UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State looks to return to the win column with a pair of midweek contests, traveling to West Virginia Tuesday for a 7 p.m. first pitch in Monongalia County Ballpark before returning to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch against Lafayette.
Live Video: Mountaineer TV (Tue.)/BTN Plus (Wed.)
Live Audio: GoPSUsports.com
Live Stats: GoPSUsports.com
TV: N/A
Radio: State College's ESPN Radio 1450
WVU Series History: Penn State, 71-42
Last Game: West Virginia, 3-2 (10), 2018
Streak: L2
Lafayette Series History: Penn State, 26-23-2
Last Game: Penn State, 8-1, 2018
Streak: W3
Tuesday Probables
WVU LHP Nick Snyder (5-1, 2.18 ERA)
PSU RHP Conor Larkin (2-2, 3.46 ERA)
Wednesday Probables
LAF TBD
PSU RHP Bailey Dees (2-1, 4.00 ERA)
Statistical Improvement
Through 35 games, Penn State is well ahead of last season's pace in many areas, most notably totaling a 17 wins as opposed to starting 2018 with just nine wins.
Penn State has four wins against RPI Top-100 teams this season after having none last year.
Penn State has been more competitive overall in close games, going 7-7 in one-run games after starting 2018 4-10 in one-run contests.
Penn State has maintained its late leads this season, going 10-3 when leading after the sixth inning and posting undefeated marks when leading after the seventh and eighth innings. At the same point last season, Penn State had dropped six games when leading after six innings.
Penn State has done a better job of rebounding so far this season, earning three wins when trailing after the sixth inning and two when trailing after the eighth inning. At the same point last season, Penn State did not have any wins when trailing after any inning.
Penn State's pitching has seen a dramatic improvement compared to a year ago, dropping its ERA from 6.04 in the first 35 games of 2018 to 3.91 this season. The unit has allowed 69-less hits, 88-less runs and 15-less walks. Strikeouts are up 74 from 285 at this point last year to 359 this year.
Pitching Prowess
Penn State ranks among the Big Ten leaders in pitching with a 3.91 ERA and 1.35 WHIP, which rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in the conference and just outside the Top 50 nationally.
Penn State is even better in conference play, posting a 3.09 team ERA in 14 conference games to rank fourth.
Overall, Penn State's 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth nationally.
Penn State's hits allowed per nine innings rate of 7.76 ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 30th nationally.
Penn State's strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.35 ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 60th nationally, while its 4.39 walks allowed per nine innings ranks sixth in the conference.
Penn State's three shutouts this season are its most since earning three shutouts in 2016.
Penn State is 16-7 when scoring three or more runs this season.
Bowersoxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Streaking
Senior Jordan Bowersox is on a career-best 16-game hitting streak and ranks sixth in the Big Ten with a .346 batting average.
Bowersox is on the longest hitting streak by a Nittany Lion since Greg Guers had a 16-game hitting streak in 2015, which is part of a six-way tie for the 11th-longest single-season streak in school history and the 14th longest overall.
Bowersox is batting .387 (24-for-62) with four doubles, a triple, nine runs and seven RBIs. He also has nine walks for a .458 on-base percentage.
The streak started Mar. 26 against Binghamton.
He has six multi-hit games during the streak, tallying two hits against Bucknell (4/2), Indiana (4/5), Nebraska (4/12) and Illinois (4/21), and three against Youngstown State (4/9) and Nebraska (4/13).
Close Ones
12 of Penn State's 13 conference losses have been by two runs or less, with seven of those one-run losses.
Penn State was swept in three one-run games at Illinois this past weekend.
Penn State is 7-7 in games decided by one run this season after going 5-13 in one-run games last season.
Sit Down
Penn State is averaging 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings to lead the Big Ten and rank sixth in the nation.
Penn State has struck out nine or more batters in 28 out of 35 games this season.
Penn State is on record pace for team strikeouts with 359 (434; 2017 - average of 7.89 strikeouts over 55 games).
Dante Biasi leads the Big Ten with 79 strikeouts and ranks second with 12.55 strikeouts per nine innings, which ranks 20th and 23rd, respectively, nationally.
Fellow weekend starters Eric Mock (6th; 10.64) and Bailey Dees (7th; 10.60) also rank among the Big Ten leaders in strikeouts per nine innings.
Biasi and Conor Larkin combined for 17 strikeouts against Minnesota (3/23), marking the most strikeouts in a game for Penn State since at least 2004.
Low ERAs
Both Mason Mellott and Dante Biasi currently boast season ERAs that rank among the top 10 all-time at Penn State for a minimum of 25 innings pitched.
Biasi's 1.93 ERA ranks seventh and Mellott's 2.02 ERA ranks ninth.
In the Big Ten, the figures rank first and fifth, respectively.
Mellott Leads the 'Pen
Sophomore Mason Mellott has emerged as Penn State's relief ace. He is 4-3 and has four saves, factoring in on eight of Penn State's 17 wins.
Mellott leads the bullpen with a 2.02 ERA that ranks fifth in the Big Ten.
Mellott is second on the team in innings pitched with 49.0 and leads the team with 15 appearances.
Mellott's four saves this season match his season total from 2018.
Mellott's four wins are the most by a PSU reliever since Nick Distasio and Dakota Forsyth both won four games each in 2017.
In part by virtue of Penn State surpassing last season's win total, Mellott's four wins are the most by a Penn State pitcher since Sal Biasi won five games in 2017.
Mellott's save at Indiana was the eighth of his career, moving him up to a three-way tie for seventh in program history. Next on the list is Jeff Emerlich with 9 (1993-96).
The Train is Chugging
LHP Dante Biasi leads the Big Ten and is 20th in the NCAA with 79 strikeouts, and his 12.55 strikeouts per nine innings also leads the Big Ten and ranks 23rd in the country.
Biasi has held opponents to one earned run or less in eight out of 10 starts this season.
Biasi's 5.24 hits allowed per nine innings leads the Big Ten and ranks 18th in the NCAA.
Biasi's WHIP of 1.04 ranks seventh in the Big Ten.
Biasi's 13 strikeouts against UMass Lowell (3/15) were the most strikeouts by a Penn State pitcher since Alan Stidfole stuck out 13 against Northwestern on April 10, 2005.
Biasi followed that performance with 12 strikeouts against Minnesota, becoming the first Penn State pitcher to strikeout 10 or more batters in back-to-back appearances since at least 2004.
Biasi's 25 strikeouts in consecutive appearances are the most by a Penn State pitcher since at least 2004.
