May 19, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format | PURCHASE TICKETS
HEATH NAMED A JOHNNY BENCH AWARD SEMIFINALIST | Wichita Sports Release
Heath Ranked as No. 3 Catcher in Rivals Power Rankings | Big Ten Standings
Season Stats | Media Guide | Archived Game Notes | Twitter | YouTube Channel | Promo Page
• Despite struggling at Minnesota last weekend, the Penn State baseball team is still very much in the race for a Big Ten Tournament berth heading into a key series vs. Michigan to close the regular season. Gametimes are set for 6:35 p.m (Thursday), 5:35 p.m. (Friday) and 1:05 p.m. (Saturday) at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
• It is also Senior Weekend with six seniors set to be honored prior to Saturday's finale: Gordon Atkisson, Jack Greenberg, David Lutz, Louie Picconi and Mike Wanamaker along with Director of Baseball Operations Sebastian Saraceno.
• Two games out of fifth place, the Lions need to win a minimum of two games this weekend to have a chance. Should they sweep, they could very well fall into a tiebreaker for a postseason berth; the fifth through 10th place teams are still only separated by two games.
• Michigan comes in winners of three of its last four, including a key series triumph vs. Northwestern, which featured a mention on SportsCenter after it came back from a 14-0 deficit to win, 15-14. Incredibly, the Wolverines could still finish as high as first while possibly not even making the tournament, all contingent on this weekend's results.
• The Nittany Lions struggled at Minnesota, but junior Ben Heath did provide a bright spot, hitting his school record-breaking 18th home run of the season in his first at-bat at the Metrodome. A recently-named Johnny Bench Award Semifinalist, he also has four multi-home run games, which is tied for first in the nation.
• There will be a number of exciting promotions - Jordan Steranka figurines will be given away on Thursday, Friday is Kid's Day, Dollar Hot Dog Night and Scoreboard Picture Frame giveaways while Saturday is Fan Appreciation Day. A pregame autograph session will take place on the concourse from 11:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. prior to Saturday's game.
• Live video via Penn State All-Access will be available as will live stats via GameTracker. Fans can also listen in to ESPN Radio 1450 AM. And as always, be sure to stay updated with the Penn State Baseball Twitter page.
Thursday, May 20, Michigan at Penn State, 6:35 PM ET
COVERAGE: Tickets | | | Twitter
Michigan: Alan Oakes (4-5, 3.81 ERA)
Penn State: Mike Wanamaker (4-3, 6.68 ERA)
Friday, May 21, Michigan at Penn State, 5:35 PM ET
COVERAGE: Tickets | | | Twitter
Michigan: TBA
Penn State: Steven Hill (2-6, 5.75 ERA)
Saturday, May 22, Michigan at Penn State, 1:05 PM ET
COVERAGE: Tickets | | | Twitter
Michigan: TBA
Penn State: TBA
Game Storylines
• With Sean Deegan's triple at Minnesota, the Nittany Lions have tied the school record for triples in a season (18), also held by the 1986 and 2007 squads.
• Ben Heath enters the weekend with 99 career hits, looking to become the third Penn State player to record his 100th this season. Ironically, both Jordan Steranka's and Louie Picconi's 100th left the year.
• Penn State has hit 42 home runs this season, by far the most over its past seven seasons. In fact, no Nittany Lion squad hit more than 29 home runs in any one individual season. It is still well behind the school-record of 91 hit by the 1998 squad.
• Incredibly, Heath is only two home runs shy of recording as many home runs as the entire 2007 team.
• Heath has 18 long balls, which is tied for 17th in the nation (among all positions). He is 27th in slugging percentage and 42nd in total bases. With 141 total bases, he is already second in single-season school history.
• Ever since being slotted 1-2 in the lineup, Elliot Searer and Steve Snyder have gone a combined 47-for-114 (.412) over nine games. Snyder is 28-57 (.491) while Searer is 19-57 (.333). Snyder has two four-hit games while Searer has a school record tying five-hit contest.
