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Johnny Piacentino

Baseball Opens 2022 Season At USA Baseball Complex

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CARY, N.C. – The Penn State baseball team begins the 2022 season this weekend at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, N.C. The Nittany Lions take on Monmouth on Friday at noon, LIU in doubleheader on Saturday at noon and Northeastern on Sunday at 10 a.m.
 
All three of Penn State's games will be played at Coleman Field. Gates open at 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.
 
The Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Rob Cooper, won 18 games competing against a Big Ten-only schedule.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

 
PROBABLE STARTERS (2021 STATS)
Friday (noon) – PSU: Travis Luensmann (0-1, 15.43 ERA*) vs. Mon: Trey Dombroski (5-1, 2.73 ERA)
 
Saturday – Game 1 (noon): PSU: Kellan Tulio (0-0, 15.43 ERA^) vs. LIU: Jalen Wade (N/A)
Saturday – Game 2: PSU: Mason Mellott (2-1, 4.60 ERA) vs. LIU: Ryan Neuweiler (0-1, 3.72 ERA)
 
Sunday (10 a.m.) – PSU: Tommy Molsky (N/A) vs. NE: Wyatt Scotti (4-2, 2.82 ERA)
*At South Carolina, ^ At Louisville
 
LEADING OFF

  • Penn State begins the 2022 season in at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, N.C., taking on     Monmouth, LIU and Northeastern.
  • The Nittany Lions start their 134th season in program history.
  • Penn State has won four straight season openers.
  • Penn State will play its first game against a non-Big Ten opponent since March 12, 2020 against Miami Ohio.
  • The Nittany Lions welcome 16 newcomers to the program, including 12 freshmen and four transfers.
  • Penn State's projected rotation on opening weekend features three newcomers, including    transfers Travis Luensmann (South Carolina) and Kellan Tulio (Louisville) and freshman Tommy Molsky.
  • Penn State returns All-Big Ten second team catcher Matt Wood.
  • Wood was named as the top catcher in the Big Ten in D1baseball's preseason rankings.
  • Johnny Piacentino was tabbed among D1baseball's preseason Top 150 outfielders.
  • Mason Mellott returns to the pitching staff and ranks fourth all-time at PSU with 13 career saves.

 
SCOUTING MONMOUTH/LIU/NORTHEASTERN

  • Monmouth is led by head coach Dean Ehehalt in his 29th season.
  • The Hawks went 24-13 in 2021, including 22-10 in MAAC play.
  • Monmouth ranked fourth in the nation with a team 3.21 ERA last season.
  • LIU is led by head coach Dan Pirillo in his sixth season.
  • The Sharks were 20-15 in 2021, including an 18-11 mark in the NEC.
  • LIU was second in the country in stolen bases per game (2.71) last season.
  • Northeastern is led by Mike Glavine in his eighth season as head coach. Glavine is a three-time CAA Coach of the Year, including in 2021.
  • Glavine guided the Huskies to a 36-12 record, including 20-3 in the CAA, in 2021 and an NCAA Regionals appearance.
  • Northeastern ranked fifth in the country with a team 3.23 ERA in 2021.

 
AGAINST THE HAWKS/SHARKS/HUSKIES

  • Penn State will meet Monmouth for the ninth time in program history and holds a 5-3 lead. The teams last met on February 16, 2020 with Penn State winning 14-2.
  • The Nittany Lions face LIU for the fifth time between the schools. Penn State has a 4-0 advantage in the series, including a 20-4 victory in 2000.
  • Penn State and Northeastern meet for the first time in program history.

 
WOOD RETURNS TO LEAD CATCHERS

  • Junior Matt Wood returns to the squad after receiving Second Team All-Big Ten honors last season.
  • In D1baseball's preseason rankings, Wood was tabbed as the top catcher in the Big Ten and the 16th-best catcher in the country.
  • In 2021, Wood batted .295 with 15 extra-base hits and 21 RBI while collecting 11 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games. He also threw out six base stealers.
  • Wood's top performances in 2021 included a 3-hit, 3-RBI day, with a solo homer, against Purdue (4/10/21).
  • Fellow junior Josh Spiegel split time between catcher and designated hitter in 2021 and notched 15 extra-base hits and 22 RBI.
  • Spiegel opened the 2021 campaign going 8-for-15 with three homers and six RBI against Northwestern. He blasted two homers in the first game and a 2-run homer in game four.
  • He also had a walk-off RBI single against Maryland (3/21/21).
  • Redshirt sophomore Tyson Cooper made three starts in 2021.

