April 23, 2010
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• Following a 1-1 week, the Nittany Lion baseball team heads to Columbus for a crucial weekend series at rival Ohio State. Penn State will face one of the nation's top pitchers in Alex Wimmers on Friday (6:35 p.m.) with the Saturday and Sunday games both slated for 1:05 p.m.
• The Nittany Lions topped Duquesne, 15-9 on Tuesday before falling to Mount St. Mary's on Wednesday. Two players extended impressive streaks this week - Ben Heath (23 game on-base streak) and Elliot Searer (17 game hitting streak), tied for eighth in school history.
• With five Big Ten weekends still remaining, Penn State looks to turn things around and get right back into the thick of things. After this weekend, three of the last four conference series of the year are at the friendly confines of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, beginning with Michigan State next weekend.
• Ohio State enters with a 21-11 record, 6-3 in the Big Ten. Its ace, Wimmers, is projected by many as a first round selection in this upcoming June Major League Baseball Draft.
• Live audio via Penn State All-Access will be available for all three games along with live stats and video through the Ohio State Athletics' website. Please note, only Friday's and Sunday's games will air on State College's ESPN Radio 1450 AM. As always, be sure to follow the Penn State Baseball Twitter page.
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday, April 23, Penn State at Ohio State, 6:35 PM ET
COVERAGE: Live Stats | | Watch Live | Twitter
Penn State: Steven Hill (2-3, 5.40 ERA)
Ohio State: Alex Wimmers (8-0, 1.71 ERA)
Saturday, April 24, Penn State at Ohio State, 1:05 PM ET
COVERAGE: Live Stats | | Watch Live | Twitter
Penn State: Mike Wanamaker (2-2, 5.30 ERA)
Ohio State: Drew Rucinski (3-1, 2.56 ERA)
Sunday, April 25, Penn State at Ohio State, 1:05 PM ET
COVERAGE: Live Stats | | Watch Live | Twitter
Penn State: Ryan Ignas (2-3, 6.10 ERA)
Ohio State: Dean Wolosiansky (3-4, 6.05 ERA)
Upcoming Schedule
4/23-25: at Ohio State
4/27: La SALLE
4/30-5/2: MICHIGAN STATE
5/7-9: IOWA
5/14-16: at Minnesota
Today's Tidbits
• The Lions are now 6-2 in games Neal Herring has started.
• Ben Heath has reached base safely in 23 consecutive games. Overall, he has reached base safely in 34 of his 35 games this season.
• Heath only has one fewer extra base hit (26) than strikeouts (27).
• Elliot Searer brings a 17-game hitting streak into this week while Sean Deegan is riding a seven-game streak.
• Louie Picconi is now only two hits shy of 100 career hits.
Tuesday: Penn State 15, Duquesne 9
• The Penn State baseball team scored 15 runs over the span of five innings on its way to a 15-9 win over Duquesne on Tuesday evening at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
• Five players finished with multiple hits, led by sophomore Jordan Steranka's career-high tying four. Sophomore Sean Deegan also went 2-for-4 with a triple, home run and five RBI in the Lions' (15-20, 2-7 Big Ten) final-ever game against Duquesne.
• The 15 runs were the second-most Penn State has scored this season, only trailing the 16 from the Big Ten opening win at Illinois. It also marked the second consecutive Tuesday scoring 10 or more runs. The Lions also plated 14 in a 14-8 win over No. 24 Pittsburgh.
• In that game, both Joey DeBernardis and Steranka tied career-highs in hits and at-bats. Both had six at-bats while DeBernardis recorded three hits and Steranka had four.
• Deegan also had a monster game with a career-high five RBI,only the third time this season a Nittany Lion batter has driven in five or more in a game. He now has four triples on the year and is within two of tying the single-season school record.
Wednesday: Mount St. Mary's 2, Penn State 1
• Despite six strong innings from junior lefty Calvin Grumley, the Penn State baseball team struggled to muster much offense in falling, 2-1, to Mount St. Mary's.
• Grumley's outing was the longest of his career and longest since Apr. 4, 2009 when he also went six innings at Michigan.
