UNIVERSITY PARK Pa.— It's cold, too cold for late March in Happy Valley on a quiet Wednesday night. Maybe even too cold for baseball. The field, lit up by anxious anticipation as a scrappy St. Bonaventure's squad has fought their way to a 10th inning against the Nittany Lions.
There's two base runners on. Junior Matt Wood dances on second base, baiting the pitcher's attention while graduate senior Cole Bartels settles into a comfortable lead after his first hit of the night.
All the attention in the stadium turns to the pentagon sitting in the southeast end of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The speakers come alive with the foreign sound of Bill Withers. Yes, it's different from the rap, hip-hop and modern country mixtapes the other 10 batters have compiled before they take their cuts. Smooth and nonchalant, Withers belts, "Ain't no sunshine when she's gone."
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Jay Harry would be described as different from the 39 other players he calls his teammates. A quiet swagger full of confidence and unfazed by any situation presented before him. The sophomore is as comfortable in front of the television as he is at the plate.
Harry has become one of the Nittany Lions' hottest hitters as Penn State enters the middle grind of their 2022 baseball season. Batting a solid .293 through 99 at bats this season, while adding 13 RBI's and three home runs, Harry would probably shrug off his batting line and rather talk about the final score.
After a two-home run performance against Rutgers he said, "Probably my best game here at Penn State. Just happy to get the win."
Well-liked in the locker room, Harry's favorite word is simple. Simplifying his swings and at-bats is what has fueled his career here at Penn State.
"Just staying simple, not doing too much. Even though I had a couple home runs that one day, not trying to hit it as far as I can, just hit it hard around the field," Harry said.
An even, short stroke is all it takes for Harry to get on base. He doesn't wear batting gloves at the plate. No arm sleeve is present either. Not even an EvoShield, like most modern day infielders. He takes pitches and works the count like a coach's dream leadoff man. He's simple, but simple has proved to be successful.
"Right now, he is delivering in the spots that he's in," head coach Rob Cooper said.
While Harry is an offensive weapon hitting in the five hole, on the defensive end, Harry is no liability.
He's been anchored at shortstop for most of the season in the field, where he's amassed a .962 fielding percentage and has only committed four errors in the 26 games played this season.
It's Harry's character and IQ for baseball that is striking to anyone from any clubhouse. After beating St. Bonaventure, who was winless entering its matchup with Penn State, Harry wasn't shy to say it's business as usual regardless of the opponent's record.
"Baseball's a funny game. Anyone can really beat anyone at any point. We try to keep the same mindset and not do too much. Just figure it out before the game," Harry said.
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The sound of Withers' voice faded as Harry reached the plate. It was 2-2 in the bottom of the 10th inning. Penn State's freshman right-hander Chase Renner held the St. Bonaventure offense scoreless in the ninth and 10th innings, giving the Nittany Lions' offense a chance to walk it off.
Reaching into the dirt with both hands, grabbing a handful of the batter's box dirt, Harry gripped his bat. Then he stepped in the box, taping the plate and fixing his gaze on the pitcher.
Harry got the pitch he wanted, a curveball on an 0-1 count, and sent a solid line drive to right center field. Wood, who jumped into a sprint with the sound of a hard line drive, pumped his arms as he rounded third, bound for home.
The right fielder scooped up the ball and heaved a last ditch rocket to the plate, but it didn't matter, Wood had already crossed the plate, and crowned Harry the king of the night.
As his teammates flooded out of dugout to catch Harry in between first and second base to shower him with hugs, high fives and pats on the back, Harry as always, was just happy to get the win.
