OMAHA, Neb. – The Penn State baseball team earned an 8-4 win over top-seed Illinois on Wednesday in its Big Ten Tournament Opener at Charles Schwab Field. The Nittany Lions got five strong innings from Travis Luensmann and key hits from Adam Cecere, J.T. Marr and Bobby Marsh. Penn State improved to 27-23 overall, while Illinois dropped to 33-18.
The Nittany Lions will meet the winner of Iowa or Michigan on Thursday at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
Penn State improved to 5-2 all-time against No. 1 seeds in the Big Ten Tournament.
Travis Luensmann got the start for the Nittany Lions, firing five innings to pick up his seventh win of the year. He allowed one run on four hits. He struck out seven batters and walked two. Luensmann did not allow a run until the fifth inning. He recorded multiple strikeouts in the first and third innings.
Luensmann's second strikeout in the first was his 200th strikeout at Penn State. Luensmann also surpassed the 200 innings mark at Penn State, now sitting at 201.2 career innings.
Mason Horwat went three innings, giving up three runs on six hits. Anthony Steele closed the game with a scoreless ninth, including a strikeout.
Jack Crowder started on the mound for Illinois, going five innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits. Crowder recorded five strikeouts and three walks. Julius Sanchez gave up two runs on three hits over two innings. Jake Rons surrendered three runs on two hits and a walk over one-third of an inning. Ben Plumley got the final two outs of the eighth. Korey Bunselmeyer threw a scoreless frame and struck out one.
Penn State tallied eight runs on 14 hits. Adam Cecere launched a two-run homer and drove in three runs. J.T. Marr notched three hits and two RBI, collecting his 28th multi-hit game and 16th multi-RBI game of the season. Bobby Marsh had a two-run double among two hits. Joe Jaconski registered two hits, including a double, and scored three times.
With his 16th home run of the season, Cecere moved into a tie for third in a season at Penn State, matching Dan Beers in 1998. He is one homer behind Dave Simononis (17; 1978) for second and three behind Ben Heath (19; 2010) for the PSU record.
Illinois had four runs on 10 hits. Colton Quagliano led Illinois with three hits, including an RBI double. Brody Harding and Drake Westcott each had two hits.
The Nittany Lions got on the board in the top of the first. Jaconski worked a four-pitch, leadoff walk. Marr lined a single to left-center to put runners on the corners. After Marsh walked to load the bases, Grant Norris lifted a fly ball to right for a sac fly as Jaconski hustled home. Penn State led 1-0.
Penn State extended its lead in the top of the fourth. With one out, Tayven Kelley lined a single to center. Kevin Michaels was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. A double steal put Kelley on third and Michaels on second. Marr delivered a single to right to bring home Kelley and Michaels to push PSU's lead to 3-0.
Illinois chipped away in the fifth. Quagliano reached on an infield single to start the frame. Connor Milton was hit by a pitch. A balk moved the runners to second and third. Two batters later, Camden Janik lifted a sac fly to center to drive in Quagliano. Penn State still led, 3-1.
Penn State added on in the sixth. With one out, Jaconski lined a single to center. Two batters later, Cecere launched the first pitch he saw over the wall in center. The 419-foot blast gave PSU a 5-1 lead.
The Illini got one run in the bottom of the sixth. Ryan Moerman started the inning with a single to center. A groundout moved Moerman to second. A grounder on the right side by Brody Harding was mishandled, allowing Moerman to cross the plate. The Nittany Lions led 5-2 through six.
Illinois added a run in the seventh. Cal Hejza was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Janik bounced into a fielder's choice. A single by Westcott put runners on the corners. A weak chopper on the left side by Vytas Valincius resulted in a groundout as Janik scored. Penn State still led, 5-3.
Penn State tallied three runs in the eighth. Michaels led off the inning with a double to the left-center gap. Jaconski walked before Marr lined a single to center to load the bases. Cecere lifted a fly ball to left for a sac fly as pinch-runner Derek Cease scored from third. Marsh followed with a line drive down the line into the right field corner to bring home Jaconski and Marr. PSU extended its lead to 8-3.
Illinois plated a run in the bottom of the eighth. Jacob Schroeder started the frame with a single to right. Schroeder went to second on a groundout. A double by Quagliano drove in Schroeder. The Illini cut its deficit to 8-4.
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The 2024 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
J.T. Marr