Penn State softball earns 'last four in' bid, first appearance in NCAA Tournament since 2011

Penn State softball is dancing like it's 2011.

The Nittany Lions (34-18 overall) earned one of the "last four" bids Sunday night to the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament, marking the first time in 13 years that Penn State will play for a shot at winning the Women's College World Series.

Penn State was placed in the College State Regional with ninth-ranked and No. 16 overall seed Texas A&M, the University of Albany and Texas State. The Nittany Lions are the No. 3 seed in the regional, which will take place at the Aggies' home stadium, Davis Diamond.

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Despite falling in the first round of the 2024 Big Ten Softball Tournament to Maryland, Penn State is having one of its best seasons over the last handful of years. At 34-18 overall and 12-11 in Big Ten play, the Nittany Lions have recorded the fourth-most victories in a single season in program history, both overall and in conference play. It is the third straight season Clarisa Crowell's squad has finished above .500 in Big Ten play.

Star freshman Bridget Nemeth leads every Penn State pitcher in every single pitching category: ERA (2.20), WHIP (.98), wins (22), strikeouts (186), inning pitched (192) and complete games (15). The Big Ten Freshman of the Year's 22-6 record in the circle is tied for the program record for most wins in a single season.

Penn State will take on Texas State on Friday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU, which you can stream using Fubo, which provides a free trial to select users.

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This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State in NCAA Softball Tournament for first time since 2011