• Junior Michael Glantz was the only Nittany Lion (15-21, 2-7 Big Ten) to record multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored.
• Sean Deegan also had two stolen bases in the loss to tie a career-high. He now has 22 swipes on the season, tied for fourth in school history and within five of tying the single-season school record.
School Records & Milestones Abundant?
• Three Penn State players are on pace to break (or come close to breaking) significant single-season school records: David Lutz (appearances - record is 29, currently at 24), Sean Deegan (stolen bases - record is 27, currently at 22) and Ben Heath (home runs - record is 17, currently at 12). Deegan also has four triples, more than halfway from tying the school record of six.
• Heath's huge game against No. 24 Pittsburgh helped put him in position to potentially break the Penn State single-season record in total bases. He is now at 101 through 35 games played. The record is 163, held by Michael Campo during his All-American 2000 season.
• Lutz could also become Penn State's all-time leader in appearances. He's currently at 73 (already third in program history) while the record is 76.
• Sophomore Jordan Steranka had a significant milestone earlier this season when his home run against Kent State (3/31) marked his 100th-career hit.
• Senior Louie Picconi is currently at 98 career hits and with three more, will become the second Nittany Lion player in triple figures. Heath could also reach 100 this year as he is only 20 away.
Streaks Galore
• The 2010 season has seen a number of significant streaks, with some still active.
• Redshirt freshman Elliot Searer continued his hot hitting through the midweek contests to up his career-high hitting streak to 17 games, tied for eighth in school history. It is also among the longest active streak in the nation and second longest in the Big Ten. Florida International's Garrett Wittels owns the nation's longest active streak, currently over 30 games.
• Junior Ben Heath had his streak snapped at 19 on Saturday at Purdue, which now stands fourth in school history. It is also tied for the 37th longest streak in NCAA Division I baseball this season.
• In total, Heath hit an incredible .459 (34-for-74) with eight home runs, 30 RBI, eight doubles and 20 runs scored along with 11 multi-hit games as part of the 19-game streak. He improved his average by 71 points in that span.
• Sophomore Joey DeBernardis' on-base streak was snapped at 24 games on Sunday, but Heath did walk on and has now reached base safely in 23 consecutive games.
• Searer's and Heath's hit streaks are similar to two from last year - Jordan Steranka (18), Blake Lynd (14).
• Michael Campo owns the school record (41) while Mike DeRenzo has the second-longest (23).
Searer Continues To Shine
• Redshirt freshman Elliot Searer has taken advantage of increased playing time by hitting .360 on the season, second on the team. He contributed with two multi-hit games in the two-hole at Purdue while following that up with two hits against Duquesne and one vs. Mount St. Mary's.
• In four games last week, Searer went 7-for-17 (.412), including three multi-hit games to up his season total to nine.
• His standout game came on Sunday at Purdue when he finished 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBI. He recorded 40 percent of Penn State's hits (2-of-5) while reaching base four times for the first time in his career. He also had a big two-run single in the seventh inning to give Penn State a 3-1 advantage.
• Searer has at least one hit in 22 of 25 starts this season.
• He tied his career-high of three hits vs. Bucknell (4/6), this only three days after originally setting his career-high at Illinois.
• Overall, Searer enters this weekend on a 17-game hitting streak.
• The Lewistown, Pa. native showed his versatility when he saw his first-career action in the outfield after working solely as an infielder.
• He also led off for the first time at Illinois (4/4).
• Searer has been an opportune base runner, swiping eight bags on the season (second on the team to only Sean Deegan), including a career-high two in the series finale against Hofstra.
Penn State Catchers - Double The Success
• The Nittany Lions present arguably the best catching duo in the nation, with juniors Ben Heath and Bobby Jacobs leading the way.
• They've both come into their own in 2010, with Heath hitting .367 and Jacobs batting .304. The two have put up incredible numbers and are hitting a combined .344 with 14 home runs, 50 RBI, 22 doubles, 75 hits and 42 runs scored.
• In addition, Heath and Jacobs have already posted career-highs in doubles with 14 and eight, respectively. In total, they own 37 percent of the team's two-baggers (22-of-60).