 
HARRY LOOKS TO BUILD ON FRESHMAN SUCCESS, LEAD INFIELD

  • Shortstop Jay Harry posted 10 doubles, a homer and 18 RBI as a freshman, registering seven multi-hit games.
  • Harry went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer and six RBI in Penn State's 27-4 win over Michigan State (5/1/21).
  • Sophomore C.J. Pittaro transferred in from Vanderbilt, where he batted .333 and drove in three runs in five appearances.
  • Pittaro drove in two runs in his collegiate debut vs. Western Kentucky (2/24/21).
  • Fellow sophomore Kyle Hannon returns after starting in nine games last season.
  • Hannon went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in his PSU debut vs. Northwestern (3/7/21).

 
PITCHING STAFF FEATURES BALANCED MIX OF VETERANS AND YOUTH

  • Penn State will be challenged with replacing a 2021 rotation that featured three MLB draft selections in Conor Larkin (9th round, Toronto Blue Jays), Kyle Virbitsky (17th round, Oakland A's) and Bailey Dees (18th round, New York Yankees).
  • The Nittany Lions were one of only four Division I schools to have all three members of their starting rotation selected.
  • Penn State has eight pitchers who have been drafted since 2016.
  • The Nittany Lions' opening weekend rotation features three newcomers and graduate student Mason Mellott.
  • Mellott, graduating in August 2021 with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology, ranks fourth all-time at Penn State with 13 saves and seventh with 67 appearances.
  • Mellott is scheduled to make his first career start against LIU.
  • Sophomore Travis Luensmann is projected to pitch on Friday vs. Monmouth. Luensmann joined the Nittany Lions after transferring from South Carolina.
  • The Altoona native ranked as the No. 2 pitcher in Pennsylvania in the 2020 class by Perfect Game.
  • Junior Kellan Tulio is expected to start on Saturday vs. LIU. Tulio pitched the last two seasons at Louisville before transferring to Penn State.
  • Tulio made eight career appearances for the Cardinals after being ranked as the top pitcher in Pennsylvania in the 2019 class.
  • Freshman Tommy Molsky is expected to make his Penn State debut on Sunday vs. Northeastern after ranking as the No. 6 pitcher in PA in the 2021 class.
  • Senior Tyler Shingledecker made 16 appearances for Penn State last season, striking out 38 batters in 27 innings, while senior Steven Miller recorded a 3.29 ERA in 12 appearances.
  • Sophomore Jaden Henline had a 3.72 ERA in nine appearances (three starts) in 2021, while fellow sophomore Carson Kohls did not allow an earned run in four of five outings.
  • Junior Jordan Morales joins the staff after transferring from LaSalle, where he made 21 appearances and seven starts.
  • Hutch Gagnon (11 appearances), Ryan Partridge (five) and Blaise Sclafani (two) return to the staff after being contributors out of the bullpen.

 
PIACENTINO POWERS OUTFIELD

  • Junior Johnny Piacentino put up impressive power numbers in 2021 with a team-high 15 doubles and eight homers. He drove in 32 RBI and scored 30 runs, both team bests.
  • Piacentino ranked third in the Big Ten in doubles and was a major factor in Penn State leading the conference in doubles as a team with 93. PSU held 11th in the nation averaging 2.21 doubles per game.
  • The New Jersey native tied a Penn State single-game record with three homers against Northwestern (3/7/21).
  • He also matched a Penn State record with five hits against Michigan State (5/1/21) to go with five RBI and four runs.
  • Piacentino is ranked among D1baseball's Top 150 outfielders in their preseason rankings.
  • Graduate student Cole Bartels looks to build off a strong summer, when he was named Futures League MVP after batting .389 with six homers.
  • Bartels earned his bachelor's degree in advertising/public relations in May 2021.
  • He made 26 starts between first base and the outfield last season, collecting 24 hits.
  • Junior Tayven Kelley made 27 starts in the outfield in 2021, tallying 11 extra-base hits.
  • Sophomore Billy Gerlott also had a strong summer season, batting .325 with 10 homers in the Prospect League.

 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State returns to Cary, N.C. on February 25-27 to take on Maine in a four-game series. Friday's contest begins at 2 p.m., followed by a noon doubleheader on Saturday and a 10 a.m. first pitch on Sunday.