March 19, 2018
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State concludes its first baseball homestand with a pair of midweek games, hosting familiar foes Bucknell and Pittsburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, in Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Both games are set to start at 6:30 p.m. and the Pitt game will be televised live on BTN.
Promotions
Tuesday vs. Bucknell
- 2 for 2-sday Tickets (BOGO)
Wednesday vs. Pitt
- Wing Wednesday
- Hot Chocolate for first 200 fans
Essentials
Live Video: GoPSUsports.com (Bucknell)
Live Audio: GoPSUsports.com
Live Stats: GoPSUsports.com
TV: BTN (Pitt)
Radio: State College's ESPN Radio 1450
Bucknell Series History: 129-28-1
Last Series: Penn State 2-0
Streak: W6
Pitt Series History: 87-44-1
Last Series: Pitt 2-0
Streak: L2
Tuesday Probables
PSU RHP Bailey Dees (0-0, 10.80 ERA)
BUCK RHP Tyler Wincig (0-1, 6.30 ERA)
Wednesday Probables
PSU TBA
PITT TBA
Tight Games
Eight of Penn State's first 13 games were decided by one run, with Penn State going 4-4 in those eight games.
Seven of Penn State's 55 games played last season were decided by one run, with Penn State going 4-3 in those games. Penn State went 7-5 in 12 one-run games in 2016.
Four of Penn State's six wins have been by one run, and all have been decided by two runs or less. RHPs Eric Mock and Mason Mellott have three saves each.
Eleven of Penn State's 15 games played this season have been decided by two runs or less. Penn State is 6-5 in those games.
Fresh Starts
Freshman Bailey Dees is slated to make his first collegiate start Tuesday against Bucknell.
Dees will become the third freshman to start on the mound for Penn State this season, joining Dante Biasi and Conor Larkin.
Increasing Power
Penn State has totaled 10 home runs this season, ranking fifth in the Big Ten with 0.67 per game.
Junior catcher Ryan Sloniger and redshirt sophomore infielder Connor Klemann lead the team with three home runs each. Sloniger had two home runs in his first two seasons and Klemann had not hit a home run prior to this season.
Slugging Sloniger
Catcher Ryan Sloniger has a hit in 14 of 15 games this season and is riding a five-game hitting streak.
Sloniger opened the season on a nine-game hitting streak. It was the longest hitting streak to start a season since Jim Haley tallied at least one hit in the first 10 games of 2016.
Sloniger's three home runs and 17 RBIs surpass his 2017 totals of one home run and seven RBIs. He had two career home runs and 24 RBIs in 78 games played over his first two seasons.
Sloniger's 1.13 RBIs per game rank fifth in the Big Ten.
Sloniger has started all 15 games behind the plate this season.
All-Time vs. Bucknell
Penn State holds the overall series lead with a record of 129-28-1 and an impressive record of 71-11-1 at home. The Nittany Lions have won 27 out of the last 28 meetings, with Bucknell last earning a victory in 2014. The Bison are Penn State's most frequent opponent with 158 all-time meetings. Between the 1952-1964 seasons Penn State did not drop a game to Bucknell, creating the longest win streak between the two teams of 22 games.
Scouting Bucknell
Bucknell, a member of the Patriot League is 4-14 this season. Probable pitching starter Tyler Wincig will likely pull double duty, as he is also Bucknell's leading hitter so far this season batting .383 and reaching base at a .508 clip. Bucknell features three of the Patriot League's top five hitters in Wincig, Luke Johnson (.357) and Evan Madigan (.357). The Bison opened the season with a challenging slate, facing No. 4 Arkansas and now-ranked Duke.
All-Time vs. Pittsburgh
Penn State and Pittsburgh are completing a home-and-home series for a fourth consecutive year. Penn State leads the all-time series against Pittsburgh 87-44-1, claiming 11 of the last 16 meetings. Penn State leads 29-17-1 when playing at Pitt and 36-15 when playing at home. The First match up dates back to 1912 with Penn State winning 11-3.
Scouting Pitt
Pittsburgh, a member of the ACC is off to an 11-7 start to the 2018 season. Liam Sabino ranks third in the ACC and 32nd in the country with six home runs this season, and his .354 average and 16 RBIs pace the team. Pitt has been strong defensively with a .975 fielding percentage to rank fourth in the ACC. The Panthers have already begun conference play, going 1-5 against Virginia Tech and North Carolina.
California Cool
Oakley, California, native Shea Sbranti proved that temperature is just a number in his Medlar Field at Lubrano Park debut.
Playing both ends of a doubleheader in the first home game for the junior transfer, Sbranti went 3-for-6 with a triple, a team-best three RBIs and two walks.
Pride of Punxsutawney
Childhood friends and teammates, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania natives Ryan Sloniger and Braxton Giavedoni are among the team leaders at the plate. Sloniger leads the team with 17 RBIs, while Giavedoni is batting a team-best .290.
The pair have been teammates for the majority of their careers from youth baseball to high school to Penn State, with both of their dads serving as Little League coaches.
Sloniger on Johnny Bench Watch List
Catcher Ryan Sloniger was named as a nominee for the Johnny Bench Award, presented by BaseballSavings.com, which goes to the top catcher in Division I baseball.
The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, whom will be announced May 16, 2018. Ballots will be sent to the national voting panel at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 4, 2018. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 21st Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 28, 2018.
While Bench is remembered for his offense, he may have had the greatest impact behind the plate. He was the first receiver to use a protective helmet in the field, popularized catching one-handed and kept his throwing hand behind his back to protect it from foul tips.
Debuts
With 14 newcomers on the team, many fresh faces have seen action for the Nittany Lions.
A total of 13 of the 14 newcomers have seen action with eight earning starts.
Junior college transfer Shea Sbranti (1B) and freshman Curtis Robison (DH) were Opening Day starters for Penn State.
Freshman Mac Hippenhammer debuted as a pinch runner on Opening Day (at Elon), and then was replaced in the field by classmate Tommy Gibson.
Freshman Derek Orndorff debuted as a pinch hitter in the Lions' second game of the season (at Elon). Freshman relief pitchers Conor Larkin and Mason Mellott also debuted, with Mellott debuting in the ninth and earning his first career save.
Orndorff (1B) and Gibson (SS) made their first career starts in the third game of the season (at Elon). Redshirt freshman Dante Biasi started on the mound in his first collegiate action, and he carried a no-hitter into the fifth.
Larkin made his first start in Penn State's fifth game of the season (vs. Monmouth).
Freshmen Kris Kremer and Parker Hendershot made their debuts off the bench in the sixth game of the season (vs. No. 23 St. John's). Hendershot went 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored. Pitchers Kyle Virbitsky and Bailey Dees debuted in relief.
Hippenhammer made his first career start (CF) in the eighth game of the year (at UCSB).
Hendershot made his first career start in the series finale at UCSB (Game 9). He went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
LHP Jeff Taylor made his collegiate debute in Game 10, the series opener at Grand Canyon. He was perfect in two innings, striking out two.