Workhorses Out Of The Pen
• Senior pitcher's David Lutz's 24 appearances by far lead the Big Ten with freshman Steven Hill and junior Jesse Alfreno among the conference's best as well, with 16 apiece.
• Along with the potential school single-season and career appearances, he also has a chance to break the known conference record held by Ohio State's Jake Hale (40 in 2009). Please note that not all Big Ten schools have kept appearances as a record, making the mark unofficial.
• Lutz has appeared in 13 of the last 16 games, including a span of eight straight snapped vs. Pitt (4/13).
Ben Heath - Johnny Bench Award Candidate
• Penn State junior Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) is one of 71 Division I catchers on the Watch List for the Coleman Company Johnny Bench Award delivered by Papa John's Pizza, as announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. Named in honor of the former Cincinnati Reds' great, the award is presented to the top catcher in Division I.
• Heath is one of five Big Ten catchers named to the list.
An All-American & Dick Howser Trophy Candidate
• Heath's hot start has put him on the national radar.
• The National Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) has added him to the Dick Howser Trophy Watch List and All-America ballot. The Howser trophy is presented annually to the national collegiate baseball player of the year.
• Heath has asserted himself as one of the nation's top catchers. When comparing his season to the other Johnny Bench Award candidates, he is near the top of almost every statistical category (complete statistics comparison as of Apr. 5).
• He is second in home runs, RBI, total bases and slugging percentage while coming in fourth in doubles and fifth in OPS (on-base plus slugging). Heath is first among the power six conferences in home runs as the current leader is out of the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference). He is also 12th in hits and tied for 13th in batting average.
Tracking Heath: Season Updates
• Heath is on pace to break the school's single-season home run record and finish near the top in doubles in a season. He by far leads Penn State in almost every statistical category. His current OPS is an incredible 1.152 while his slugging percentage of .727 would put him third in program history. He could also finish among the top five (if not top) in nearly every statistical category, including hits, runs, RBI and total bases (among others).
• In total, Heath leads the Lions with a career-high 12 home runs, 14 doubles, 40 RBI and .727 slugging percentage. He also has a team-best .435 on-base percentage. Heath is hitting .367 in 35 games (all starts), with his average jumping 49 points (from .318) in the last four weeks.
• Heath started last weekend at Purdue by hitting a second-inning home run off one of the Big Ten's top pitchers, Matt Bischoff on Friday. He finished 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
• Prior to his monster game against Pittsburgh (4/13), Heath finished the weekend series against Northwestern (4/9-11) with a .583 average (7-for-12) along with three doubles. He also had two three-hit games to tie a career-high.
• Big Ten opening weekend at Illinois (4/2-4) featured a home run in back-to-back games. It marked the third time that he went deep in two or more consecutive games. He then made it four times with home runs in consecutive games vs. Pittsburgh (4/13) and Purdue (4/16).
• Against Pittsburgh (3/24) and Hofstra (3/26-28), the native of Huntersville, N.C. finished 9-for-18 in five games to improve his season average from .317 to (at the time) .358. He finished with one home run, seven RBI and three runs scored.
• The highlight of his weekend against Hofstra included a 3-for-4 effort in Game Two of Saturday's doubleheader with a double, run scored and three RBI. He then went 2-for-4 with a walk and run scored in the series finale.
• At Pittsburgh, Heath hit his third home run in as many games, a long three-run shot for his seventh long ball of the season. That propelled Penn State to a 3-0 first-inning advantage.
• Heath had a monster performance at the Coca-Cola Classic (3/19-21), playing in three of four games with a .455 average (5-for-11), a double, two home runs (including first-career grand slam), 10 RBI and six runs scored. He also had four walks, improving his on-base percentage to .600 for the week.
• His hits have come at huge moments, starting in the season-opener vs. Cincinnati (2/26) when his solo homer in the sixth broke a 1-1 deadlock.
• Then against Notre Dame (2/28), his seventh-inning long ball pulled the Lions within one while his ninth-inning home run tied the score at eight to force extra innings.
