March 31, 2014
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; March 31, 2014 - The Nittany Lions host Youngstown State at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park for the first time in nearly six years for one game. Tuesday's game is slated to start at 6:30 p.m.
All-Time Series vs. Youngstown State: Penn State and Youngstown State will meet on the diamond for the eighth time on Tuesday evening. The Nittany Lions own a 5-2 advantage over the Penguins in the all-time series. Six of the seven games between the two sides were played in the late 80s and early 90s. Penn state won the most recent matchup in 2008 in a 13 inning marathon, coming away with a 5-4 victory. The Blue and White is 4-1 in games played in Happy Valley.
Youngstown State At a Glance: The Penguins arrive in Happy Valley with a 3-16 record. Youngstown State is currently on a two-game skid and has lost seven of its last eight contests. The Penguins most recent victory came on Wednedsay, March 26 in a lopsided 11-4 victory over Ohio. This past weekend YSU hosted Horizon League foe Wright State and lost Friday's game 4-2 and Saturday's game 5-1.
YSU at the Dish: Offensively the Penguins' Alex Larivee leads the team in batting average with a mark of .362. The freshman has 21 hits in 58 at bats, two going for extra bases. Josh White is the team's best run producer, thus far in 2014. The senior catcher is the only member of the squad to reach double figures in RBIs with 11 on the season. White is hitting .266 and carries a slugging percentage of .391.
YSU on the Mound: Youngstown State has struggled on the mound this season, as the staff has combined for a 7.38 ERA through 19 games. Relievers Robert Switka and Alex Frey have turned in the best seasons on the bump for the Penguins so far. Each has recorded at least 12.0 innings of work and has a sub-3.00 ERA.
Last Game vs. the Penguins: The Nittany Lions and Penguins last met on April 23, 2008 in a single midweek contest. Penn State pulled out a one-run victory by a final of 5-4 in a marathon game that went 13 innings. Both teams recorded just nine hits in the affair. PSU's leadoff hitter Wes Borden provided the walk-off hit, as he flied out to center for a sacrifice fly to score Jack Greenberg and deliver the Nittany Lions the victory.
Last Time Out: The Nittany Lions went 2-0 on the weekend against the Northwestern Wildcats to start the Big Ten season 2-0 for the first time since 2007. Penn State got a huge boost from its bullpen in the two games, as Dakota Forsyth, Ian Parvin and Jack Anderson combined to go 11 innings, allowing just six hits, two runs and four walks over the two games. At the plate, the Nittany Lions showed a lot of patience, drawing 19 walks between the two games. Steve Snyder kept up his great form at the dish, hitting. 500 and recording an on-base percentage of .750. J.J. White and Greg Guers did much of the damage on the scoreboard, as each drove in four runs on three hits apiece.
Home Sweet Home: Penn State is a perfect 6-0 in games played at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park this season, which ties the program's best start to its home schedule since the 1997 season. Over the six games, the Nittany Lions have outscored the opposition 43-17, for a margin of victory 4.3 runs per game. The pitching staff has stood out in the four games, posting a team ERA of 2.08 and holding opposing hitters to a .244 batting average.
Break out the Brooms: By winning both games in the shortened two-game series against Northwestern, the Nittany Lions recorded its second sweep of the season, with the first coming earlier in March, going 2-0 against NYIT. The sweep over the Wildcats marks the first in Big Ten play since Penn State went 3-0 against Illinois in May of 2012.
Walk This Way: Since Rob Cooper has taken over the Penn State baseball program the team's plate discipline has greatly improved. The Nittany Lions have drawn 114 walks through 25 games which leads the Big Ten in the category. Leading the way for Penn State is sophomore James Coates, who has reached base 20 times via the base on balls. The sophomore's 20 walks place Coates third in the Big Ten, just three behind Illinois' Michael Hurwitz for the lead. Other Nittany Lions ranking in the top 10 in the category are Taylor Skerpon (T-5th, 16) and Steve Snyder (T-7th, 15).
Snyder's Surge up the Rankings: Senior outfielder Steve Snyder is ranks in the top 10 in a number of individual categories in the Big Ten. The senior's .389 batting average ranks second in the conference. Snyder has recorded 35 hits, tied for third most in the Big Ten and is tied for seventh in walks with 15. The hits and free passes have led to an on-base percentage of .482, which places him second in the league.
PSU's 'Bull'ish Pen: Over the last eight games, the Nittany Lion relievers have been on the rise, posting a combined 2.12 ERA in 34.0 innings pitched over the span. Opposing hitters are batting below the Mendoza Line, with an average of just .190. Leading the way during the stretch are Ian Parvin and Dakota Forsyth, who have each recorded at least 11 innings of work. Both sport ERAs under 2.00 and have allowed just two runs each in the time frame.