| PENN STATE vs. COLUMBIA | |
| Friday, Mar. 24 - 6:30 p.m. | |
| Saturday, Mar. 25 - 1:00 p.m. | |
| Sunday, Mar. 26 - Noon | |
Medlar Field at Lubrano Park | University Park, Pa.
| GAME DAY LINKS |
| Game 1: | Live Audio |
| Game 2: | Live Audio |
| Game 3: | Live Audio |
| Game 4: | Live Audio |
| Baseball Blog | Baseball Videos |
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| Gameday Central |
| Game Notes: Penn State | Columbia |
| Statistics: Penn State | Columbia |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.. - Penn State will look to keep its winning momentum at home opening a four-game series against Columbia Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The series will continue with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m. before the finale begins Sunday at noon.
Purchase Penn State baseball tickets by visiting GoPSUsports.com or calling the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park ticket office at 814-272-1711. For more information on Penn State baseball tickets please call 814-272-1711 or email Stephen Christ schrist@statecollegespikes.com.
Promotions
All weekend
United Way Book Drive - Any fan who donates a new or gently used book can receive free admission (1 ticket per book)
Saturday and Sunday
Post-game: All kids 12 and under can run the bases!
Essentials
Live Video: N/A
Live Audio: GoPSUSports.com
Live Stats: GoPSUsports.com
TV: N/A
Radio: State College's ESPN 1450 AM
Columbia Series History: 2-1
Last Game: 2010, Neutral, Penn State 6-5
Streak: W2
Friday Probables
PSU RHP Sal Biasi (2-2, 3.86 ERA)
COL RHP Ethan Abrams 0-2, 4.40 ERA)
Saturday Probables - Game 1
PSU RHP Justin Hagenman (1-3, 5.61 ERA)
COL LHP Josh Simpson (0-0, 3.07 ERA)
Saturday Probables - Game 2
PSU RHP Cole Bartels (0-1, 4.05 ERA)
COL RHP Zack Bahm (1-1, 6.23 ERA)
Sunday Probables
PSU TBA
COL RHP Ty Wiest (0-1, 3.38 ERA)
Home Sweet Home
The Nittany Lions are in their 11th season in Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, where they hold a 133-85 all-time record after opening the 2017 home slate with a win over Bucknell. Penn State won a facility record 10 consecutive games last season en route to totaling 15 wins, its most since 2008. The Lions enjoyed their seventh winning mark in the park and hosted two of the 11 largest crowds in program history.
Dense Schedule
Penn State is in the midst of a stretch of eight games in nine days by virtue of its doubleheader at Delaware Saturday and another doubleheader scheduled for Saturday against Columbia.
Youth Movement
The average Nittany Lion starter this season is a sophomore, as the average class year (Freshman = 1 ... Senior = 4) across all 10 positions through 18 games is 2.01. On the mound the Lions are averaging 2.17 years of experience as compared to 1.99 at the plate. For the 2016 season, the Lions averaged 2.25 years in the starting lineup with a youthful 1.96 on the mound and a deceptive 2.49 at the dish as the Lions started two to five freshmen per game.
The Nittany Lions have used underclassmen exclusively up the middle this season. Sophomores Ryan Sloniger and Willie Burger have platooned at catcher, with freshman Brett Davis also drawing two starts. Sophomore Conlin Hughes has started every game at second base, and freshmen Joe Weisenseel and Mason Nadeau have started the vast majority of games at shortstop and centerfield, respectively. Freshman Braxton Giavedoni has drawn 11 of 14 starts in left field.
Penn State only has three upperclassman position players on the roster, and senior Alex Malinsky has only played in two games this season due to injury.
Consistent Conlin
Sophomore second baseman Conlin Hughes has arguably been Penn State's most consistent position player.
He owns the team's longest hitting (10) and reached base streaks (14) of the season (not active), only failing to reach base in the season opener at No. 1 TCU (2/17) and in the second game at Delaware (3/18).
Hughes leads the team with 14 runs, eight extra base hits (5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR), a .500 slugging percentage and five stolen bases and ranks second batting .314 with a .385 on-base percentage. He also ranks third with seven RBIs.
Hughes led Penn State offensively against Bucknell (3/21), going 3-for-4, a home run shy of the cycle. Returning to the leadoff spot in the lineup for just the third time this season, Hughes accounted for half of the Lions' four runs and six hits, and scored the game-winning run after leading the 10th off with a single.