• Against McNeese State (3/5), his home run doubled Penn State's lead from three (4-1) to six (7-1), serving as the key knockout blow on the way to a 12-6 win.
• Heath has also been strong defensively, posting a .993 fielding percentage while throwing out 27 percent of potential base stealers (14-of-51).
The Series With Ohio State
• One of Penn State's biggest rivals across all sports, Ohio State is no stranger to the Nittany Lions. The teams have played 79 times in their history with the Buckeyes owning a 51-28 advantage.
• The Nittany Lions did win the last meeting though, last Apr. 29 at home by a 15-11 final. Ohio State had won three straight.
• Penn State did enjoy success in its last visit to Columbus, splitting a four-game series which included a doubleheader sweep.
• Overall, the teams have split the last 12 meetings.
• The first meeting between the schools came in 1958 and after playing in `58 and `59, the teams didn't meet again until 1992, the Lions' first in the Big Ten.
Scouting Ohio State
• One of the preseason favorites to win the Big Ten, Ohio State hasn't dissapointed through 32 games, owning a 21-11 record. Some of the squad's many nonconference wins include: Notre Dame, Tennessee and Army, among many.
• So far, the Buckeyes are 6-3 in conference play, winning two against Northwestern, Indiana and Michigan State.
• Leading the way offensively is Zach Hurley with a .403 average, six home runs and 31 RBI. Cory Rupert isn't far behind, hitting .393 with 12 RBI. Michael Stephens has a .367 while leading the team in home runs. In total, seven regulars are all hitting over .340.
• Ace Alex Wimmers leads the pitching staff with a dazzling 1.71 ERA and 8-0 record. Saturday's starter is Drew Rucinski, who has a 2.56 ERA. Three pitchers have ERAs of less than three while seven own an ERA of 5.50 or higher. Overall, the team ERA is 4.79. Reliever Theron Minium is second on the squad with three saves.
Wanamaker Impresses
• Redshirt senior pitcher Mike Wanamaker impressed last time out at Purdue (4/18) in his best start since returning from injury. He threw 6.2 dazzling innings, allowing only six hits and two runs (one earned). He left with the lead, but ended up with a no-decision.
• Wanamaker returned to the mound against Texas A&M (3/10) after missing last season. He was a Second Team All-Big Ten honoree in 2008.
• On a pitch count, he tossed the first four innings, allowing three hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out four.
• After allowing two runs in the first inning, he bounced back by striking out the side in the second. He retired nine of 10 in a span bridging the first through fourth innings.
• Wanamaker was strong against Kent State (3/19), tossing six strong innings for his first win since 2008.
THON Night A Success!
• The Penn State baseball team hosted THON Night vs. Pittsburgh (4/13).
• The Nittany Lions donated all student single game ticket sales to the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. In the end, it was a big success with $556 raised.
• The Dance Marathon marks the end of a year-long effort to raise funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer. This past February, THON raised a record $7,838,054.36.
• For more information on THON, check out their website at www.thon.org.
Lions Stage Impressive Comeback Win Over No. 24 Pittsburgh
• Trailing 8-4, the Penn State baseball team responded with five runs in the seventh inning and five more in the eighth on its way to a thrilling 14-8 victory over No. 24 Pittsburgh at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
• The Nittany Lions (14-17, 2-4 Big Ten) ultimately took the lead off Panthers' ace starter Corey Baker, who entered in the seventh inning and was touched up for three runs in 1.1 innings. Junior catcher Ben Heath once again spearheaded the Penn State offensive attack, going 3-for-5 with two solo home runs to extend his hitting streak to 18 games, tied for fourth in program history.
Heath's Big Day
• Heath's monster day marked his second-consecutive three-hit game to once again tie a career-high.
• He also scored a career-high tying four runs, originally set earlier this season against Notre Dame.
• The two home runs in a game tied a career-high, set on two other occasions, one of which was against the Irish. In the eighth inning, Heath hit a long fly ball down the left field line, which went just foul. It would have marked his third home run of the game, falling just short of tying the school record set on two other occasions.
• The junior catcher became the first Penn State player with double-digit home runs since Chris Wright had 13 in 2001.
