UPDATE (5/3, 12:45 p.m.): The scheduled first-pitch time for Penn State baseball's Saturday game against Rutgers at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park has been moved two hours earlier to noon.
The change was made to ensure as many of the team's graduates as possible could walk in their respective graduation ceremonies.
Penn State is scheduled to open the three-game series with Rutgers tonight (Friday) at 6:30 p.m. However, with inclement weather in the forecast, it is possible that the game could get postponed to a Saturday doubleheader starting at either 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. Check GoPSUsports.com and @PennStateBASE on Twitter for the latest updates. The series is scheduled to conclude starting at 1 p.m. Sunday.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State returns to the field after exams for a Graduation Weekend Big Ten baseball series against Rutgers at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The three-game series opens Friday at 6:30 p.m. and continues Saturday at noon. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Baseball Traffic/Parking
General fan parking for baseball for all three games this weekend is in the Porter North parking lot. Fans are advised to approach this lot from the north from Park Avenue or Fox Hollow Road and to be prepared for heavy traffic before and after the commencement ceremonies occurring in the Bryce Jordan Center and Pegula Ice Arena.
Promotions
Friday
- Dollar Dog Night
Saturday
- Star Wars Day
Sunday
- Cinco de Mayo
- Kids Day
- Post-Game Autographs with a special team poster
- Concession Promotion: Nachos
- Cub Club Day
Essentials
Live Video: BTN Plus
Live Audio: GoPSUsports.com
Live Stats: GoPSUsports.com
TV: N/A
Radio: State College's ESPN Radio 1450
Series History: Penn State, 42-31
Last Series: Rutgers, 2-1; 2018
Streak: W1
Friday Probables
RU LHP Harry Rutkowski (2-4, 3.48 ERA)
PSU LHP Dante Biasi (3-4, 2.01 ERA)
Saturday Probables
RU RHP Tommy Genuario (2-4, 2.66 ERA)
PSU RHP Eric Mock (2-3, 3.44 ERA)
Sunday Probables
RU LHP Tevin Murray (3-3, 2.98 ERA)
PSU RHP Bailey Dees (2-1, 3.99 ERA)
Congrats Grads
Penn State baseball has six graduating Saturday: Jordan Bowersox (criminology), Dylan Gargas (journalism), Blake Hodgens (kiniesiology), Conlin Hughes (economics), Shea Sbranti (communications arts and sciences) and Ryan Sloniger (broadcast journalism).
Statistical Improvement
Through 39 games, Penn State is well ahead of last season's pace in many areas, most notably totaling 19 wins as opposed to just 11 through the same point in 2018.
Penn State has five wins against RPI Top-100 teams this season after having none last year.
Penn State has been more competitive overall in close games, going 8-7 in one-run games after starting 2018 4-12 in one-run contests.
Penn State has maintained its late leads this season, going 12-3 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 seven 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 late.
Penn State's pitching has seen a dramatic improvement compared to a year ago, dropping its ERA from 5.69 in the first 39 games of 2018 to 3.84 this season. The unit has allowed 58-less hits, 67-less earned runs and 22-less walks. Strikeouts are up 76 from 315 at this point last year to 401 this year - just 33 shy of the team record.
Pitching Prowess
Penn State ranks among the Big Ten leaders in pitching with a 3.84 ERA and 1.35 WHIP, which rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in the conference, and 42nd and 56th, respectively, nationally.
Penn State is even better in conference play, posting a 3.25 team ERA in 17 conference games to rank fourth.
Overall, Penn State's 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth nationally.
Penn State's hits allowed per nine innings rate of 7.99 ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 36th nationally.
Penn State's strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.49 ranks second in the Big Ten and 37th nationally, while its 4.15 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 18-8 when scoring three or more runs this season.
Sit Down
Penn State is averaging 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings to lead the Big Ten and rank eighth in the nation.
Penn State has struck out nine or more batters in 31 out of 39 games this season.
Penn State is on record pace for team strikeouts with 401 (434; 2017 - average of 7.89 strikeouts per game).
Dante Biasi leads the Big Ten with 90 strikeouts and ranks second with 12.93 strikeouts per nine innings, which ranks 14th and 17th, respectively, nationally.
Fellow weekend starters Eric Mock (7th; 10.49) and Bailey Dees (10th; 10.27) 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.
All-Time vs. Rutgers
The Nittany Lions and Scarlet Knights have a unique history from the Atlantic 10 to the NCAA tournament. The series started in 1939 with a Penn State victory in Happy Valley, and the Lions returned the visit in 1940 and claimed another victory. The teams did not meet again until 1949, but played nearly annually from then on until 1991. Both teams were members together in the Atlantic 10 Conference from 1984 to 1991 until Penn State departed for the Big Ten in 1992. The two teams did not meet again until Rutgers hosted an NCAA Regional in 2000 in Yogi Berra Stadium in Upper Montclair, N.J. The Nittany Lions won the regional to advance to the Super Regional. Until Rutgers played at Penn State in 2015 in its first season in the Big Ten, neither team had visited the other's campus since Penn State visited Piscataway in 1987. Rutgers is playing at Penn State for the first time since 2015.
