Feb. 28, 2013
By Scott Traweek, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After a challenging start to the 2013 season, Penn State (1-5) heads to Texas for a Spring Break trip that features a marathon schedule of eight games in ten days.
The road trip will provide the Nittany Lions with an opportunity to recover following two early series defeats at East Tennessee State and Liberty where, despite the results, both coaches and players learned a lot about their team.
They discovered that no matter what the score or the result, these players will fight until the end and then work to learn from defeat.
"One of the biggest things we've learned about the team is that guys are going to continue to battle," said pitching coach Jason Bell. "Every out, every run you save, every at bat you don't give away is huge at the end of the game when you look back."
That sentiment is the same on the player's side.
"There's a lot of room for improvement," said senior pitcher Steven Hill. "We see it and that's what we're going to do focus on in practice and in games. We have to continue to improve."
Two key words to describe this Penn State squad are hardworking and dedicated. Every practice and every game offers the chance to grow and become better baseball players and this group will continue to raise the bar until the victories follow.
"This team really does work hard and it's a matter of time until results start paying off," said Bell. "The amount of work these guys have put in has been quite a lot."
As a four-year veteran, Hill has learned the importance of focusing on one game at a time and not letting a tough series affect the team's mentality going forward.
"If you let a series dwell on you, it can turn into a losing streak," said Hill. "You have to look at baseball one game at a time or you're going to let games that you should win get away."
The Nittany Lions will face five teams during the Spring Break road trip with a combined record of 16-11-1.
They will go up against talented hitting from Texas-San Antonio (6-3), which averages nearly nine runs per game with three players in their starting lineup batting over .400 and a team batting average of .356, at the UTSA Collegiate Baseball Classic. That field also includes games vs. Stephen F. Austin (2-4) and the University of Nebraska-Omaha (0-0).
They will battle lights out pitching in two games at the University of Houston (5-2), which features three starting pitchers who have allowed just one earned run over a combined 30 innings. They close out the spring trip with three games at Houston Baptist (3-4).
Regardless of the opponent, the coaches and players are looking forward to the challenges ahead and relish the opportunity to play baseball for a week straight without homework and classes. The experience the younger players will gain is crucial heading into conference play.
"It's going to be fun," said Bell. "We're going to play a lot of baseball. We have eight games in ten days and these guys are going to be put in a lot of situations repeatedly to grow and get experience."
It will be an important trip for Penn State as the players seek to improve upon their consistency and work their way into a rhythm, which will lead to positive results.
"That's why this trip for us is huge because it gives us a chance to get some consistency going and with consistency the execution will come as well," said Bell.
Prolonged away stretches come with a number of hardships and can be devastating to a team early in the season. Players have their routines disrupted on a daily basis, are constantly traveling, and face hostile crowds at each new venue. Nevertheless, the opportunity to experience the chaotic atmosphere inherent in playing on the road will prepare them for the Big Ten season, when winning matters most.
"I think what this trip's going to do is it's going to prepare [the players] for conference play," said Bell. "How they handle being at the University of Houston with their crowd or at Liberty with a large, loud crowd translates to later in the year when we're playing at places like Michigan or Ohio State."
Many players embrace the challenges and are looking forward to the adventure.
"It's fun going on the road," said Hill, "especially going to new places, seeing new ballparks and facing crowds. It's tough to overcome a hostile crowd because sometimes they get into your head, but the more you see the better you get as the year goes on."
Penn State begins the trip on Friday, March 1 against Stephen F. Austin in the 2013 UTSA Collegiate Baseball Classic. The game is slated for 3 p.m. Eastern time with senior Dave Walkling on the mound for the Nittany Lions.
--NITTANY LIONS--