Baseball Travels To Omaha For Midweek ContestBaseball Travels To Omaha For Midweek Contest
Caleb Craig

Kyle Hannon

Baseball Travels To Omaha For Midweek Contest

OMAHA, Neb. – The Penn State baseball team begins its road trip in the state of Nebraska with a non-conference contest against Omaha on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. ET at Tal Anderson Field. A live stream is available on OMavs.com.
 
Penn State, led by head coach Rob Cooper, is 24-18 overall and looks to bounce back after falling in three games against Rutgers last weekend.
 
Omaha is 18-22 overall after taking two of three games against Western Illinois.
 
For updates on the Penn State baseball team, please check @pennstatebase on Twitter and Instagram.
 
Single game tickets for the 2023 Penn State baseball season are available here.
 
The 2023 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
 
FOLLOW ALONG

 
LEADING OFF

  • Penn State is set for its first of four games in the state of Nebraska as it takes on Omaha on Wednesday.
  • The teams met in Happy Valley in 2022 with Penn State winning both games.
  • The Nittany Lions look to bounce back after falling in all three games at Rutgers.
  • In game three, Travis Luensmann went a career-best seven innings, in relief, allowing three runs and striking out five.
  • Penn State turned a triple play in game three, its first triple play since 2014.
  • Carson Ertter (Management Information Systems), Steven Miller (Architectural Engineering) and Blaise Sclafani (Communication Arts & Sciences) earned their degrees last weekend.
  • Penn State now has seven college graduates on the roster.
  • Tayven Kelley has five triples this season, one shy of the Penn State record held by Kevin Billotte (6).
  • Thomas Bramley owns 39 walks this season, tied for third in a season at Penn State and nine away from the program mark set by Eric Spadt (47) in 2000.

 
SCOUTING OMAHA

  • A former standout player at Omaha, Evan Porter is in his eighth season leading his alma mater.
  • Porter has led the Mavericks to 134 wins.
  • Omaha is 18-22 overall and 7-11 in Summit League play after winning two of three games against Western Illinois.
  • As a team, Omaha is batting .287 and averaging 5.9 runs per game.
  • Mike Boeve (.409) and Devin Hurdle (.405) are both among the nation's Top 25 in batting average.
  • Boeve sits 22nd in the country with a .515 on-base percentage and is the country's ninth-toughest batter to strike out, averaging 16.5 at-bats between strikeouts.
  • Boeve leads the team with 29 RBI to go with 11 doubles and three homers.
  • Omaha has a 6.60 staff ERA and is allowing a .277 opponent batting average.
  • Luke Gainer leads Omaha with 16 appearances.
  • Preston Tenney paces the Mavericks' staff with 54 strikeouts in 58.2 innings.

 
AGAINST THE MAVERICKS

  • Penn State and Omaha are set to meet for the fourth time in the series.
  • The Nittany Lions hold a 3-0 advantage in the series.
  • In game one, Penn State got 4.2 shutout frames from Jaden Henline in relief and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth.
  • In game two, Tyler Shingledecker and Jordan Morales each threw three shutout innings.

 
HARRY NAMED TO BROOKS WALLACE AWARD WATCH LIST

  • Junior shortstop Jay Harry was named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list on Tuesday, April 18.
  • The award honors the nation's top shortstop.
  • Harry has started all 42 games this season and is batting .304. He leads the team with 52 hits and 12 doubles, while collecting a triple, six homers, 33 RBI and 43 runs. He has also drawn 19 walks and stolen five bases.
  • The New Jersey native paces the squad with 16 multi-hit games this season, including five three-hit games, while recording 12 multi-run games and eight multi-RBI games.
  • He started the 2023 campaign with two hits, including a double, and three RBI in a win over No. 22 Miami. He also had three hits, including a double, at No. 14 North Carolina.
  • He launched two homers, including a walk-off two-run shot, against Brown on March 11 and added two hits and three RBI against Georgetown.
  • Harry tallied three hits, including a double, three runs and an RBI in a win over Pitt and launched a clutch solo homer against West Virginia before tallying three hits, three runs and a solo homer against Ohio State.
  • In his Penn State career, Harry has started 137 games, all as the primary shortstop.
  • He owns 161 career hits, including 32 doubles and 12 homers, 77 RBI and 105 runs.

 
HANNON EMERGES AS POWER, SPEED THREAT

  • Kyle Hannon leads the team in runs (47) and steals (25), while leading the team with seven homers. He recently snapped a 17-game hit streak.
  • Hannon is on pace to become Penn State's first player with 10+ homers and 10+ steals in a season since Sean Deegan (12 HR, 15 SB). His 25 steals are already second in a season at PSU. Hannon needs just two steals to tie the season record held by Michael Campo (27, 1999). Hannon has six games this season with multiple steals.
  • Hannon sits second in the Big Ten in steals per game (0.61), good for 23rd in the nation, and total steals (25), sitting 27th in the country.
  • Hannon is one of nine Division I players with 7+ homers and 25+ steals this season.

 
NITTANY LIONS CHASING RECORDS

  • In early May, several Nittany Lions are pursuing Penn State season records or a spot among a season Top 10.
  • As a team, Penn State is on pace to challenge the program's season triples record. Penn State has posted 15 triples, four away from the program record (19, 2022).
  • Kyle Hannon has 25 steals this season, good for second at PSU, and sits just two steals away from the PSU record held by Michael Campo (27, 2000). Hannon's 32 career steals are three shy of eighth all-time at Penn State.
  • Tayven Kelley has five triples this season, tied for second at PSU, just one shy of the PSU record set by Kevin Billotte (6, 1995). Kelley also has 11 career triples, tied fifth all-time at Penn State.
  • Thomas Bramley owns 39 walks this season, tied for third in a season at Penn State. He is seven walks shy of second place and eight walks away from the PSU season record.

