May 2, 2008
Michigan State Series Notes (pdf)
University Park, Pa. - The Penn State baseball team will open its final homestand of the year as well as its longest homestand of the year as the Nittany Lions take on Michigan State this weekend. Games times are set for 6:35 p.m. on Friday, 4:05 p.m. on Saturday and 1:05 p.m. on Sunday.
Saturday's doubleheader will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. It will mark the first-ever television broadcast from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, for either a collegiate or professional game. Due to the live TV broadcast, only Friday's and Sunday's game will be available via the free video webcast on GoPSUsports.com. All four games will continue to be available via audio as a part of the GoPSUsports.com All-Access package.
Penn State (19-24, 10-10 Big Ten) enters this weekend in the same place in the Big Ten standings as it was entering last weekend's series at Illinois - tied for fifth place with Northwestern for the final two spots in the Big Ten Tournament. The Nittany Lions lead Michigan State (18-22, 7-12 Big Ten), which sits in seventh place, by two-and-a-half games in the standings, making this series an important one for both teams. Penn State also leads its next two opponents - Iowa and Minnesota - as well as Indiana by four games entering this weekend. The Nittany Lions are also not too far separated from the two teams ahead of them in the standings, as they trail fourth place Ohio State, which plays at first place Michigan this weekend, by just a half-game and third place Illinois by just one game.
The Nittany Lions have been swinging some hot bats as of late, as they have hit over .300 in their last three Big Ten series, including .390 in last weekend's affair with Illinois. In that series, the Lions scored 43 runs, the most in a four-game Big Ten series since 1998. The Nits have also recorded 10 or more hits in four of their last five and in eight of their last 10 contests.