Scouting Rutgers
Rutgers is 18-24 overall and 7-8 in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights swept Michigan State and took two of three from Purdue, but managed just a win each at Ohio State and Iowa and were swept at Michigan last weekend. The Scarlet Knights have pitched well in Big Ten games, boasting a 3.29 ERA. They have been led by LHP Tevin Murray, who is 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA in five conference starts. Relievers Steven Acosta and Serafino Brito rank first (24) and second (23), respectively, in the Big Ten in appearances, with Brito ranking fourth with eight saves. Tim Dezzi (.310) and Mike Nyisztor (.295) lead the team in batting, while Carmen Sclafani has provided the power with five home runs and 27 RBIs.
The Train is Chugging
LHP Dante Biasi leads the Big Ten and is 14th in the NCAA with 90 strikeouts, and his 12.93 strikeouts per nine innings ranks second in the Big Ten and ranks 17th in the country.
Biasi has held opponents to one earned run or less in eight out of 11 starts this season.
Biasi's 5.60 hits allowed per nine innings leads the Big Ten and ranks 26th in the NCAA and his WHIP of 1.07 ranks eighth in the Big Ten.
Biasi has a 3-4 record but Penn State has averaged just 2.1 runs scored in his starts.
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.
Close Ones
13 of Penn State's 15 conference losses have been by two runs or less, with seven of those one-run losses.
Penn State is 8-7 in one-run games this season after going 5-13 in one-run games last season.
Low ERAs
Both Mason Mellott and Dante Biasi currently boast season ERAs that rank among top five in the Big Ten.
Biasi's 2.01 ERA ranks second, while Mellott's 2.30 ERA ranks fourth.
Biasi's 2.01 ERA ranks eighth all-time in school history.
See Record Watch on Page 7
Mellott Leads the 'Pen
Sophomore Mason Mellott has emerged as Penn State's relief ace. He is 5-3 and has five saves, factoring in on 10 of Penn State's 19 wins.
Mellott leads the bullpen with a 2.30 ERA that ranks fourth in the Big Ten.
Mellott is second on the team in innings pitched with 54.2 and leads the team with 17 appearances.
Mellott's five saves this season area career high after saving four games as a freshman.
Mellott's five wins are the most by a PSU reliever since Ryan Ignas won five games in 2009.
In part by virtue of Penn State surpassing last season's win total, Mellott's five wins are the most by a Penn State pitcher since Sal Biasi won five games in 2017.
Mellott's save against Lafayette was the ninth of his career, tying him with Jeff Emerlich (1993-96) for sixth all-time at Penn State. Next on the list is Ryan Ignas with 10 (2009-11).
Mock Dominant
RHP Eric Mock has allowed two earned runs or less in six out of nine starts this season.
Mock has struck out five or more batters in all nine starts this season
Bowersox Leading at the Dish
Senior Jordan Bowersox leads Penn State in batting (.331), runs (26), hits (49), multiple-hit games (13), on-base percentage (.405) and stolen bases (7).
Bowersox's .331 batting average ranks ninth in the Big Ten.
He had a career-best 16-game hitting streak halted with an 0-for-4 game against Lafayette (4/24).
Bowersox's streak ranks as 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 batted .387 (24-for-62) with four doubles, a triple, nine runs and seven RBIs. He also had nine walks for a .458 on-base percentage.
The streak started Mar. 26 against Binghamton.
He had 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).
Hughes Heats Up
Senior Conlin Hughes owns Penn State's longest active hitting streak at four games.
He has batted 5-for-12 (.417) with a double, RBI and run scored in those four games.
Sbranti Goes Deep
Senior Shea Sbranti has two Big Ten hits this season in limited action, and both have been homers.
Sbranti went deep with a pinch-hit solo shot at Illinois (4/21) and again with another solo homer against Maryland (4/27, G1).
Milestones
Sophomore Dante Biasi surpassed 100 career strikeouts with his 12-strikeout effort against Minnesota and is now nine strikeouts shy of 150 (141).
Redshirt junior Eric Mock is Penn State's career leader for strikeouts with 142, eight shy of 150. He surpassed 100 with a six-strikeout effort against No. 21 Duke on Mar. 3.
Senior Ryan Sloniger is one home run shy of 10 for his career.
Head coach Rob Cooper earned his 400th career win against Youngstown State (4/9).
Senior Jordan Bowersox tallied his team-best 150th career hit against Minnesota and played in his 150th game in the series finale at Indiana
Sloniger played in his 150th game in the first game of a doubleheader against Nebraska. Fellow senior Conlin Hughes leads the team with 181 games played.