Oct. 20, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State baseball team will once again compete in the annual Big East / Big Ten Challenge which is slated for February 18-20 at various ballparks in the Clearwater and St. Petersburg area in Florida.
The event, which is in its third year, pits eight teams from both conferences against each other in a three-day, 24-game tournament to help kick off the college baseball season. The contests are hosted by several current and former Major League facilities, including Bright House Field and Dunedin Stadium, which serve as the spring training homes of the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays, respectively.
Penn State will open the event on Friday, February 18 at 10 a.m. when the squad battles Seton Hall at historic Al Lang Field. The following day, the Nittany Lions will square off with West Virginia at 1 p.m. at Jack Russell Stadium before wrapping up the event on Sunday at 10 a.m. with a game against Notre Dame at the Walter Fuller Baseball Complex.
"Hosting this event gives us a great opportunity to highlight the St. Pete/Clearwater area and why we are a leader in sports tourism," said Kevin Smith, Director of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission. "Kicking off the baseball season is what our area has done for decades, and we look forward to continuing that tradition with the BIG EAST and Big Ten Conferences."
Penn State has been a force in the annual event for the Big Ten. During both years, the Nittany Lions won two of their three contests. Last season, PSU upended Cincinnati and Seton Hall after downing Northwestern and Seton Hall in 2009.
The Big Ten won the inaugural event in 2009 with a 15-9 record, while the Big East came out on top last season after posting a 17-13 mark.
Ticket information for the 2011 Challenge will be released at a later date.