Feb. 15, 2011
PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Three members of the Penn State baseball team have been named to the Big Ten "Players to Watch" list as senior Heath Johnson and juniors Joe DeBernardis and Jordan Steranka each earned the honor heading into the 2011 season.
The three Lions join 27 other players from around the conference on the Preseason Watch List. The acclaimed group includes 12 members of last year's All-Big Ten teams as well as nine members of the league's 2010 All-Freshman squad.
Johnson looks to solidify the front-end of the Nittany Lion rotation after splitting time last season between the outfield and bullpen. During the 2010 campaign, he made 11 appearances on the mound, including one start. In his first season in Happy Valley, he tossed 14.2 innings and held opponents to a .275 batting average before being selected by the New York Yankees in the 45th round of the Major League Baseball draft.
On April 11, Johnson picked up his first career save against Northwestern after tossing a spotless frame in the team's 6-5 victory over the Wildcats. Later, he made his first start of the year on May 22 against Michigan. During the contest, he fired five strong innings, scattering five hits and three runs while striking out three.
Behind Johnson, DeBernardis and Steranka will man the corner infield positions and anchor the heart of the batting order. Together, the two junior standouts will look to build upon their already strong résumés.
DeBernardis returns as one of the top first basemen in the conference. A starter in all 52 games last season, he clubbed .354 with a team-high 75 hits while ranking second on the squad with a .476 slugging percentage. During the year, he also roped 19 extra-base hits, including 14 doubles, while scoring 41 times.
As a sophomore, he posted a career-high 12-game hitting streak from April 23 through May 15 after reaching base safely in 26 of the previous 27 games prior to that roll. An imposing presence at the plate, he notched eight three-hit performances during the year, including back-to-back efforts against Michigan State on April 30 and May 1.
Steranka has been equally adept at the plate over the last two seasons. Entering his third year with Penn State, he has posted a .327 batting average with 13 home runs and 86 RBI. A former third-team All-Big Ten selection as a freshman, he has solidified his spot as one of the league's finest third basemen.
During his second season as a Nittany Lion, he started all 52 games and set career-highs with seven home runs, 16 doubles, and 44 RBI. He also ranked second on the squad with 70 hits and finished fifth with a .297 batting average after leading the team in both of those categories during his freshman campaign.
DeBernardis, Johnson, and Steranka will lead Penn State into action this week as the Nittany Lions kick off the 2011 campaign on Friday at 10 a.m. against Seton Hall in the first game of the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge in St. Petersburg, Fla.