March 25, 2015
By Matt Allibone, GoPSUSports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - On a pitching staff loaded with young arms, it hasn't taken long for reliever Sal Biasi to stand out for the Penn State baseball team.
The freshman reliever has appeared seven times in the Nittany Lion's first 18 games, putting up a 2.51 ERA and registering 15 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings so far in his first season of college ball.
On Sunday against No. 21 Indiana, the right-hander gave the best performance of his young career, striking out six batters and giving up just one hit while throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings in a 5-4 extra inning loss to the Hoosiers.
While Penn State came up short, Biasi's ability to throw multiple innings (he entered in the eighth and finished off the 11th) helped the Lions save their bullpen for the second game of a double header, a thrilling 13-7 victory.
"Our first game Sunday, because of how well [the staff] pitched, we were able to keep our bullpen intact," head coach Rob Cooper said. "I think [Sal] understands the college game a little bit and understanding he doesn't have to change. We recruited him for a reason. Understanding that he doesn't have to change how he goes about things it's just continuing to get better at it. He's not afraid to go after guys and compete."
The Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Biasi said that the biggest adjustment he had make when coming to college was learning how to pitch. A star pitcher and batter at Hazleton High School in Barre, Pennsylvania, Biasi got by mostly on talent until he started working with Penn State pitching coach Brian Anderson.
So far, Anderson has stressed to Biasi the importance of placement, as well as knowing what situations work best for specific pitches.
"Learning more about pitching and location and throwing different pitches," Biasi said. "How to get guys off balance and what they're looking for in counts and how to attack them."
Although he's always been familiar with Penn State having grown up less than two hours away, Biasi said what enticed him the most about the Nittany Lions was being able to play for Cooper and having the chance to make an impact right away.
A natural competitor, the freshman relishes getting the ball in big spots, and he's glad he's on a team not afraid to put him on the mound in those situations.
"I love being a competitor and going out and facing the best guys," Biasi said. "I wanted to have an opportunity to pitch right away, so I came here and got after it as much as I could."