April 28, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Over two weeks since the squad's last road trip, the Penn State baseball team will venture back out on the road for a crucial Big Ten series at Michigan State beginning on Friday at 3:05 p.m. at McLane Stadium.
Neck-and-neck at the top of the Big Ten standings, the Lions and Spartans come into the weekend with matching 7-5 records in conference action. Currently, the two teams are tied with Purdue for first-place, while six other squads sit just a game back in a tightly packed race for the playoffs.
The Nittany Lions (25-13) enter the weekend riding a three-game winning streak after taking the last two games from Ohio State last week before grabbing a midweek battle against Bucknell on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Michigan State (24-13) has stumbled a bit lately, dropping its last three contests. Earlier in the year, the Spartans got off to a phenomenal start in the Big Ten after they swept Michigan before taking all three from preseason favorite Minnesota as well.
Hoping to continue its recent success against Michigan State, PSU will look to pick up where it left off last year. During a three-game series in early May in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions swept the Spartans, highlighted by a 22-5 victory during the middle contest. Despite that performance, MSU still holds the lead in the all-time series with a 36-30 mark. The squad also leads in games played in East Lansing by a slim 15-13 margin.
Even those fans that cannot join the Nittany Lions on the road this weekend can still follow along with the action. Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network with Tom Hart and Danan Hughes calling the action. Folks can also check in with GameTracker, which will be active on GoPSUSports.com.
Radio broadcasts of all three games will also be available throughout the weekend. Fans can tune in to listen to the broadcast on PSU All-Access or ESPN Radio 1450.
Opposites on the field, Michigan State and Penn State will serve as an interesting match-up for each other during the series. MSU enters the weekend with the league's second-ranked offensive attack. Currently, the Spartans are hitting at a .313 clip, which is just one point below Purdue's league-leading average.
Although Penn State is almost equally adept at the plate, blasting a league-high 20 home runs this year, the squad has really been a dominant force on the mound. Entering the series, the Lions lead the conference with a 3.45 ERA and a .249 opponent batting average.
Durable starters Steven Hill and John Walter will look to continue their strong seasons as the sophomores will take the ball during the first two games of the series. Walter ranks second in the Big Ten with a 2.26 ERA, while Hill sits just behind him with a 2.56 mark. They also rank among the top-10 in opponent batting average, innings, strikeouts, and wins.
Armed with their own talented pitching staff, the Spartans will run out Kurt Wunderlich and Tony Bucciferro to battle the Lions' dynamic duo during the first two games. Currently, the pair rank second and third in the Big Ten in innings pitched, while Wunderlich is second with 50 strikeouts and seventh with a 3.00 ERA.
Going up against the weekend aces will be a slew of top-of-the-line hitters. The Big Ten's top four sluggers will all be on the field during the series. Michigan State's Jeff Holm leads the conference with a .618 slugging percentage, while teammate Torsten Boss ranks third. Fittingly, Penn State's Sean Deegan ranks second in that category, while Jordan Steranka sits fourth.
Additionally, the league's top three home run hitters will also suit up this weekend. Currently, Holm, Steranka, and Mario Eramo lead the conference with six home runs apiece. Deegan sits right behind them with five long balls.
In addition to the sluggers, several other dangerous hitters will be on the field. Michigan State's Brandon Eckerle leads the Big Ten with a .391 batting average, while Ryan Jones ranks fifth with a .451 on-base percentage. For Penn State, Joey DeBernardis will look to continue his tear as the first baseman leads the league and ranks third nationally with 20 doubles.
Next week, the Nittany Lions will continue their road swing as the squad heads to Iowa for a three-game series with the Hawkeyes beginning on Friday, May 6, at 7:05 p.m.
--PSU--