• Heath now has three home runs in two games against Pittsburgh this season and six long balls in five games against BIG EAST Teams this season.
• Jordan Steranka tied a career-high with two doubles, including the first which tied things up at eight.
• Sean Deegan had a monster day as well, tying a career-high in hits (3), home runs (1) and RBI (2).
All-Time Against BIG EAST
• Pittsburgh is out of the BIG EAST, a familiar conference to the Lions.
• With the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge destined to stay for the foreseeable future, the Nittany Lions will have their annual opportunity to face one of the top conferences in the nation.
• Winning three-of-five BIG EAST games so far this season, Penn State is now 263-138-2 against current members of that conference.
• The squad has faced Pittsburgh the most (122 times) while also playing West Virginia (105), Villanova (59) and Rutgers (54) numerous times.
• Penn State has never faced one squad - Louisville.
• In total, Penn State plays five BIG EAST teams this season, the most of any conference (other than the Big Ten) - Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and Villanova. A road tilt at Villanova (5/18) still remains.
Going Extra
• The 11-inning loss to Northwestern (4/10) marked Penn State's fifth extra-inning game of the season. The Lions are 2-3 in those contests.
• After a 12 game "drought," the Nittany Lions saw the Mar. 20 tilt against Winthrop go to extras.
• It marked the first extra-inning game since the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge. Penn State played three extra-inning games in as many days, against Cincinnati, Seton Hall and Notre Dame.
• The Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge has seen four extra-inning games in its two-year history, three coming from Penn State this year.
• Penn State had four extra-inning games ALL last season, three in 2008 and four in 2007.
• Until Apr. 10, the Lions were 0-2 in games ending in 10 innings, but 2-0 in games lasting longer than 10 frames. That ended when Northwestern scored in the 11th to hand Penn State's first "over 10 inning" loss.
• Ironically, three of the extra-inning games were when Ryan Ignas has started - Northwestern (4/10), Winthrop (3/20), Cincinnati (2/26).
Johnson Shows Versatility
• Junior Heath Johnson came out of the bullpen against Bucknell (4/6) for his first-career pitching appearance after starting 20 games in the outfield.
• The native of Alamagordo, N.M. tossed a scoreless fourth inning, while striking out one.
• He then pitched a scoreless ninth inning vs. Northwestern (4/11) for his first-career save. This after starting the game as the DH. He also struck out the only batter he faced on Sunday at Purdue (4/18).
• Johnson is the third of three position players to pitch this season as Steve Snyder and Joey DeBernardis have also seen action. The three have combined to toss 8.1 innings, allowing only three runs.
Snyder Coming Through In The Clutch
• Freshman Steve Snyder has consistently come up big at the plate.
• Six of his 26 hits this season have driven in two or more runs. He is currently fifth on the team with 19 RBI, mainly from the bottom of the batting order. He has hit ninth in the lineup in all but two starts, when he led off and batted seventh.
• Snyder's streak of three straight games with multiple hits (and RBI) was snapped on against Bucknell (4/6), but he did go 1-for-2 with an RBI and run scored. He hit .429 (12-for-28) with 10 RBI on his recent seven-game hitting streak, recording multiple hits in five of those contests.
Walking Off?
• With the walk-off win over Bucknell, Penn State has now seen an incredible eight this season end via a walk-off of some kind, five in the Nittany Lions' favor.
• Joey DeBernardis has two walk-off single while his bouncer to third against Hofstra was thrown away to give the Lions the 2-1 victory. Juniors Mario Eramo and Bobby Jacobs were at the plate for the Lions' other walk-off wins.
• After the Nittany Lions came back for a 6-5 win over Columbia at the Coca-Cola Classic, Winthrop pulled out a 14-13 walk-off (extra-inning) win in the nightcap.
• The season's first three games ended in walk-off fashion, the first two Penn State victories. Then, Texas State hit a sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the ninth to (at the time) even the Lions' "walk-off record."
Offense Impresses Illinois
• As part of the Big Ten opening weekend at Illinois, the Nittany Lion offense exploded for 16 runs in the series opener (4/2).
• The 16 runs were the most since last Apr. 5 at Michigan in a 16-5 win.
