perez is scheduled to start on Saturday and Sunday’s starter is to be announced.

The Penguins will be facing the Wildcats for the first time in program history.

Softball: Team splits doubleheader with Memphis

The Youngstown State softball team earned a doubleheader split at Memphis on Wednesday night at the Tiger Softball Complex.

The Penguins improve to 7-9 overall while the Tigers move to 3-16.

Youngstown State used an eight-run third inning to turn a 4-0 deficit into an 8-4 lead after three innings.

The Penguins added two runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and one more in the seventh.

Conchetta Rinaldi went 2-for-4 with a double and three runs batted in while Sara Fessler went 3-for-3 with two runs scored.

Jillian Jakse had two hits and two runs scored while Elyssa Imler drove in a pair of runs.

Bree Kohler picked up her first win of the season and had four strikeouts.

The Penguins had just one hit in the 2-0 loss in game one.

Youngstown State plays Illinois State March 10, at 10 a.m. at the Murray State Tournament in Murray, Ky.

In addition, Youngstown State juniors Sara Fessler and Sophie Howell were named the Horizon League Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, the league announced on Wednesday.

The pair guided the Penguins (6-8) to a 4-2 week, including a four-game winning streak.

Fessler batted .438 (7-for-16) with seven runs scored, three doubles and three runs batted in. Fessler recorded a hit in the last five games including two against Lipscomb on March 4 and Arkansas-Pine Bluff on March 7.

Fessler leads Youngstown State and the Horizon League with a .419 batting average and has six doubles and 13 runs scored.

Howell went 3-0 with 0.70 earned-run average and 24 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched. Howell struck out eight in six innings of relief in a 5-2 victory over Providence. Howell tied a career high with 11 strikeouts in a 7-2 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

She has a 3-2 record and leads the team with 50 strikeouts, which is second in the league.

This is the first weekly award for both players.

Women’s golf: Team falls to Winthrop

The Youngstown State women’s golf team earned a two-stroke victory over Winthrop in a dual match on Wednesday at Rock Hill Country Club in Rock Hill, S.C.

The Penguins posted a single-round team score of 323 to defeat the Eagles by two strokes and earn their fourth event victory of the 2022-23 season. With four event wins, YSU is one victory shy of matching the single-season program record of five. This season marks the seventh time that YSU has won at least four events in a campaign. YSU has now won at least four tournaments three times in the last five seasons.

YSU Women’s Golf – Most Wins in a Season

Individually, Danae Rugola and Madie Smithco each fired a single-round 80 to finish tied for second place in a field of 14 golfers. Lizzie Saur placed fourth with an 81 while Titita Loudtragulngam tied for fifth with an 82. Four Penguins finished in the top six of the individual standings.

Chaela Barnett and Christina Lewis each recorded a single-round 84 to finish tied for eighth. Puthita Khuanrudee finished tied for 10th with an 86 while Adena Rugola placed 14th with a 92.

Winthrop’s Emily Baker claimed medalist honors by six strokes with a two-over-par round of 74.

Youngstown State will continue its spring schedule on March 27-28 with The Julie hosted by Northern Kentucky at Elks Run Golf Club in Batavia, Ohio.

Women’s Tennis

The Youngstown State women’s tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision to Long Beach State on Wednesday afternoon at the Rhodes Tennis Center.

Leading the way for YSU was Elisa Rigazio and Moka Ito who picked up singles wins in the contest.

At No. 2 singles, Rigazio claimed a 7-5, 3-6, 10-8 victory while Ito earned a 6-4, 1-6, 10-3 win at No. 5 singles.

In doubles, Lili Minich and Cecilia Rosas picked up a 7-6 win in the No. 2 spot.

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