March 28, 2008
University Park, Pa. - The Penn State baseball team will open its 17th season of baseball in the Big Ten this weekend as it travels to Columbus, Ohio for a four-game series with Ohio State. Friday night's game and Saturday's doubleheader will both be televised live on the Big Ten Network, which will be the first baseball games ever broadcast on the Big Ten Network. Fans can also listen to the games on live audio with Loren Crispell calling all the action from Bill Davis Stadium for GoPSUsports.com and on WBLF 970 AM.
Penn State, which last year won its first series over the Buckeyes since the 1996 season at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, will be looking to capture their first series win ever over Ohio State on the road. Last year marked just the second time in the Big Ten and the third time ever that Penn State won a series from Ohio State.
The Buckeyes are off to a 10-6 start on the year. They will be Penn State's sixth different opponent this year that played in last year's NCAA Tournament, joining Troy, Wake Forest, Monmouth, Miami and Bethune-Cookman as NCAA teams from last year on the Nittany Lions' schedule.
The last time that Penn State visited Columbus, which was the final series of the 2006 season, a school record was broken as former reliever Matt Ogrodnik broke the school record for appearances in a season, which he then broke again last season. This year, a Nittany Lion could break another school record, as Drew O'Neil is now just one save shy of tying and two short of breaking the school record for career saves. O'Neil has 14 career saves, just one shy of the record of 15 currently held by Clint Eury (2002-05). O'Neil picked up two saves against the Buckeyes last year.
Seth Whitehill, who started seven of eight Big Ten series-opening games last year, is scheduled to get the nod in the opener on Friday. The two Mikes, Wanamaker and Lorentson, are scheduled to start the doubleheader on Saturday. Sunday's starter will likely be Ryan Stobart.