Postseason Scenarios
• With so many teams bunched together, there are still a number of potential scenarios with just three games remaining in the regular season.
• Penn State must win at least two games this weekend to have a chance, but would need at least three other teams to be swept.
• Should the Nittany Lions sweep and Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan State and Illinois lose two of three, that would tie four teams (Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, Iowa) with 11 conference wins. Penn State would own the tiebreaker due to a 6-3 record against the other three, earning it the sixth seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa is 5-4 while Ohio State is 4-5 and Michigan State is 3-6. Please note: this is just one of many scenarios.
• A win on Thursday would extend the team's chances for at least one more day. The Lions can not be eliminated with a win in the opening game.
• For up-to-date Big Ten standings, please click here.
Near The Top
• Along with Ben Heath's ranking among the nation's best, Penn State is also among the best in a number of other statistical categories.
• The squad is 45th in triples (18), 44th in double plays turned (51) and 89th in fielding percentage (.967). The Lions are also tied for the school record in triples while within 16 double plays of the school record in that category, set in 2000.
• Individually, Sean Deegan is 45th with five triples while Steve Snyder is 96th with four. Deegan is also 54th with his 24 stolen bases and David Lutz is 75th in ERA (3.15).
School Records & Milestones Abundant?
• Three Penn State players are on pace to break, come close to breaking or have broken significant single-season school records: David Lutz (appearances - record was 29, currently at 33), Sean Deegan (stolen bases - record is 27, currently at 24) and Ben Heath (home runs - record is 17, currently at 18). Deegan also has five triples while Steve Snyder has four, nearing ever closer to the record of six.
• Heath's huge performances lately have helped put him in position to potentially break the Penn State single-season total bases record. He is now at 141 through 48 games played, whch is second in school history. The record is 163, held by Michael Campo during his 2000 All-America season.
• Lutz also broke the Penn State all-time record in career appearances this season. It was held by Jeff Emerich (76); Lutz is currently up to 82 (and counting).
• A pair of Nittany Lions - Louie Picconi and Jordan Steranka - have recorded their 100th career hits this season while Heath could become the third before the year ends. He's at 99 hits with three regular season games remaining. Ironically, both Picconi's and Steranka's 100th hits left the yard, against Ohio State (4/24) and Kent State (3/31), respectively.
• With two full years still remaining, Steranka has a chance to finish his Lion career amongst the program leaders in hits. He is already at 135. Only seven players in program history have reached 200 career hits, led by Michael Campo's school-record 295.
Rewriting The Record Books
• Along with the potential school records (already mentioned), a number of other players have a chance to finish among the program's best.
• First baseman Joey DeBernardis' 444 putouts this season already put him fourth in school history. His 71 hits are within two of the top 10 in school history. DeBernardis is on pace for approximately 77 hits, which would place him fifth. His 14 doubles are within two of sixth place on the single-season list while his 97 total bases are within three of the top 10. He looks to become the third Nittany Lion this season with 100 total bases; for comparison the squad only had one last season.
• Infielder Louie Picconi has 155 assists on the season, good for fifth in school history. He has an outside chance of breaking the school record of 188 held by Eric Spadt in 2000, especially if the Lions advance to the Big Ten Tournament.
• Jordan Steranka's 104 total bases have already broken last season's mark and are good for 10th in Penn State history. He is on pace for approximately 111, which would place him ninth.
• Ben Heath's 50 runs are tied for ninth in school history while his 55 RBI are sixth. His .750 slugging percentage would be third in school history as well.
• Steve Snyder's resurgence has put him within three steals of the top 10 in that category. He is currently at 12.
• Both Snyder (55 hits) and Elliot Searer (55) have an outside chance of breaking the school's freshman hits record set by Steranka last season (70). The best chance of that happening would be if the Lions advance to the Big Ten Tournament, giving them additional games to break the mark.
Streaks Galore
• The 2010 season has also seen a number of notable streaks.
