UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball program looks to extend its four-game winning streak as the team heads to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in a three-game set.
The Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes will begin their series tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Series Information
All-Time Series Record: PSU 39-36
Live Stats
Stream on BTN+ ($)
Probable Starters
Game 1
Penn State – RHP Bailey Dees
Iowa – LHP Trenton Wallace
Game 2
Penn State – RHP Conor Larkin
Iowa – RHP Duncan Davitt
Game 3
Penn State – RHP Kyle Virbitsky
Iowa – LHP Cam Baumann
Last Time vs. Iowa
The Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes last meet in the series finale of the 2018 season. The Hawkeyes won all three games in the series in Iowa City.
Diamond Lions on the Bump
Bailey Dees picked up his third win of the season in his last start against Michigan State. Dees went six innings, scattering five hits and allowed three runs. Dees has a 5.44 ERA in nine starts this season with 42 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched.
Conor Larkin was the beneficiary of the offensive explosion in his start last weekend. Larkin tossed six scoreless innings before allowing two runs in his final inning of work in the seventh inning. Larkin struck out six in the Nittany Lions 27-4 win.
The Nittany Lions have won Kyle Virbitsky's last two starts, including his six-inning performance against Michigan State. Virbitsky struck out seven and allowed three runs, only one earned. Virbitsky has struck out at least six hitters in his last seven starts.
Penn State Hitters
Gavin Homer leads the Nittany Lions with a .350 average this season with a team leading .458 OBP. Homer also leads the team with seven stolen bases. Homer's .458 OBP is sixth in the Big Ten, his .350 average is seventh and his 12 hit by pitches are fourth.
Homer has reached base safely in his last 20 games, the longest by any Nittany Lion this season.
Jay Harry was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week with his standout performance during the sweep of Michigan State. Harry batted .500 (5-10) with six runs scored, six RBI and belted the first home run of his Penn State career in the Nittany Lions' sweep over Michigan State last weekend.
Harry's breakout game in Saturday's 27-4 win was capped by 3-4 performance at the plate, scoring three runs and driving in six. Harry's six RBI's were the most by a Penn Stater since teammate Kris Kremer drove in six in Penn State's win over Duke on March 2, 2019.
Harry also had a perfect fielding percentage on the weekend at shortstop for the Nittany Lions.
Harry is the first Nittany Lion to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Week since Ryan Sloniger on April 25, 2016.
Johnny Piacentino and Curtis Robison are tied for fifth in the conference with 10 doubles. Piacentino had eight hits last weekend in the sweep of Michigan State.
Up Next
The Nittany Lions return to State College for the final home weekend of the season for a pod weekend against Minnesota and Rutgers.