March 21, 2013
By Scott Traweek, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The road doesn't get any easier for Penn State baseball (5-11) as the team opens the 2013 Big Ten slate at No. 22 Indiana (15-3). The Nittany Lions are looking to upset the Hoosiers with small-ball on offense and a new and improved pitching staff.
When it comes to the Big Ten, results don't always match what's on paper. A team that's been struggling can rebound once conference play begins. Every game becomes a battle as players raise the level of competition in the quest for a title and a berth in the College World Series.
"There are always close games," said pitching coach Jason Bell in reference to the Big Ten. "The intensity's turned up a notch. The players realize that this is the first weekend, but it's as important as the last weekend of the conference [schedule]."
Last season, Penn State faced a prolonged away stretch early on and returned to Happy Valley with a 3-14 record. The Nittany Lions then proceeded to catch fire, finishing the year third in the Big Ten with an 18-4 home record and on a streak of six consecutive conference series wins.
Now, following another tough beginning to the season, the players are looking forward to a fresh start heading into conference play, along with the chance to make a statement against a nationally ranked opponent.
"We haven't had the start we wanted, but this is the Big Ten season," said senior third baseman Elliot Searer. "It's a clean slate. We want to attack the Big Ten and do something like we did last year."
Offensively, Penn State has scored first in 11 of its first 16 games, but the players have been struggling with their consistency. Part of the reason is because the Nittany Lions developed a new offensive style following the departure of power hitters Jordan Steranka, Joey DeBernardis, and Sean Deegan.
The players have been relying on speed and bat control to get runners on base, advance them and bring them home. Adjusting to the new offense has made finding a rhythm difficult, but after weeks of fine tuning, the players are beginning to feel confident in their improvements.
"I feel comfortable with our game," said junior centerfielder Steve Snyder. "We're going to bunt, we're going to steal, we're going to drive runners in and that's how we have to play."
The first conference series is crucial because it establishes a foundation and creates a positive mentality going forward.
"It's definitely important [to start Big Ten play well]," said Snyder. "It builds our confidence. You always want to start off on top of the standings instead of at the bottom."
Indiana won't make winning easy. The Hoosiers boast a team ERA of 2.11 and a team batting average of .314. Sophomore Kyle Schwarber and junior Dustin DeMuth lead the offense, batting .436 and .394 respectively. Indiana has also accumulated 13 home runs thus far, featuring five from Schwarber.
"They're a good team," said Searer. "They have a couple big hitters that could do some damage, they have good pitching and they aren't going to beat themselves, so we can't do that either."
Despite the hype, the Nittany Lions are focused on playing their style of baseball.
"We're not going to buy into the stats," said Snyder. "If we can play our game, then we can win."
Even with the talent on Indiana, almost every Big Ten matchup is a grind. The key to emerging victorious is playing sound baseball.
"You have to execute," said Bell. "If coach Wine puts a bunt on, we have to get the bunt down. If the other team puts a bunt down, we have to execute, throw a strike, and get an out. You can't give away free outs and you can't give away free runs."
The fact is it will be a challenging series for Penn State, but if the hitters find their rhythm and the pitchers keep the game close, then the Nittany Lions can compete with any team in the country.
"It's going to be a battle for us, but if we go in there and do what we are capable of doing, we're going to be in every game," said Bell. "We're going to have a chance to win, but it's going to come down to execution."
Penn State made an adjustment to the pitching staff heading into the series against the Hoosiers. The Nittany Lions will move senior pitcher Dave Walkling to the bullpen and start sophomore T.J. Jann on Friday. Senior Steven Hill will take the mound on Saturday and junior Greg Welsh, who posted four and one-third shutout innings against Temple after returning from a hand injury, will be the Sunday starter.
Game one of the three game series is slated for 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 22.
--NITTANY LIONS--