• Senior David Lutz's scoreless inning streak ended at a career-high 8.1 innings at Ohio State. It was also the first earned run he allowed in his previous 13.2 innings.
• Redshirt freshman Elliot Searer saw his career-high 17-game hitting streak come to an end against All-American candidate Alex Wimmers, but he did reach base all three times to up his on-base streak, which eventually ended at 25. His hitting streak was tied for eighth in school history.
• The 25-game on-base streak marked Penn State's second-longest streak this season and the Lions' third of 20 or more games - along with DeBernardis and Ben Heath, who has the high of 26 which was snapped against La Salle.
• Heath had his 19-game hitting streak snapped at Purdue, which now stands fourth in school history. It is also tied for the 60th 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 streak. He improved his average by 71 points in that span.
• Sophomore Joey DeBernardis' on-base streak was snapped at 24 games at Purdue, but Heath's on-base streak reached 26 games before ending on Tuesday against La Salle.
• 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).
• DeBernardis (12), Steve Snyder (11) and Sean Deegan (10) have also recorded double-digit hitting streaks this season.
Junior Catcher |
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 .372 and Jacobs batting .293. The two have put up incredible numbers and are hitting a combined .346 with 20 home runs, 69 RBI, 24 doubles, 97 hits and 62 runs scored. They've recorded 45 extra-base hits.
• In addition, Heath and Jacobs have already posted career-highs in doubles with 15 and nine, respectively. In total, they own 31 percent of the team's two-baggers (24-of-77).
• They also need only three more hits for 100 on the season.
Ben Heath Named Johnny Bench Award Semifinalist
• Penn State junior Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) has been named one of 16 semifinalists for the 2010 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award delivered by Papa John's Pizza, as announced by the Wichita Sports Commission on Wednesday. The award is presented annually to the top Division I collegiate catcher. The semifinalists were chosen from an original watch list of 80 while three finalists will be announced on June 2.
• Heath is one of three Big Ten catchers named a semifinalist.
All-America & Dick Howser Trophy Candidate
• Heath's incredible season 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 comparison as of May 3).
• He is first in home runs (17), extra-base hits (31), total bases (129) and slugging percentage (.772), second in OPS (1.229) and runs scored (47) and fourth in RBI (53). He is also ranked in the top 10 in hits (62) and doubles (14) - among other categories.
• Heath also cracked the Rivals.com weekly college baseball power rankings. He is up to the third catcher in the nation among all 301 Division I teams, only trailing Miami's Yasmani Grandal and LSU's Micah Gibbs. He is one of two Big Ten catchers ranked along with Michigan's Chris Berset, who comes in ninth. Rivals.com, powered by Yahoo.com, unveils weekly positional power rankings throughout the entire college baseball season.
Tracking Heath: Season Updates
• Heath has already broken the school's single-season home run record, averaging a home run every 10.4 at-bats. He by far leads Penn State in almost every statistical category. His current OPS is an incredible 1.203 while his slugging percentage of .750 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 18 home runs, 15 doubles, 55 RBI and .750 slugging percentage. He also has a team-best .453 on-base percentage. Heath is hitting .372 in 48 games (all starts).
• Heath has a 1.330 OPS behind a .825 slugging percentage and .505 on-base percentage in 21 games against Big Ten opponents. He is at .413 with nine home runs and 24 RBI.
• Heath now has three home runs in two games against nationally-ranked Pittsburgh, who is 34-12 on the season, and six long balls in five games against BIG EAST teams.
• The highlight of last weekend was his record-breaking home run off Minnesota ace Seth Rosin on Friday.
• The previous week against Iowa, he hit his first triple since 2008, when he went 2-for-4 on Saturday.
