July 24, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; July 24, 2009 - Star Nittany Lion basketball player Jamelle Cornley, the MVP of the 2009 NIT, will throw out the first pitch tonight at Metro Bank Park as the Harrisburg Senators take on the Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees) in a 7:05 p.m. start.
Cornley is representing the 2009 NIT Champion Nittany Lion basketball team tonight in "Penn State Night" at the ballpark. Along with tossing the first pitch, Cornley will sign autographs on the concourse during the middle innings and will appear on the games radio broadcast with play-by-play man Terry Byrom. NIT posters and season highlight DVD's will be available and fans can take a picture with Cornley and the 2009 NIT Championship trophy. Fans will also be able to purchase Flex Book ticket plans for the upcoming 2009-10 season.
Cornley, the 2006 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and three-time All-Big Ten honoree, finished his Nittany Lion career as the fourth all-time scorer (1,579) and rebounder (755) in Penn State history.
The 2008-09 campaign was a season of "firsts" for the Nittany Lion program. Ed DeChellis, the 2009 Big Ten Coach of the Year, led Penn State to a school record 27 victories, culminating in the 2009 NIT Championship, the program's first national post-season tournament title. The Nittany Lions (27-11) earned four victories over RPI Top 25 opponents, with seven wins over Top 50 teams, including their first-ever victory at Michigan State, the NCAA Tournament runner-up.
The Nittany Lions return three starters and eight lettermen for the 2009-10 campaign, including sophomore point guard Talor Battle (Albany, N.Y.), a first team All-Big Ten, USBWA and NABC All-District selection. Battle (16.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.0 apg), who led the U.S. World University Games team in scoring this summer, is joined by returning sophomore starters D.J. Jackson (4.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and Andrew Jones (6.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg). Penn State returns 53 percent of its scoring and 65 percent of its rebounding and will welcome four incoming freshmen.
-NITTANY LIONS-