• The run total also tied the most the Lions have ever scored against Illinois (the other was a 16-5 win on April 26, 2008).
• It was also the most Penn State has ever scored in a Big Ten opener. The previous high was 14 against Indiana on March 23, 2001.
• The Lions allowed 19 hits in the win. The last time they allowed 17 or more hits in a victory was on Mar. 11, 2009, an 18-16 win over Florida Gulf Coast.
• As part of the weekend, the Lions hit seven home runs (four on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday). They now have 28 long balls on the season, on pace to shatter last season's mark of 29.
• In fact, junior Ben Heath already has double the home runs (12) than last season's leader (Jordan Steranka, 6). Steranka already has six home runs as well to tie last season's mark.
Milestone Hit For Steranka
• Sophomore Jordan Steranka's home run against Kent State (3/31) had extra special meaning. The hit marked the 100th of his career.
• Incredibly, Steranka leads all current Nittany Lions in career hits. Senior Louie Picconi is second with 98.
• With two years still to go, Steranka has a chance to finish his Lion career among the program leaders in hits. Only seven players in program history have reached 200 career hits, led by Michael Campo's school-record 295.
Comeback Kids
• The Nittany Lions have staged some impressive late-inning comebacks, including against Bucknell (4/6) when they plated two ninth-inning runs for the victory.
• Down 5-0 against Columbia (3/20), Penn State fought back to tie the score with a run in the seventh before winning in the bottom of the ninth.
• That marked the third time this season the Lions have come back in the seventh inning or later to win a game. They were also trailing heading to the sixth inning vs. Kent State before scoring two to hold on for the win.
• It marked Penn State's first comeback win since the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge in the opening weekend of the season. It had to come back in the eighth inning or later in all three of those games to force extra innings while coming away with two victories.
Experiencing The "States"
• The Nittany Lions are enjoying a mini tour of the United States this season, with early games in Florida, Texas and South Carolina while later traveling to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Minnesota.
• Fittingly, Penn State is playing a number of "States." In total, they face five teams that end in State, including this past week's opponent, Kent State. They've already played two - McNeese and Texas State - while also facing Ohio and Michigan State come conference season.
• Coppin State was also on the schedule, but the Feb. 20 game was canceled.
From The Pocket To The "Hill"
• Freshman pitcher Steven Hill, also a quarterback on the football team, has been strong in his first collegiate appearances.
• He followed up his first-career start against Lamar (3/6), with another strong performance against Texas State (3/14). For the second time in as many starts, he tossed six innings, this time allowing only two runs to keep Penn State in the game.
• Against Cincinnati (2/26), he was summoned with runners on the corners and only one out in the top of the 10th. He struck out the first batter on three pitches before inducing a groundout to end the threat (all strikes). He then went on to retire six in a row in the 11th and 12th innings for the win.
• Then against Notre Dame (2/28), he pitched three innings in relief, only allowing one run to go along with six strikeouts. He got out of a bases loaded one out jam in the bottom of the ninth with two consecutive strikeouts.
• Hill entered into a similar situation against Columbia (3/20). With runners on first and third with only one out in the eighth, he induced two straight pop ups to work out of the jam and earn his second win. • He most recently picked up his first-career save, tossing 1.1 scoreless frames against No. 24 Pittsburgh (4/13).
Starting Quality
• Four Penn State pitchers - Ryan Ignas, Neal Herring, Steven Hill, Mike Wanamaker and Calvin Grumley - have combined to toss 12 quality starts this season.
• Ignas allowed two runs (both earned) in seven innings against Cincinnati (2/26) and McNeese State (3/5), both Nittany Lion victories.
• Herring one-upped his strong performance against Seton Hall (2/27) when he allowed two earned runs in six innings, by allowing only one earned run in six frames against Dallas Baptist (3/6). That led to his first-career victory.
• In his first-career start, Hill dazzled in his home state of Texas, allowing only one earned run in six against Lamar (3/6). He then allowed only two runs in the series finale at Texas State (3/14).
• Wanamaker then enjoyed a quality start against Kent State (3/19) when he only allowed three runs in six innings for the victory.