 
TRANSFERS PROVIDE SPARK

  • The Nittany Lions welcomed four transfers to the program ahead of the 2023 season and all four have had strong starts to the year.
  • Joining Daniel Ouderkirk, a West Virginia transfer, are grad students Thomas Bramley (Mount St. Mary's) and Grant Norris (Duke) and freshman Bobby Marsh (Florida Atlantic).
  • Ouderkirk has tallied 57 strikeouts in 39.2 innings and has multiple strikeouts in 18 different innings this season.
  • Ouderkirk recorded at least 10 strikeouts in three straight starts: 11 vs. Northern Illinois, 11 vs. Dartmouth and 10 vs. Brown. He became the first Nittany Lion with three straight starts of 10+ strikeouts since at least 2004.
  • Fellow grad student Thomas Bramley has started all 42 games, splitting time between catcher, outfield and designated hitter. Bramley is batting .329 with 50 hits, including nine doubles, a triple and four homers, including a grand slam at Purdue, and has drawn a team-high 39 walks. In the third game against Purdue, snapped a 36-game reached base streak.
  • Bramley has 16 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games.
  • He ranks fourth in the Big Ten in walks (39) and ninth in on-base percentage (.469).
  • Norris has started 33 games at third base after transferring from Duke and is batting .287 with five homers and leads the team with 38 RBI.
  • Freshman Bobby Marsh, a Bellefonte native and transfer from Florida Atlantic, has played in 36 games (30 starts). He owns 11 doubles, five homers and 27 RBI.
  • Marsh launched a solo homer in game two at Purdue and drove in the go-ahead run with a two-run double against Youngstown State. He hit a solo homer at West Virginia.
  • In four games against YSU and Ohio State, recorded 11 RBI.
  • On the season, Marsh is batting .304 overall and .288 in Big Ten play.
  • Travis Luensmann, a 2022 transfer, is tied third in the Big Ten with seven wins and sits fifth in the league with a 3.77 ERA.

 
BALANCED BATS

  • The Nittany Lions currently rank 21st in triples per game (0.36) and 34th in total triples (15).
  • Johnny Piacentino leads the Nittany Lions with a .333 average to go with 41 hits, 22 RBI and 26 runs. He is riding a 15-game hit streak.
  • Thomas Bramley is batting .329 with 50 hits, 39 walks, good for fourth in the Big Ten in walks, and a .469 on-base percentage, sitting ninth in the conference, while Jay Harry leads the team with 52 hits to go with 43 runs and a .304 average. Grant Norris holds the team RBI lead (38) and owns 16 extra-base hits.
  • Bobby Marsh (.304) is also hitting above .300. Marsh has 16 extra-base hits and 27 RBI.
  • Tayven Kelley leads PSU with five triples this season and has 11 for his career, tied for fifth all-time at Penn State.
  • Kelley's five triples rank 14th in the country and second in the Big Ten.
  • Against Binghamton, Anthony Steele went two-for-four with a homer, four RBI and a stolen base before taking the mound and striking out two. He also had three strikeouts and an RBI single against Delaware State.

 
OPENING WIN OVER MIAMI

  • Penn State opened the 2023 season with a 9-5 win over Miami on February 17.
  • The Hurricanes were ranked 22nd in the D1Baseball Poll and No. 8 in the Baseball America rankings.
  • The Nittany Lions earned the program's first win over Miami and collected the program's first win over a ranked non-conference opponent since an 8-7 win over No. 21 Duke in 2019.
  • Travis Luensmann threw five innings in the win, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out four.
  • Penn State tallied 16 hits, including six Nittany Lions with multiple hits.
  • Billy Gerlott and Johnny Piacentino each had three hits, while Kyle Hannon and Tayven Kelley launched solo homers.

 
NITTANY LIONS RETURN EXPERIENCED PITCHING STAFF

  • The Nittany Lions welcome back an experienced pitching staff.
  • Penn State pitchers had a strong start to the 2023 season at No. 22 Miami.
  • The Nittany Lions' starting pitchers, Travis Luensmann, Daniel Ouderkirk and Tommy Molsky, combined to throw 13.1 innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs, while striking out 13 batters.
  • The three starters recorded a 2.70 ERA and held Miami hitters to a .170 batting average.
  • Penn State set a program record with 503 strikeouts in 2022 as six members of the staff recorded at least 40 strikeouts.
  • The Nittany Lions return 406 of their 503 strikeouts (81 percent) from last year.
  • Penn State is one of nine Power Five programs, and the only Big Ten school, returning 400+ strikeouts from last season.
  • Among Power Five schools returning 400+ strikeouts, only Wake Forest (92%) returns a higher percentage of strikeouts returning.
  • In 49 of 55 games last season, Penn State's starting pitcher was a Pennsylvania native.
  • Penn State's pitching staff takes a versatile approach with eight different pitchers recording both a start and a save in 2022.
  • Since 2016, eight Penn State pitchers have been selected in the MLB Draft, including Conor Larkin (9th round, Toronto Blue Jays), Kyle Virbitsky (17th round, Oakland A's) and Bailey Dees (18th round, New York Yankees) in 2021.

 
UP NEXT

  • The Nittany Lions continue on the road in the Big Ten with a three-game series at Nebraska on May 12-14. Friday's contest is set for 7:05 p.m. on B1G+. Saturday's game is at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network. Sunday's series finale starts at noon on ESPN2.