Dec. 19, 2007
University Park, Pa. - The first of several preseason rankings and All-Conference teams was released for the Big Ten recently by Rivals.com's national college baseball staff and on the strength of its strong finish to last season and the number of key core players returning this year, the Penn State baseball team was picked to finish third in the Big Ten by Rivals.com. Additionally, Joe Blackburn and Drew O'Neil were named to the preseason All-Conference team by Rivals.
The Nittany Lions were picked behind Michigan and Minnesota in the predicted order of finish. Despite being defeated in four out of five games last year by the Nittany Lions, the Wolverines won the Big Ten last year and made it all the way to the NCAA Super Regionals. Penn State tied with Minnesota for second place in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions were also named as the "Team on the Rise" in the Big Ten.
With just one preseason All-Conference team made up of just one player at each position, the spots were hard to come by on the Rivals preseason All-Conference team, but two Nittany Lions made the cut in Blackburn and O'Neil. Blackburn was named as the preseason All-Conference catcher while O'Neil was the lone relief pitcher on the squad was O'Neil. A third team All-Big Ten selection last year, Blackburn led the team in hitting last year and will be one of the top returning hitters in the Big Ten this year. O'Neil was a first team All-Big Ten selection last year after his dominating year in which he did not give up a single earned run in Big Ten play during the regular season while setting a school record for saves in a season.
Penn State opens the 2008 season when it plays at High Point on February 22.