• Ignas and Herring posted quality starts against Hofstra (3/27-28), each throwing seven innings while allowing one and two earned runs, respectively.
• Ignas then dazzled against Northwestern (4/10), going a career-high 7.1 innings, allowing only one earned run.
• Arguably Penn State's best pitching performance of the season came at Purdue (4/18) when Wanamaker went 6.2 innings, only allowing six hits and one earned run against the high-powered Boilers' offense.
• Grumley impressed last time out, allowing only two runs (one earned) in six strong innings vs. Mount St. Mary's (4/21).
Penn State Impresses At Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge
• Penn State went 2-1 from Feb. 26-28 to tie for the top record of any Big Ten teams at the challenge.
• No Big Ten squad finished undefeated while a total of five finished 2-1. Louisville and St. John's out of the BIG EAST both went 3-0.
• It marks the second consecutive season that the Lions went 2-1 at the challenge. Last year, they were one of six Big Ten squads to do so.
A Team Effort
• The Big Ten/BIGEAST Challenge success came from a variety of sources.
• Here is what the following players contributed in the win over Cincinnati:
• Sophomore Joey DeBernardis - Walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th
• Junior Ben Heath - Double and home run
• Freshman Steven Hill - Retired all eight batters he faced (in innings 10-12) for the win
• Sophomore Ryan Ignas - Strong start, allowing only two runs in seven innings
• Freshman Steve Snyder - Game-tying triple with two outs in the ninth
• Then in the following day's 3-2 walk-off win in 13 against Seton Hall:
• Junior Heath Johnson - Tripled and scored in the first, later drove in game-tying run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly
• Sophomore Jordan Steranka - Two hits, including leadoff double and game-winning run in the bottom of the 13th
• Junior Mario Eramo - Walk-off single in the bottom of the 13th
• Freshman Neal Herring - Started and allowed only two runs in six innings of first collegiate game.
• Entire Bullpen: Redshirt senior David Lutz, freshman John Walter and junior Jesse Alfreno tossed seven scoreless innings, only allowing four hits. In total, Penn State pitchers kept Seton Hall off the board for the final eight innings.
About Wounded Warrior - May 1 Benefit Game
• May 1 against Michigan State marks a special day for Penn State baseball as it hosts a Wounded Warrior Benefit Game.
• The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors. Its purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service members, to help severely injured men and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, apolitical organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. To get involved and learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
Nittany Lions Take Part In THON
• With its season-opening weekend canceled, the Penn State baseball team made the most of it by getting involved in THON at the Bryce Jordan Center. The 38th annual Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon began on Friday (Feb. 19) at 6 p.m. and lasted until Sunday at 4 p.m., raising more than $7.8 million for pediatric cancer research.
• Penn State student-athletes have always been heavily involved in THON. Baseball is normally on the road THON weekend, but with the games at Longwood canceled, the Nittany Lions were on campus, giving them the opportunity to participate. Despite being too late to enter the pep rally, the squad found time between a busy weekend of practice for Athlete Hour on Saturday.
Sophomore Third Baseman |
Baseball's Big Ten Network Schedule Released
• The Penn State baseball team will be featured at least six times on the Big Ten Network in 2010.
• The Nittany Lions open the Big Ten Network's coverage on Apr. 2 at Illinois. All three games from the weekend series can be viewed on BigTenNetwork.com.
• Penn State's complete home series vs. Iowa from May 7-9 will be shown live on the Big Ten Network as well.
• Should they make the conference tournament, the Nittany Lions would see additional games aired on the Big Ten Network. Each and every game will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
• For the complete story, please click here
Big Ten Baseball Tournament To Be Held In Columbus Through 2010
• The Big Ten Conference, Huntington Park and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission announced that Columbus, Ohio, will be home to the Big Ten Baseball Tournament for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons.
• The Big Ten played its first neutral-site tournament since 1994 at Columbus' Huntington Park in 2009 and will return to the ballpark in 2011 and 2012.
• Due to a facility conflict, the 2010 tournament will be held at Ohio State's Bill Davis Stadium.