During a tough week at Delaware during which the Lions only had 10 hits over three games, Hughes had three of those hits and enjoyed a multi-hit game in the series opener, breaking up a no-hit bid by Delaware's starting pitcher in the seventh.
Hughes and sophomore outfielder Jordan Bowersox are the only two Nittany Lions to play in every game and start every game so far this season.
Bowersox Leading at the Dish
Jordan Bowersox is the team leader in average (.353), hits (24), doubles (6) and on-base percentage (.413).
He is also second on the team with nine RBIs, seven extra-base hits (6 2B, 1HR), a .485 slugging percentage and tied for second with four stolen bases.
Power Bump
Year-over-year, Penn State has doubled its home run total through 17 games, jumping from five to 10. Penn State hit 16 home runs in all of 2016.
The Lions have also slugged 13 more extra base hits, totaling 40 so far this season.
Penn State's 10 home runs in the first 14 games of the season was is its most since at least 2002.
New Power Sources
Seven different Nittany Lions, as many as last year, have combined for 10 home runs.
Four hit their first career home runs, including three sophomores - Conlin Hughes, Jordan Bowersox and Keith Leavitt - and one freshman - Braxton Giavedoni.
Christian Helsel hit a grand slam against Pacific (3/5) after going homer-less in 2016. He hit one home run in 2015.
Willie Burger hit just one home run as a freshman, but hit two in the third game of the season at No. 1 TCU (2/19) and added another at Sacramento State (3/11).
Nick Riotto has one home run after hitting two last season. He is the only Nittany Lion returning with multiple home runs hit the season prior.
Burger is the team power leader with a career-high three home runs and 15 RBIs. He is also batting .271 and getting on base at a .317 clip.
Strikeout King
RHP Sal Biasi leads the Big Ten and ranks 14th in the nation with 13.50 strikeouts per nine innings.
He has struck out a total of 20 batters in his last two appearances (11.1 IP), setting career highs in back-to-back outings of nine (at Sac State, 3/9) and 11 (at Delaware, 3/18) strikeouts.
He ranks second in the Big Ten and 74th in the NCAA with 35 strikeouts.
Bart Likes to Start
Freshman RHP Cole Bartels has found success in his first two starts, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts over eight innings pitched for a 1.12 ERA.
In four appearances out of the bullpen, Bartels had a 8.44 ERA after yielding five runs on six hits and 10 walks with four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.
Debuts
A total of 11 Nittany Lions have made their debuts this season.
Five position players have also made their first career starts, while redshirt freshman RHP Eric Mock will became the third pitcher to make his first career start this season against Bucknell (3/21).
The Lions have won all three games started by freshman pitchers in their debuts.
Freshmen Mason Nadeau and Joe Weisenseel started the first 14 and 16 games, respectively, this season.
Nadeau's first career hit was a double against Xavier (2/24), and he went 6-for-13 for the series.
Weisenseel singled at No. 1 TCU in his second game.
Freshman Braxton Giavedoni made his debut in the second game of the season at No. 1 TCU (2/18) and doubled for his first career hit when he drew his first start in the series finale. After entering the next game as a pinch runner, he started the next 13 games.
RHP Myles Gayman pitched the final inning of the TCU series (2/19) and made his first career start against Xavier, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Redshirt freshmen LHP Blake Hodgens RHP Eric Mock both made their first appearances at No. 1 TCU.
Freshman Logan Goodnight made his debut starting at No. 1 TCU (2/18) and tallied his first career hit - a double - against Xavier (2/25).
Freshman RHP Cole Bartels made his debut pitching two innings at No. 1 TCU (2/19) and made his first start Sacramento State (3/11), allowing an unearned run in 3 2/3 innings.
Freshman catcher Brett Davis entered in the second and third games at No. 1 TCU. He made his first career start and recorded his first career hit at Pacific (3/6)/
Junior transfer LHP Colin Macon and freshman RHP Tucker Triebold both made their debuts on the mound against Xavier (2/25).
Bonus Baseball
Penn State's first foray into extra innings in 2017 was a successful one, as the Nittany Lions defeated Bucknell (3/21) in the bottom of the 10th.
Penn State has now won its last three extra inning games.