| PENN STATE AT SOUTH CAROLINA | |
| 7 | |
| Tuesday, Mar. 10 - 7 p.m. ET | |
| Wednesday, Mar. 11 - 7 p.m. ET | |
| Carolina Stadium | Columbia, S.C. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
TV: ESPN2 -->Game 1: | SEC Network+ | Live AudioGame 2: | SEC Network+ | Live AudioBaseball Blog | Baseball VideosFollow Us: @PennStateBASE | Facebook | InstagramGameday Central
Game Notes: Penn State | South CarolinaStatistics: Penn State | South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Fresh off its first win of the season, Penn State continues its spring break trip with its second stop, challenging perennial college baseball power South Carolina in a two-game series Tuesday and Wednesday. First pitch for both games is set for 7 p.m. on SEC Network+ .
Coverage: Live video will be available on SEC Network+ through WatchESPN.com. Gametracker (live stats) will be available on GoPSUsports.com.
All-Time Series vs. South Carolina: This is the first meeting between the two teams in nearly 103 years, as the teams split a two-game series back in 1912. The location of the games is unknown, but regardless, this is Penn State's first visit to Carolina Ballpark, which was constructed in 2009.
On Deck: Penn State will conclude its spring break trip at the Liberty Inviational in Lynchburg, Va., playing Western Carolina Friday before challenging host Liberty Saturday and Sunday.
Gamecocks at a Glance: South Carolina is ranked as high as seventh by the NCBWA, D1Baseball.com and USA Today Coaches' polls. The Gamecocks are 12-3 and winners of their last five games, with Elliot Caldwell leading the team with a .357 batting average, while Kyle Martin is batting .340 with two home runs and a team-best 15 RBIs, and Alex Destino is batting .327 with three home runs and 15 RBIs. USC was picked to finish third in the Eastern Division of the SEC, and is coming off its first NCAA Regional loss (Maryland) since 2009. The Gamecocks have reached the College World Series 11 times in its program history, winning it all in 2010 and 2011.
Last Time Out: Penn State claimed the finale of a three-game series at Charleston Southern for its first win of the season, 18-6. Led by a 4-for-5 day at the plate with two home runs and a team-record tying eight RBIs by Aaron Novak, Penn State broke a tie game open in the sixth inning. Despite a strong seven-inning start by RHP Nick Hedge Friday in the series opener, the Lions were unable to overcome CSU runs in the first two innings, as they were defeated, 2-0. PSU failed to score a run despite advancing a runner to third base with less than two outs four times, including loading the bases with no outs twice. The Nittany Lion offense got going Sunday with five runs, fighting back from early deficits to tie the game twice, but CSU scored two runs in the eighth to win 7-5.
Super Novak: On Sunday at Charleston Southern, Novak became the fourth Nittany Lion to tally eight RBIs in a game (first since 1984), as he tallied two home runs and doubled as part of a 4-for-5 day at the plate. The totals were career highs, and his eight RBIs matched a team record. It was also his first game of the season in the cleanup role. Novak had at least two hits in all three games this past weekend, going 8-for-12 (.667), and he also walked once and was hit by a pitch for a .714 weekend on-base percentage. Riding a seven-game hitting streak, Novak is currently batting .625 with a .690 on-base percentage this season, making him one of the hottest hitters in the nation. He is also slugging 1.083, and has a team-best three home runs and 10 RBIs.
Rookies on the Mound: Penn State has used eight first-year pitchers so far this season, and they have combined to account for 61.1 percent of innings pitched (44 2/3 IP). The Lion rotation includes two true freshmen: LHP Taylor Lehman and RHP Nick Distasio. Both are from head coach Rob Cooper's first recruiting class. Lehman was drafted in the 34th round of the MLB draft in June by the Florida Marlins, but did not sign. He stands at a towering 6-8. Distasio and Lehman are both Pennsylvania natives. The top two relievers in terms of innings pitched used by Cooper are freshmen Sal Biasi and Marko Boricich. Biasi has thrown 6.1 innings in three appearances with a 2.84 ERA. Boricich has 10 strikeouts in 9.0 innings pitched.
First Win: Freshman RHP Marko Boricich earned his first career win with 4 1/3 innings of relief Sunday at Charleston Southern. He entered in a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning when CSU had already tied the game at 5-5 with three runs earlier in the frame. His lone run allowed was a solo home run by Sly Edwards, and he yielded a total of three hits and two walks, while striking out four.
Put'em On the Board: The 18 runs scored Sunday at Charleston Southern were the most for the Lions since April 24, 2010 against Ohio State.
Never Say Die: Clutch hitting was key for Penn State 18-6 win over Charleston Southern, as 13 of its 18 runs scored came with two outs.
Stay Social My Friends: Penn State baseball has all your social media needs covered with a Twitter, Facebook and Instagram account. Follow these accounts for the most up-to-date information on the team and an inside look at the team you cannot find anywhere else, including pictures, videos, etc. Follow the team on Instagram and Twitter @PennStateBASE and on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstatebaseball.