| PENN STATE vs. PURDUE | |
| Friday, Apr. 1 - 6:30 p.m. ET | |
| Saturday, Apr. 2 - 12:00 p.m. ET (DH) | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
| Game 1: | Live Audio | BTN Plus |
| Game 2: | Live Audio |
| Game 3: | Live Audio |
| Baseball Blog | Baseball Videos |
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| Gameday Central |
| Game Notes: Penn State | Purdue |
| Statistics: Penn State | Purdue |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State baseball will host Purdue Friday at 6:30 p.m. to open a three-game Big Ten series, but due to Sunday's weather forecast, will now play a doubleheader starting at noon Saturday to conclude the series.
Essentials
Live Video: BTN Plus (Friday)
Live Audio: GoPSUsports.com
Live Stats: Gametracker (GoPSUsports.com)
TV: N/A
Radio: ESPN Radio 1450 AM (Brian Tripp/Ryan Stevens)
Series History: 44-29 (1994)
Last Series: L, 2-8; L, 3-7 (5/14-15/15)
Streak: L3
Friday Probables
PSU LHP Taylor Lehman (1-5, 5.03 ERA)
PUR RHP Mike Lutz (1-1, 4.64 ERA)
Saturday Probables
PSU RHP Sal Biasi (2-3, 4.76 ERA)
PUR RHP Shane Bryant (0-1, 6.50 ERA)
Saturday Game 2 Probables
PSU RHP Justin Hagenman (4-1, 1.34 ERA)
PUR TBA
Up to Bat
Winners of seven of their last nine games and the last three straight, Penn State will host a Big Ten opponent for the first time this season when it welcomes Purdue for a three-game series starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. The series will continue Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Diamond Lions Improving
At 12-12, Penn State is off to its best start through 24 games since 2011 when it opened the season at 16-8. The most noticeable gain has been in pitching, as the Lions' 3.26 team ERA is approximately 1.75 runs lower than last season's. Penn State is also 4-2 in one run games after going just 1-7 in games decided by one run last year, and already has more wins away from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park than it did all of last season.
Youthful Lineup
Penn State is not afraid to rely on its freshmen, as it has used starting lineups featuring at least three freshmen in all but three games, has had no less than two freshmen starting each game and has had as many as five start on six occasions. Freshman RHP Justin Hagenman leads the team with a 4-1 record and 1.34 ERA, while freshman middle infielder Conlin Hughes is just one of three student-athletes to start and play in every game so far this season. Corner infielder Willie Burger leads the team with 19 RBIs. Penn State's three-man weekend rotation has consisted entirely of underclassmen.
Nearing Records
Closer Jack Anderson is nearing both the Penn State career and single season save records, as well as the career appearance record. He needs two more saves to match the career record and three more to equal the single season mark. He needs also just two more appearances to equal the career appearance mark.
All-Time Series vs. Purdue
The Nittany Lions and Boilermakers have met 73 times on the diamond all-time, with Purdue holding a 44-29 advantage. Penn State and Purdue only got two official games in last season as the series and season finale for both teams was rained out four outs short of becoming an official game with Penn State leading 4-3. The Boilermakers won the first two games to build a three-game winning streak in the series. Purdue is visiting Medlar Field at Lubrano Park for the first time since 2013 and has won the last four.
Purdue at a Glance
The Boilermakers enter the series with a 4-17 record and 0-3 mark in the Big Ten. Nebraska swept Purdue in its Big Ten opener last weekend. Kyle Wood enters the weekend with an extra-base hit in each of the last nine games. He has also homered nine times in the last 14 games.
Dealing on the Mound
Penn State enters the week with a 3.26 team ERA, which ranks 35th in the country and fourth in the Big Ten.
Justin Hagenman (1.34) ranks third in the Big Ten in ERA. He ranks 38th in the country.
Anderson leads the Big Ten with 14 appearances and eight saves. His saves total ranks fourth nationally.
Haley's Comets
Jim Haley picked up where he left off to start the 2016 season.
After batting .436 with seven doubles and a triple over final nine games of the 2015 season, Haley opened the 2016 campaign with a 10-game hitting streak.
He leads the team with a .362 batting average, 10 extra base hits and two home runs.
Haley is currently on a nine-game hitting streak, on which he is batting .429 (15-for-35) with three triples, a double and six RBIs. His on-base percentage during the stretch is .512.
Haley has had a hit in all but two games this season: at Duke (3/9) and Niagara (3/18).
For the first time in his career, he has drawn starts at third base this season.
Haley hit his first career home run during the South Carolina series.
Triples
With nine triples on the season, Penn State leads the Big Ten.
Jim Haley leads the team with three to rank second in the league and 34th in the country.
Blue and White Submarine
Jack Anderson was one of 70 relievers named to the initial watch list for the 12th annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.
He is notable for his "submarine" style delivery.
With a career-high eight saves this season, Jack Anderson now has 20 for his career to rank second all-time at Penn State. Drew O'Neil (2007-08) is the Penn State record holder with 22 after posting a single-season record 11 in back-to-back seasons.
Anderson's eight saves so far this season rank third at Penn State. Anderson now has 83 career appearances, which ranks second and is two shy of the record of 85 set by David Lutz (2007-10). Anderson racked up three saves in Penn State's three wins during the past week.
Anderson posted a team-best 2.98 ERA in 2015 to rank ninth amongst all pitchers in the Big Ten. He also led the Nittany Lions with 29 appearances, tallying four wins and five saves, and he finished a third of the Lions' games. His most impressive stretch in 2015 came late in the season against Pitt, Rutgers and Michigan State when he made appearances in six consecutive games, throwing 14 innings with a 1.93 ERA, 1-1 record and three saves.
Anderson Again
Jack Anderson has appeared in 14 games entering the weekend, leading the conference and ranking 29th nationally.
Only four appearances have been for an inning or less.
Five of eight saves have required more tan an inning of work.
Anderson has earned saves in his last five appearances.