March 24, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Having spent the entire first month of the season traveling through five different states and a pair of time zones, the Penn State baseball team will finally kick off the home portion of its 2011 schedule when the Nittany Lions host Le Moyne on Friday at 3:30 p.m. for the beginning of a three-game series.
On the road for the first 18 games of the season, Penn State (12-6) looks to open its home slate with a bang when the squad battles Le Moyne (4-14) for the first time in program history. Over the last 10 years, the Nittany Lions are 7-3 in home openers but dropped last year's contest to Hofstra, 7-1, on March 26.
Making the weekend series even more exciting will be a wide array of promotional events. For the first two games, fans will receive scarves and hot coco to help battle the early spring weather. Hot dogs will also cost just $1 for the home opener on Friday, while Sunday will feature the 4 for $24 promotion, which allows fans to purchase four tickets, four hot dogs, and four sodas for just $24.
Even those fans that cannot make it out to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park can follow the action in a variety of ways. GameTracker will be provided through GoPSUSports.com, while a live audio stream can also be accessed through Penn State's website.
Spending a month on the road in the early part of the season, Penn State has certainly been battle tested in some of the nation's toughest environments. Although the squad has already tripled its amount of road wins from the 2010 campaign, the Lions are looking forward to spending the weekend in the cozy confines of Happy Valley.
With a nice head of steam after taking two of three from No. 26 Wichita State last weekend, PSU hopes to continue its early season roll against the Dolphins. Combining an outstanding rotation with a talented lineup, Penn State has found the perfect recipe for success in the early part of the 2011 season.
Entering the weekend, the Nittany Lion pitching staff leads the Big Ten with a stellar .240 batting-average-against and ranks second with a 3.06 ERA. Dave Walkling has anchored the staff, posting five wins, which is tied for the most in the country, while also ranking second in the Big Ten with 28 strikeouts and third with a 1.71 ERA.
Equally as strong in the early going, the Penn State lineup has had a nice run through the first five weeks of the season. Overall, the Nittany Lions stand third in the Big Ten with 100 runs scored, while they rank among the top-two with 38 doubles, eight triples, and 11 home runs.
The Lion lineup has been guided all year by junior centerfielder Sean Deegan, who leads the conference with a .653 slugging percentage and 49 total bases. Along with Deegan, Mario Eramo and Jordan Steranka are both tied for second in the league with three home runs, while Joey DeBernardis leads the way with 11 doubles. Bobby Jacobs also stands in the top-10 in on-base percentage with a .448 mark.
Having the unenviable task of trying to limit the Penn State attack will be a Le Moyne pitching staff that has faced a tough slate in the early going. Against highly regarded opponents, including No. 8 Texas A&M, the Dolphins have posted a 6.03 ERA while striking out 122 in 147.2 innings of work.
On an individual level, Matt Kuzma has been the ace of the staff, posting a 2.73 ERA to go along with 12 strikeouts and one complete game. Ed Kohout and Derek Zielinski have also pieced together strong efforts in the early going with the two combining for eight starts and 48 strikeouts in 49.1 innings of work.
Making waves at the plate and on the base paths, Brett Botsford has led the Le Moyne offense, notching a .282 batting average to go along with a team-high 10 runs and eight stolen bases. Pat Wiese also enters the weekend with a .289 average, while Brian Stinson, Ryan Mahoney, and Kody O'Connor have all clubbed a pair of home runs.
Exciting action lies ahead for Penn State as the squad hits the road for a brief trip to Kent State on Wednesday at 3 p.m. before returning to Happy Valley for the start of Big Ten action next weekend. The Nittany Lions will host Illinois for a three-game series beginning on April 1 at 6:35 p.m.
--PSU--