March 26, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State baseball team carries its six-game winning streak this weekend as it opens Big Ten play against No. 28 Ohio State at Lubrano Park at Medlar Field. Penn State (13-8) returns home after back-to-back road wins over Kent State, a team projected at No. 18 by Baseball America to begin the season, and Temple. Fans can view all three games at GoPSUsports.com, as well as listen to Loren Crispell's radio broadcast.
Students can purchase a five-dollar weekend pass, which includes three ticket vouchers to be used at any game of the Buckeye series, at the HUB-Robeson Center between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday or at the State College Spikes ticket office. Dollar hot dogs will be available for the first game of the series.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. on Friday. T.J. Macy takes the mound for the Nittany Lions, while the Ohio State will be throwing either Dean Wolosiansky. Ohio State's Eric Best will be facing Scott Kelley at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday. Calvin Grumley will square off against two-time defending Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Alex Wimmers, who threw five innings of hitless ball against No. 2 Miami (Fla.) on Tuesday.
Ohio State (18-3 overall) at Penn State (13-8 overall)
Game 22: Friday, 6:35 p.m.
PSU: T.J. Macy (2-1, 1.41 ERA, 32 IP, 35 Ks, .204 Opp)
OSU: Dean Wolosiansky (3-1, 8.03 ERA, 24.2 IP, 21 Ks, .304 Opp)
Game 23: Saturday, 2:05 p.m.
PSU: Scott Kelley (3-2, 3.60 ERA, 30 IP, 23 Ks, .276 Opp)
OSU: Eric Best (3-0, 5.64 ERA, 22.1 IP, 20 Ks, .280 Opp)
Game 24: Sunday, 1:05 p.m.
PSU: Calvin Grumley (2-1, 5.84 ERA, 24.2 IP, 19 Ks, .309 Opp)
OSU: Alex Wimmers (5-0, 1.62 ERA, 39 IP, 49 Ks, .197 Opp, 1 SHO)
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State holds a 51-27 edge in the series, which began in 1958. The series has been even as of late. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions split the four-game series last year in Columbus, Ohio and are 5-3 going back to the 2007 season. In their last meeting at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, Penn State won the first three games of the set before the Buckeyes avoided a sweep during the Sunday game.
SIX-TIME WINNERS
Head coach Robbie Wine's squad comes into this weekend winning its past six games, beginning with a 7-3 win over Rutgers on March 15th in Boca Raton, Fla. During that stretch, the Nittany Lions out-scored opponents 49-15 and their starters have given up nine runs in 40.9. Penn State starters own a 1.99 ERA during the six-game streak, including two games in which the starter went at least six innings without allowing a run.
THIRTEEN BEFORE BIG TEN
The Penn State baseball team tied a school record for most number of wins before the Big Ten season commenced, tallying 13 victories in 21 games played. It ties the 2000 team - the last Nittany Lions team to qualify for the NCAA Regionals - that went 13-4 before it started conference play.
COMEBACK KIDS
With come-back wins in each of its past two games, seven of the Nittany Lions' victories have arrived in come-from-behind fashion. On Feb. 22, Penn State, down 1-0 in the top of the ninth, piled on six runs against Seton Hall to finish the Big East-Big Ten Challenge with a winning record of 2-1. Against St. Joseph's in Lantana, Fla., Penn State came back from a 6-1 deficit and scored five runs in its last three at-bats, including the winning run in the top of the ninth with three on the board, to emerge victorious, 8-7. Florida Gulf Coast led by four runs in a 18-16 win for Penn State that featured five lead changes and 35 hits.
BLUE STREAKS
Entering Friday's game, Blake Lynd owns a 13-game hitting streak. Lynd has hit safely in 17 of the 19 games in which he has at least one at-bat. Landon Nakata holds a career-high 10-game streak of his own. Grant Youngblood recently ended a 15-game hitting streak that began in last year's Big Ten Tournament.
THREE GAME SETS IN 2009
One of the many schedule changes in the Big Ten this season, along with a neutral site for the Big Ten Tournament for the first time, is the abolition of four-game series between conference schools. With no more doubleheaders, each game will feature three nine-inning affairs. In the event of postponed game on Saturday, considering the possibility of precipitation in the forecast, a nine-and-nine doubleheader will be played on Sunday afternoon.