UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State baseball returns to the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, for a third-consecutive weekend, this time hosting Princeton in a four-game series opening Friday at 3 p.m.
The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon, which will involve two seven-inning games, and conclude with a single game Sunday starting at 11 a.m.
Penn State has claimed each series the previous two weekends in the Tar Heel State, winning three of four during the opening weekend and taking two of three from Wagner last weekend. RHP Kyle Virbitsky struck out six and didn't allow any earned runs in the first win over Wagner, and Curtis Robison then delivered a walk-off three-run home run in the 11th inning in the series finale.
The series will be Princeton's season opener.
Penn State is spending its first three weekends playing host at the USA Baseball complex, and is scheduled to play 14 games total. The Nittany Lions are then scheduled to play six more games over spring break before opening at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Wednesday, Mar. 18 at 4 p.m. against Binghamton. The Lions then open Big Ten play that weekend at Northwestern.
Essentials
Live Video: N/A
Live Audio: N/A
Live Stats: GoPSUsports.com
TV: N/A
Radio: N/A
Friday Probables
PRIN RHP Andrew Gnazzo (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
PSU RHP Bailey Dees (1-0, 1.54 ERA)
Saturday Probables (Game 1)
PRIN RHP James Proctor (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
PSU RHP Kyle Virbitsky (1-1, 4.00 ERA)
Saturday Probables (Game 2)
PRIN TBD
PSU LHP Hutch Gagnon (0-0, 2.70 ERA)
Sunday Probables
PRIN RHP Conor Nolan (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
PSU RHP Conor Larkin (1-0, 0.84 ERA)
All-Time vs. Princeton
- Penn State trails in the all-time series against Princeton, 18-11, and has lost seven straight games against Princeton dating back to 1928. Penn State and Princeton last played in 2016 at the University of Richmond, which was the first meeting between the teams since 1941. The Nittany Lions and Tigers previously played on a near annual basis from 1895-1941.
- Penn State's "Nittany Lions" name originates in part from a 1904 baseball game between Penn State and Princeton. According to Penn State University: "The Nittany Lion as Penn State's mascot originated with Harrison D. "Joe" Mason '07. At a baseball game against Princeton in 1904, Mason and other members of Penn State's team were shown a statue of Princeton's famous Bengal tiger as an indication of the merciless treatment they could expect to encounter on the field. Since Penn State lacked a mascot, Mason replied with an instant fabrication of the Nittany Lion, "fiercest beast of them all," who could overcome even the tiger. Penn State went on to defeat Princeton that day. Over the next few years, Mason's "Nittany Lion" won such widespread support among students, alumni, and fans that there was never any official vote on its adoption."
Winning Ways
- With five wins in the first seven games of the season, Penn State has now won at least five out of its first seven games in back-to-back years for the first time since 1979-80 when the season did not open until the last weekend of March.
- By going 3-1 in its opening weekend, Penn State secured its third-straight opening weekend with at least three wins.
Pitching Prowess
- Penn State enters the weekend ranking 14th in the NCAA with a 1.68 team ERA and 15th in the NCAA with a 4.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Both figures lead the Big Ten.
- LHP Tyler Shingledecker leads the NCAA with a 0.14 WHIP and is the team leader in ERA at 0.00, striking out eight with no walks and yielding just one hit in seven innings pitched.
Hit Parade
- Penn State's 18 hits against Monmouth were its most in a game since also totaling 18 against Rutgers on May 2, 2015.
Walk-Off
- Penn State closed its series with Wagner on a walk-off, three-run home run by Curtis Robison.
- It was Penn State's first walk-off win since defeating UMass Lowell on a Ryan Ford single on Mar. 17, 2019.
- It was Penn State's first walk-off home run since Gavin Homer slugged one over the fence at the USA Baseball NTC on Feb. 24, 2019 to down Fairfield.
- It was Penn State's first extra inning win since defeating Rutgers in the 11th inning on May 4, 2019.
Mellott on Stopper of the Year Watch List
- Junior RHP Mason Mellott was named to the initial watch list for the 16th Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award.
- The award is annually given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball. Mellott was one of six Big Ten pitchers and 70 overall to be placed on the preseason watch list.
- Mellott ranks tied for sixth on Penn State's career saves list (Jeff Emerlich, 1993-96) with nine after posting five last season. He was one of the most crucial members of the Nittany Lion pitching staff in 2019, totaling 63.0 innings in relief and posting a 2.43 ERA that led the team and ranked third in the Big Ten. Mellott also led the team with six wins, which were the most by a Penn State reliever since at least 2004. He also ranked among the top-10 in the conference with 2.00 walks allowed per nine innings (5th), a 3.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio (9th) and a 1.16 WHIP (10th).
At the Plate
- Penn State returns Big Ten All-Freshman third baseman Justin Williams. Last season, Williams made his presence in the lineup felt during his first career start at Pittsburgh in mid-March, going 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs. He finished the year tied for the team lead in home runs with four, and batted .262 with five doubles, a triple and 18 RBIs. Williams flashed his potential with a 445-foot home run against Lafayette in April and a 12-game reached-base streak from late April through early May. During the streak, Williams led the team with a .442 on-base percentage, .333 batting average, eight runs, 14 hits, two home runs, .548 slugging percentage, 23 total bases and nine walks.
- OF/IF Mac Hippenhammer boasts the top returning batting average. He batted .272 in 2019 with a .350 on-base percentage, four doubles, two triples and eight RBIs in 39 games (35 starts).
The 2020 Slate
- The 56-game schedule includes six opponents that participated in the 2019 NCAA Baseball tournament, including College World Series finalist Michigan. The Wolverines will visit Medlar Field at Lubrano Park Apr. 17-19, as will NCAA Regional teams Indiana (Apr. 3-5), West Virginia (Apr. 28) and Illinois (May 1-3). Penn State will also play at Nebraska (May 8-10) and Creighton (May 12).
- Power Five non-conference match-ups include a home-and-home series against Pittsburgh (Mar. 24 [H] & Apr. 7 [A]), a visit from West Virginia (Apr. 28) and a three-game series at Arizona (May 14-16)
- Penn State plays eight Big Ten series, opening its conference slate at Northwestern (Mar. 20-22) and its home conference slate the following weekend against Iowa (Mar. 27-29).
Next Up
Penn State will embark on its spring break trip visiting Navy and UMBC and then playing Fairleigh Dickinson at Navy Mar. 6-8. The trip concludes in Ohio at Miami Thursday-Saturday Mar. 12-14.
The complete 2020 baseball schedule is available at GoPSUsports.com. Ticket, promotional and broadcast information will be announced at a future date. The 2020 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Check back to GoPSUSports.com for continued updates on Penn State Baseball. Follow on Twitter at @PennStateBASE and Facebook at Penn State Baseball.