• In four games the week prior (against La Salle and Michigan State), Heath batted .429 (6-for-14) with five walks, a hit-by-pitch, six RBI and nine runs scored to go with his two long balls (both on Sunday vs. the Spartans). It already marked his fourth two-homer game of the season (and fifth of his career). His OBP for the week was .600 along with an .857 slugging percentage good for a 1.457 OPS. As part of the Lions' weekend sweep of Michigan State, Heath reached base an incredible 75 percent of the time (12-of-16 plate appearances) against the Big Ten's top pitching staff entering the weekend - via six hits, five walks and the HBP.
• A week prior, the junior catcher had his second straight three-homer week, with all three long balls coming in the span of two days against Ohio State - both Penn State wins. He was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Apr. 26 for his efforts.
• Heath began the Purdue series by hitting a second-inning home run off one of the Big Ten's best pitchers (and New York Mets draftee) - Matt Bischoff - on Friday. He finished 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
• Before his monster game against Pittsburgh (4/13), Heath finished the 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 in a 12-6 win. • Heath has also been strong defensively, posting a .987 fielding percentage while throwing out 29 percent of potential base stealers (18-of-63).
The Series With Michigan
• Penn State leads the all-time series with the Wolverines, 42-34. Ironically, the Lions have fared better on the road (23-14) than at home (17-16).
• The Lions come in having won three of the previous four meetings, including two last season. Included was a 16-5 thumping in the series finale in Ann Arbor.
• The rivalry goes way back with the first-ever meeting in 1909. The teams didn't meet until 1975 and then again until Big Ten play in 1992.
• Overall, the Nittany Lions are 7-4 in their last 11 games against Michigan.
Sophomore First Baseman |
Scouting Michigan
• The Wolverines enter with an impressive 32-19 overall record, 12-9 in the Big Ten.
• They played an extremely difficult nonconference schedule, including the likes of nationally-ranked Louisville, North Carolina and Coastal Carolina. Despite not recording a win, Michigan was close in most of those games, including a 2-0 loss to No. 20 Louisville, 3-0 to No. 10 Coastal Carolina and 7-6 to No. 12 North Carolina.
• They also played a rare exhibition game against a major league club, falling to the New York Mets, 8-1 on Mar. 21. Michigan actually scored the game's first run before the Mets came back for the victory.
• The Wolverines hit .316 as a team, led by Chris Bersett, also a Johnny Bench Award semifinalist along with Ben Heath. He is at .374 with seven home runs and 46 RBI. Coley Crank (.333), Patrick Biondi (.332), Mike Dufek (.324) and Anthony Toth (.304) are other regulars over .300. Preseason All-American and projected first round MLB draft pick Ryan LaMarre was limited by injuries, but is back in full force, hitting .412 with five home runs and 31 RBI in limited action.
• Thursday's starter - Alan Oakes - leads the rotation with a 4-5 record and 3.81 ERA in 13 starts. Matt Miller (5.91 ERA, 2-2 record) and Bobby Brosnahan (5.22 ERA, 5-4 record) have started 10 and nine times, respectively. Matt Gerbe and Tyler Burgoon are the top pitchers in the pen. Burgoon is 6-4 along with nine of the team's 14 saves.
Snyder & Lutz Sweep Big Ten Baseball Awards Following Michigan State Sweep
• Following a sensational all-around weekend, two Penn State baseball players were recognized with Big Ten weekly awards.
• Freshman outfielder Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) was named Player of the Week after hitting .632 in four games while senior pitcher David Lutz (West Chester, Pa.) earned Pitcher of the Week accolades, going 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in 11.0 innings.
Snyder Included On College Baseball Foundation's National All-Star Lineup
• Just two days after garnering Big Ten Player of the Week laurels, freshman Steve Snyder was one of 16 players named to the weekly National All-Star Lineup, as announced by the College Baseball Foundation.
• The week 10 lineup includes some of the nation's top players from nationally ranked teams including Virginia, Louisville, Texas Christian, Oregon and more. Snyder batted .632 in four games last week, including a .667 clip in the Lions' series sweep of Michigan State.
