April 21, 2016
| PENN STATE at RUTGERS | |
| Friday, Apr. 22 - 2:00 p.m. ET | |
| Saturday, Apr. 23 - 1:00 p.m. ET | |
| Sunday, Apr. 24 - 1:00 p.m. ET | |
Bainton Field | Piscataway, N.J.
| GAME DAY LINKS |
| Game 1: | Live Audio | BTN Plus |
| Game 2: | Live Audio | BTN Plus |
| Game 3: | Live Audio | BTN Plus |
| Baseball Blog | Baseball Videos |
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| Gameday Central |
| Game Notes: Penn State | Rutgers |
| Statistics: Penn State | Rutgers |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Winners of its last four conference games, Penn State will open a three-game Big Ten baseball series at Rutgers Friday at 2 p.m. The opening game was originally scheduled for 3 p.m., but was moved up due to the threat of inclement weather.
Essentials
Live Video: BTN Plus
Live Audio: GoPSUsports.com
Live Stats: GoPSUsports.com
TV: N/A
Radio: ESPN Radio 1450 AM (Brian Tripp/Ryan Stevens)
Series History: 40-27 (1939)
Last Series: 3-0(W, 8-1; W, 12-10; W, 8-5) 5/1-3/15)
Streak: W1
Friday Probables
PSU LHP Taylor Lehman (1-6, 4.58 ERA)
RU LHP Howie Brey (4-3, 2.98 ERA)
Saturday Probables
PSU RHP Sal Biasi (4-4. 3.64 ERA)
RU RHP John O'Reilly (0-3, 5.09 ERA)
Sunday Probables
PSU RHP Justin Hagenman (5-1, 2.48 ERA)
RU TBA
Guers Named NCBWA National Hitter of the Week
One of the hottest hitters in the country, Guers batted .765 for the week, making just four outs in four games going 13-for-17 with eight RBIs, a home run, two doubles and five stolen bases. He also added two walks for a .789 on-base percentage. Burger returned from injury to bat .467 (7-for-15) with a home run and five RBIs for the week in his first action since March 26.
Guers, Burger Draw Weekly Big Ten Baseball Accolades
Greg Guers and Willie Burger were both recognized for outstanding performances at the plate for Penn State, as Guers became the third different Nittany Lion to be named the Big Ten Baseball Player of the Week this season and Burger earned his second freshman accolade. The five weekly Big Ten accolades this season are the most for the Nittany Lions since they earned seven in 2007.
Guers Heating Up
Guers was batting just .189 through his first 24 games dating to the April 1 game against Purdue, but he has hit at a .482 clip over the last 13 to raise his season average 126 points to .315. He has posted hits in 12 of the last 13 games, including nine multi-hit games, and is on a seven-game hitting streak, of which the first six were multi-hit games. For his last seven, he is batting .600 with five extra base hits and 11 RBIs.
Diamond Lions Improving
At 23-15, Penn State owns its best record through 36 games since 2011. Penn State's 22 wins are its most since winning 29 in 2012. The most noticeable gain has been in pitching, as the Lions' 3.30 team ERA is almost two runs lower than last season's and ranks 29th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten entering the weekend. Penn State is also 6-3 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.
Anderson One Save Shy of Record
Senior closer Jack Anderson earned his Big Ten-leading ninth save of the season Tuesday against Bucknell, which was also his 21st career save. He needs just one more to tie Penn State's record of 22.
Return to the Road
Penn State is in the midst of a stretch in which seven of eight games are on the road.
Penn State has started the stretch 4-1 and is 7-9 in road games this season.
The sweep of Northwestern was Penn State's first since 2004.
Following this weekend's series at Rutgers, Penn State will open a seven-game homestand with Kent State.
Dealing on the Mound
Penn State enters the weekend with a 3.30 team ERA, which ranks 29th in the country and fifth in the Big Ten.
Justin Hagenman (2.48) leads the rotation and ranks ninth in the Big Ten in ERA.
Getting Offensive
Since getting one hit in the second game of its series at Illinois, Penn State is batting .310 as a team over the last 17 games to raise its season average to .270 and post a 14-3 record.
The Nittany Lions batted just .235 in the first 21 games of the season, going 9-12
In the month of April, Penn State is batting .324 with double digit hits in all but three of the 14 games played so far.
The Lions are batting .346 over their last seven games with double-digit hits in each.
Youthful Lineup
Penn State is not afraid to rely on its freshmen.
Penn State has used starting lineups featuring at least three freshmen in all but four games and has had no less than two freshmen starting each game.
The Lions have had five start on 10 occasions with a season-high of six at Lafayette (4/8).
Freshman RHP Justin Hagenman leads the team with a 5-1 record and has a rotation-leading 2.48 ERA, while freshman middle infielder Conlin Hughes has started and played in all but one game. Corner infielder Willie Burger is second on the team lead with 26 RBIs despite playing in just 21 of 38 games.
Penn State's three-man weekend rotation has consisted entirely of underclassmen. See Freshmen in the Lineup Page 7
Blue and White Submarine
Every appearance by Jack Anderson from here on out will be a new Penn State career record, as his 86th career trip to the mound at Lafayette (4/6) set a new standard.
He currently has 89 career appearances.
With a career-high nine saves this season, Jack Anderson now has 21 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 needs two more saves to equal the single-season record.
Keep Watching
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.
Anderson enters the week with a 0.72 ERA.
Until the finale against Michigan State (4/9), he had not allowed an earned run in his last 10 appearances.
His nine saves lead the Big Ten and rank tied for 12th in the nation.
Anderson ranks third in the Big Ten and ranks 42nd in the country with 20 appearances.
Anderson picked up his fourth win of the season by pitching the final three innings against Northwestern (4/15) to match a career-high.
He pitched a season-high 4 2/3 innings to earn the win in extra innings against Purdue (4/2, G2).
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.
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.
Haley had an 11-game hitting streak halted in the final game of the Purdue series (4/2).
He leads the team entering the weekend with a .356 batting average and 15 extra base hits. He ranks third on the squad with 24 RBIs and has two home runs.
At Northwestern (4/17), Haley matched his career high of four hits, going 4-for-6 with two doubles and three runs.
The game followed his first games of back-to-back no hits.
Against Michigan State (4/8), Haley posted his third three-hit game of the season. It was his second three-hit game in a week as he went 3-for-5 with a season-high three RBIs at Lafayette (4/6).
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.
More Than Batting Average
The Lions rank second in the Big Ten and 56th in the country with 165 walks.
At first glance it might be surprising that James Coates, is drawing regular starts with a .172 batting average, but the senior's patience at the plate has resulted in a team-best 30 walks as well as a .394 on-base percentage, which ranks third on the team.
The 30 walks rank fourth in the conference and 38th in the country.
He ranks fifth all-time at Penn State with 96 career walks, 30 shy of the record.
Sacrifice Flies
With 26 sacrifice flies on the season, Penn State leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth in the country.
Tyler Kendall ranks second in the Big Ten and fifth in the country with six.
Kendall needs two more sacrifice flies to tie the Penn State single-season record, and with 10 for his career, needs three more to tie the career record.
Greg Guers has 11 sacrifice flies at Penn State to rank two shy of the record.