UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team returns to Cary, N.C. for a three-game series against UMass. All three games will be played at Coleman Field at the USA Baseball Complex. Friday's contest is set for a noon start. Saturday will be a 1 p.m. first pitch and Sunday's matchup will begin at 11 a.m.
The Nittany Lions, led by head coach Rob Cooper, look to bounce back after dropping an 11-4 decision at VMI on Tuesday. Josh Spiegel and Anthony Steele each hit their first homer of the season.
The 2022 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
FOLLOW ALONG
- Live Stream (USA Baseball, Free)
- Live Stats
- Game Notes: Penn State
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday (noon) – PSU: Travis Luensmann (0-2, 7.80 ERA) vs. UMass: Kevin Dow* (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Saturday (1 p.m.) – PSU: Tommy Molsky (0-2, 4.61 ERA) vs. UMass: Jack Steele* (0-1, 36.00 ERA)
Sunday (11 a.m.) – PSU: TBA vs. UMass: Zack Given* (0-1, 22.50 ERA)
* Projected based on UMass' starters last weekend vs. Georgetown
LEADING OFF
- Penn State takes on UMass in a three-game series to continue non-conference play.
- The Nittany Lions battle the Minutemen for the first time since 1991.
- The teams are meeting for the fourth time in the all-time series, with UMass leading 2-1.
- Penn State suffered an 11-4 setback against VMI on Tuesday.
- Josh Spiegel launched his first homer of the season as part of a two-hit day.
- Anthony Steele blasted his first career homer.
- On Wednesday, Kyle Hannon was named Big Ten Player of the Week for his performance at Virginia.
- 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. He had a hit in all six lefty-on-lefty matchups.
- The sophomore is hitting .714 (10-of-14) against left-handed pitching this season.
- Matt Wood is hitting .333 with team highs in homers (3) and RBI (9).
- Billy Gerlott is batting .308 with 12 hits and six RBI and has a seven-game hit streak.
- Cole Bartels is riding a 10-game hit steak and is hitting .302 on the season.
- On the mound, Penn State starters have combined for 50 strikeouts in 11 starts.
SCOUTING UMASS
- UMass is led by head coach Matt Reynolds, in his fifth season.
- Reynolds played for the Minutemen and graduated from UMass in 2005.
- In his fifth season as head coach, Reynolds has a 48-79-1 record.
- The Minutemen began their 2022 campaign last weekend against Georgetown, going 1-2 in the series.
- UMass met Northeastern in a mid-week contest on Tuesday, which ended in a 1-1 tie.
- Nolan Tichy is leading UMass with a .714 average (5-for-7) with a double and a homer.
- Steve Luttazi owns a .357 average with two homers and six RBI.
- On the mound, Tyler Dalton threw five innings in his season debut, giving up one unearned run on four hits and striking out five.
- Kevin Dow earned a win in his first start of 2022, throwing four shutout innings and striking out three.
AGAINST THE MINUTEMEN
- Penn State will meet UMass for the fourth time in the series and the first time since 1991.
- The Nittany Lions trail the all-time series, 2-1.
- The Nittany Lions fell 4-3 in the last matchup on May 10, 1991.
WOOD OFF TO STRONG START
- Junior Matt Wood returned to the squad after receiving Second Team All-Big Ten honors in 2021.
- Through 11 games, Wood is batting .333 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 TABBED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
- Sophomore Kyle Hannon had a strong weekend against Virginia (3/4-6), going seven-for-eight at the plate, to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
- 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 .378 with a team-high 14 hits. Five of Hannon's 14 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 10-for-14 for a .714 average.
- He's also batting .417 (5-for-12) 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.
BARTELS, GERLOTT BRING CONSISTENT APPROACH TO LEAD OUTFIELD
- Graduate student Cole Bartels and sophomore Billy Gerlott have been consistent presences in Penn State's lineup this season.
- Gerlott is batting .308 with 12 hits, including three doubles, and six RBI. He's tied for second on the team in RBI with Kyle Hannon and junior Tayven Kelley.
- Gerlott owns a seven-game hit streak, beginning against Maine (2/25).
- Gerlott is hitting a team-best .462 (6-of-13) with runners in scoring position.
- Bartels is batting .302 with 13 hits, including two doubles. He also has two steals.
- He is currently riding a 10-game hitting streak, beginning against LIU (2/19) and has reached base in all 11 games.
- Bartels was 5-of-12 at the plate against Virginia for a .417 average.
- Kelley is batting .313 (5-of-16) with runners in scoring position.
- He is tied for the team lead with two multi-RBI games.
- 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.
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 sixth with 70 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.
- 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.
UP NEXT
- Penn State begins an 11-game home stretch, hosting Niagara for a two-game series on March 15-16. Both games are scheduled to start at 5 p.m.