• For the complete story, please click here
Lions Release Ticket & Promotional Information
• Penn State baseball season tickets are very affordable at $99 in the box and $63 all other sections. Youth and students are only $20!
• Ticket prices remain the same as last season with "In The Box" reserved seats for only $6 while Adult General Admission is $4 and Youth and Student General Admission are $2. In addition, groups of 20 or more can purchase General Admission tickets for only $3.
• Tickets can be purchased online or over the phone. Please call 1-877-997-7453 or (814) 272-1711, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Fans can also direct any additional questions or comments via phone, or by email (psubaseball@athletics.psu.edu).
• For more information, please click here
Baseball Signs Seven Top Recruits To National Letters Of Intent
• Penn State head baseball coach Robbie Wine announced in November the signing of seven top recruits to National Letters of Intent.
• Among the class are five of the top prospects from Pennsylvania and two from Massachusetts. The group, that will join the program in the fall of 2010, consists of two pitchers, three position players and two others who can both pitch and play in the field.
• Among the incoming freshmen are five from the Keystone State: right-handed pitcher Scott Dixon (Blairsville), outfielder Zach Ell (Plains), third baseman Kyle Redinger (Lebanon), pitcher/infielder Austin Urban (Windber) and left-handed pitcher Greg Welsh (Holland). They are set to join 15 Nittany Lion underclassmen from Pennsylvania who are scheduled to return in the fall of 2010.
• Along with the Pennsylvania talent, the Nittany Lions will welcome two from Massachusetts: catcher Alex Farkes (Boston) and right-handed pitcher/infielder TJ Jann (Westford).
• For the complete story, please click here
Milestone Game For Penn State Baseball
• Penn State played in its 3,000th all-time game on Mar. 1 of last season. Fittingly, it came against the winningest program in NCAA history, Texas.
• The Nittany Lions stand in the top 50 in all-time winning percentage among schools with a minimum of 25 years in Division I. Their all-time record is 1,835-1,188-21 (.606).
• Baseball is the oldest intercollegiate sport at Penn State, dating back to its debut in 1875. This season marks the Nittany Lions' 122nd in program history due to not fielding a team for several years in the late 1880s. Penn State is one of only a select few schools in the nation to boast a team for at least 120 years.
Baseball Camp Information Now Available
• Baseball camp information is now available.
• Just call the Sports Camp Office at (814) 865-0561 or email them at SportCampInfo@outreach.psu.edu for more information.
• Also, visit them on their website by clicking here.
Click here to order your media guide today! |
Baseball Alumni Event Set For May 7-8
• Penn State baseball's alumni event is set for May 7-8. The event coincides with Nittany Lion home games against Iowa at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. All baseball alumni are invited to attend. • Please contact the Varsity `S' Club Coordinator, Mike Milliron at varsitys@athletics.psu.edu or (814) 867-2202 with any questions or to RSVP.
• For more information, please click here.
2010 Media Guide Now Available
• The 2010 media guide is now available! In it, you can find everything you need to know about Penn State baseball including stats, player bios, a complete history section and MUCH more!
• The guide is available for PDF download, for view through the interactive website Issuu or for purchase.
• Hard copies are available for only $7. They can be purchased through the publications store on GoPSUsports.com.
• Just click here for all the information!
Sign Up For Penn State Baseball News
• Fans, want to stay up to date on the Penn State baseball team? Sign up today by contacting Justin Lafleur (jal47@psu.edu) in the Penn State Athletic Communications Department. You will receive game previews, game recaps, news releases and more, straight to your inbox!
Follow Penn State Baseball On Twitter!
• Penn State baseball is on Twitter! You can find exclusive notes and features to help stay one step ahead when following the Nittany Lions.
• Included will be live in-game scoring updates, so if you can't make it to Happy Valley, you'll still be able to follow all the action. Go to www.twitter.com and search for the username psubaseball. Or click here!
Check Back To GoPSUsports.com For Exclusive Video!
• New this season is exclusive postgame highlights and interviews on GoPSUsports.com. Check back often to the Penn State baseball YouTube page for more highlight and interview packages as the season progresses.