Lutz Named CollegeBaseballInsider.com Central Pitcher Of Week
• Senior pitcher David Lutz was also named CollegeBaseballInsider.com's Central Pitcher of the Week.
• This came only hours after Steve Snyder was named to College Baseball Foundation's National All-Star Lineup.
Sweeping The Spartans Away
• Three weekends ago, Penn State won its second straight series against a team in the Big Ten lead (either solely or tied).
• The Lions swept an opponent (conference or nonconference) for the first time all season while sweeping Michigan State for only the second time in school history. Last time also came at home in a four-game set in 2001. Penn State had lost five straight against the Spartans.
• In total, the Lions ended up winning six straight Big Ten games, their longest conference winning streak since 2007.
• Outscoring Michigan State 49-13 behind 18-7, 22-5 and 9-1 wins, Penn State won five straight games by a combined score of 81-29, scoring an average of 16.2 runs/game.
• What makes it more impressive is who they've beaten. The Buckeyes came into the late-April series with the Big Ten's top ERA, as did the Spartans. That changed quickly.
• Lost on Saturday was Bobby Jacobs' performance, coming off the bench with a two-run double to give Penn State its first pinch-hit of the season.
• At one point, Michael Glantz reached base in seven straight plate appearances (a PSU season-high). He went 4-for-4 (to tie a career-high) on Friday while walking twice, then walked in his first at-bat on Saturday.
Historical Perspective
• The 49 runs were the most Penn State ever scored in a three-game series and only one shy of the school record. The Lions scored 50 in a four-game set against La Salle in 1997.
• Saturday's 22-run outburst was the most since Apr. 4, 2001 when they bested Cornell, 26-4. It also marked the program's first 20-run game since then.
• It was the first time the Lions scored 20 against a Big Ten squad since (ironically) beating Michigan State, 21-8 on Apr. 5, 1998. The 22 runs also stand as a Penn State record for a Big Ten game.
• At one point on Saturday, Penn State was leading 20-4 with the bases loaded in the sixth inning, looking to potentially break the school record for runs in a game (28). In the end, it fell six runs short of tying the mark, set in that 1997 series against La Salle when the Nittany Lions won, 28-1 on Mar. 22.
Batting Around
• Down 6-2 in the sixth inning on Friday, Glantz reached base in what began an incredible streak of batting around. Glantz went on to lead off all three innings in which the Lions batted around.
• Penn State went on to bat around in the sixth, seventh and eight, along with the first inning on Saturday to up its streak to four straight innings. The Lions batted around twice more on Saturday to make it six in the span of two games (16 innings), including six of nine frames at one point.
• The Lions scored four, four, eight, five, seven and five runs during those "batting-around" innings, making it a total of 38 runs in the span of 11 innings and 36 in nine (bridging the sixth inning Friday to the sixth inning Saturday). For comparison, the 36 runs over nine innings (one game) would have shattered the school record for runs in a game (28).
Lutz Not Out Of Place
• Senior pitcher David Lutz was in an unfamiliar role for two straight Sundays - his first-career starts.
• Against Michigan State, the spot starter went the distance, Penn State's second complete game this season (the other was Ryan Ignas vs. Hofstra) and first nine-inning complete game since teammate Mike Wanamaker on May 21, 2008 against Indiana.
• For Lutz, this came only two days after the durable lefty threw two innings on Friday.
• Overall, Lutz had a 0.82 ERA that week in 11.0 innings while he currently owns a miniscule 1.64 ERA over his last 33.0 innings of work to lower his team-best mark to 3.15.
• He also leads the team with 65.2 innings, this mainly out of the bullpen.
Wounded Warrior Benefit Game A Success!
• The May 1 game was developed to honor and empower wounded warriors. The WWP 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, Fla. For more, check out the official event web page at www.gopsusports.com/woundedwarrior.
• In total, an estimated $5,000+ was raised for the project behind one dollar per ticket sale, T-Shirt sales, online and silent auction and more.
