Penn State Meets VMI For Mid-Week ContestPenn State Meets VMI For Mid-Week Contest

Jay Harry

Penn State Meets VMI For Mid-Week Contest

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team travels to Lexington, Va. for a mid-week contest against VMI. The game is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch at Gray-Minor Stadium.
 
The Nittany Lions, led by head coach Rob Cooper, look to bounce back after a tough weekend at Virginia, ranked No. 5 by Baseball America. Sophomore Kyle Hannon went seven-for-eight at the plate with three doubles.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Tuesday (3 p.m.)  – PSU: Mason Mellott (0-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. VMI: Caden Plummer (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
 
LEADING OFF

  • Penn State continues non-conference action with a mid-week contest against VMI on Tuesday.
  • The Nittany Lions will meet the Keydets for the first time since 1947.
  • Penn State holds a 3-2 lead in the all-time series.
  • Penn State looks to get back on track after a tough weekend at Virginia, ranked No. 5 in the Baseball America poll.
  • Kyle Hannon had a strong weekend at the plate, going seven-for-eight with three doubles.
  • Hannon reached base in 11-of-12 at-bats.
  • On the season, Hannon leads the Nittany Lions with a .382 average.
  • The lefty is batting .692 when facing lefty pitching, going 9-of-13 at the plate, including six-for-six against Virginia lefties.
  • Cole Bartels was 5-for-12 (.417) at the plate against Virginia and is batting .308 for the season.
  • Matt Wood is batting .371 this season with team highs in hits (13), homers (3), RBI (9) and runs (13).
  • On the mound, Penn State starters have combined for 44 strikeouts in nine starts.
  • Tyler Shingledecker has not allowed an earned run through four appearances (5.2 innings).

 
SCOUTING VMI

  • VMI is led by head coach Jonathan Hadra, in his eighth season.
  • Hadra was a four-year letterman and 2004 graduate of VMI.
  • The Keydets are 6-5 this season, including a win over Duke (10-5), a series sweep against Lafayette and two wins over Binghamton.
  • VMI averages 8.1 runs per game and holds a .317 batting average as a team.
  • Justin Starke leads the VMI offense with a .465 average to go with six doubles, seven homers and 18 RBI. He ranks fourth in the country in   homers and slugging percentage (1.093).
  • Zac Morris is batting .413 with eight extra-base hits and 10 RBI.
  • The Keydets have a 6.54 team ERA and allow a .304 opponent batting average.

 
AGAINST THE KEYDETS

  • Penn State will meet VMI for the sixth time in the series and the first time since 1947.
  • The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series, 3-2.
  • The Nittany Lions fell 6-2 in the last meeting in 1947.

 
WOOD OFF TO STRONG START

  • Junior Matt Wood returned to the squad after receiving Second Team All-Big Ten honors in 2021.
  • Through 10 games, Wood is batting .371 with three doubles, three homers, nine RBI and 13 runs.
  • Wood has four multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games this season.
  • Wood began the 2022 campaign going 6-for-14 (.429) at the plate with two doubles and three homers on opening weekend. He drove in seven RBI and scored eight runs.
  • Wood went 3-for-4 with four RBI and four runs while crushing two homers and a double in game one against LIU. He added a homer against Northeastern.
  • The junior was named Big Ten Player of the Week on March 2 after going 5-for-11 (.454) at the plate with two RBI and four runs against Maine.
  • In D1baseball's preseason rankings, Wood was tabbed as the top catcher in the Big Ten and the 16th-best catcher in the country.

 
HANNON'S IMPRESSIVE WEEKEND

  • Sophomore Kyle Hannon had a strong weekend against Virginia (3/4-6), going seven-for-eight at the plate.
  • Hannon notched three doubles and reached base in 11-of-12 plate appearances.
  • In lefty-vs.-lefty matchups, Hannon went six-for-six at the plate.
  • On the season, Hannon is batting a team-best .382 and is tied with Matt Wood with a team-best 13 hits. Five of Hannon's 13 hits have been doubles. He also has two steals.
  • Hannon owns four multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games in 2022.
  • A lefty hitter, Hannon has excelled against left-handed pitching this season, going 9-for-13 for a .692 average.
  • He's also batting .455 (5-for-11) with runners in scoring position.
  • Fellow infielder Jay Harry has 12 hits this season, including a homer.
  • Harry also has four multi-hit games this year.

 
PITCHING STAFF FEATURES BALANCED MIX OF VETERANS AND YOUTH

  • Penn State is 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 featured 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 68 appearances.
  • Mellott is on the NCWBA Stopper of the Year Watch List.
  • Sophomore Travis Luensmann has recorded 20 strikeouts in his first three starts. Luensmann joined the Nittany Lions after transferring from South Carolina.
  • Luensmann struck out eight in six innings against Maine (2/25).
  • The Altoona native ranked as the No. 2 pitcher in Pennsylvania in the 2020 class by Perfect Game.
  • Junior Kellan Tulio pitched the last two seasons at Louisville before transferring to Penn State.
  • Against Maine (2/26), Tulio threw six innings, allowing one run, and striking out five.
  • The junior has struck out 11 batters in three starts.
  • Tulio made eight career appearances for the Cardinals after being ranked as the top pitcher in Pennsylvania in the 2019 class.
  • Freshman Tommy Molsky made his Penn State debut on February 20 vs. Northeastern and threw six innings. Molsky has 13 strikeouts in three starts.
  • Senior Tyler Shingledecker has been a strong arm out of the bullpen, not allowing an earned run in four appearances (3.2 innings) and striking out five.
  • Sophomore Jaden Henline has struck out 12 batters in 9.2 relief innings.
  • Junior Jordan Morales joined the staff after transferring from LaSalle, where he made 21 appearances and seven starts. He threw 2.1 perfect innings vs. Maine with four strikeouts.

 
BARTELS BRINGS CONSISTENT APPROACH TO LEAD OUTFIELD

  • Graduate student Cole Bartels has been a consistent presence at the top of Penn State's lineup this season.
  • Bartels is batting .308 with 12 hits, including two doubles.
  • He is currently riding a nine-game hitting streak, beginning against LIU (2/25) and has reached base in all 10 games.
  • Bartels was 5-of-12 at the plate against Virginia for a .417 average.
  • Sophomore Billy Gerlott and junior Tayven Kelley are tied for second on the team with six RBI. Gerlott also has three doubles.
  • Kelley is tied for the team lead with two multi-RBI games.
  • Gerlott owns a six-game hitting streak, beginning against Maine (2/25).
  • Gerlott is hitting a team-best .462 (6-of-13) with runners in scoring position. Kelley is batting .357 (5-of-14) in the same situations.
  • Fellow outfielder, 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.
  • Piacentino was ranked among D1baseball's Top 150 outfielders in their preseason rankings.

 
UP NEXT

  • Penn State returns to Cary, N.C. to host UMass for a three-game series on March 11-13. Friday's game will start at 2 p.m, while Saturday is a 1 p.m. start. Sunday's finale is set for an 11 a.m. first pitch.