Significance Of Ohio State Success
• In winning two-of-three at Ohio State, the Nittany Lions captured their first-ever road series win against the Buckeyes. They had split on a number of previous occasions.
• It also marked Ohio State's first Big Ten series loss all year.
• Both wins were eight-run victories to (at the time) mark season-highs for run differential in a game. The previous high was at Illinois when Penn State won by seven (16-9 final).
• The Lions scored 32 runs over the final two days, the first time they've scored that many over a two-game stretch since Mar. 29-30 of 2005 when they topped St. Bonaventure, 15-4 and Bucknell, 19-6.
• Scoring 10+ runs in back-to-back games marked the first time since last Apr. 5 and 8 when they plated 16 at Michigan and 12 vs. Bucknell.
Searer Continues To Shine
• Redshirt freshman Elliot Searer has taken advantage of increased playing time by hitting .344, fourth on the team.
• The highlight of his season came on Saturday at Ohio State when he tied a school record with five hits, becoming only the 13th player in school history with that many. The last (ironically) came three years ago to the day when Matt Cavagnaro had five on Apr. 24, 2007 against Duquesne.
• Searer had a standout game in the series finale 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. He also had a big two-run single in the seventh inning.
• He has at least one hit in 31 of 38 starts, including 15 multi-hit games.
• Searer owns the Lions' second-longest hit streak this season -17 - good for eighth in school history.
• 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.
• Searer has been an opportune base runner, swiping nine bags on the season (third on the team), including a career-high two in the series finale against Hofstra.
Wanamaker Impresses
• Redshirt senior pitcher Mike Wanamaker has impressed of late, including at Purdue (4/18) in (at the time) 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.
• The native of Upper Nyack, N.Y. bounced back from a tough outing at Ohio State by earning the win against Michigan State (5/1).
• He earned his second consecutive win by going eight innings, allowing only two runs in a dominating 10-strikeout performance against Iowa. It marked a season-high in innings pitched and career-high in punchouts.
• 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.
Lions Stage Impressive Comeback Win Over Nationally Ranked Pittsburgh On Apr. 13
• 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 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. Ben Heath once again spearheaded the Penn State offensive attack, going 3-for-5 with two home runs.
• Pittsburgh is now up to 36-14 on the season.
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.
• Through nine games, he owns a 7.71 ERA with nine strikeouts in 9.1 innings. Opponents are hitting only .250 against him.
• 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 at Purdue (4/18).
• Johnson came back in the finale at Ohio State to throw a career-high 2.1 innings as part of the 14-6 victory.
• Johnson is the third of three position players to pitch this season as Steve Snyder and Joey DeBernardis have also seen action on the mound.
Walking Off?
• With the walk-off win over Bucknell (4/6), Penn State has seen an incredible eight games this season end via a walk-off of some kind, five in the Nittany Lions' favor.
• Joey DeBernardis has two walk-off singles 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-offs.
• 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."
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.
Freshman Pitcher |
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 - owning a 5.75 ERA, second on the team among regulars.
• 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 picked up his first-career save, tossing 1.1 scoreless frames against No. 24 Pittsburgh (4/13), then at Ohio State (4/23), he dueled with one of the nation's best pitchers in Alex Wimmers, falling just short. In the end, he only allowed three runs in a career-high seven innings.
• After allowing three first-inning runs last Saturday at Minnesota, he bounced back to allow only one more in 5.2 innings of work in a gutsy performance to keep the Lions within striking distance.
Starting Quality
• Six Penn State pitchers - Ryan Ignas, Neal Herring, Steven Hill, Mike Wanamaker, Calvin Grumley and David Lutz - have combined to toss 15 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 was strong, allowing only two runs (one earned) in six innings vs. Mount St. Mary's (4/21).
• The most recent quality start came when Lutz made his first-career start and went the distance in Sunday's 9-1 win over Michigan State. Then Wanamaker went eight strong, allowing only two runs with eight K's vs. Iowa.
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.