Happy Valley Hardball with a sabermetrics twist

Nittany Lions wrap up and down campaign with hard-fought defeat. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Despite holding a 4-3 lead after six full innings, the Michigan bats exploded for four runs in the seventh to down the Penn State baseball team, 7-4 on Saturday’s Senior Day at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Freshman Steve Snyder (West [...]

By Ryan Loy Collegian Staff Writer Faced with a scenario every baseball player dreams about, Jordan Steranka came through for the Penn State baseball team to cap a 6-5 comeback win over Michigan Friday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Nittany Lions (22-29, 9-14 Big Ten) trailed 5-1 entering the bottom of the [...]

Jordan Sterenka comes up with a two out full count bases loaded game winning single. As good as the moment was, the play at the plate was a lot closer than it ever should have been. Robbie Wine inserted pitcher Jesse Alfreno as a pinch runner for Sean Deagan after Deagon had smashed a ground [...]

Despite the thrilling comeback, Penn State was eliminated from postseason contention due to scores in other Big Ten games. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Trailing by four runs heading into the bottom of the ninth and down to the game’s final strike, sophomore Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.) capped a furious five-run Penn State rally with a [...]

Down 5-1 in the ninth, they come back to score five to top Michigan. Jordan Steranka lines a two out bases loaded single up the middle to score two for the win. Despite getting a poor jump on the 3-2 pitch, pinch runner Jesse Alfreno scores the winning run on a close play at the [...]

Johnny Bench Award Semifinalist Ben Heath blasts his 19th home run of the season in the loss. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team sent the go-ahead run to the plate in the eighth and ninth innings, but fell short in a 6-3 setback to Michigan on Thursday night in the opening game [...]

Penn State still in the hunt for a Big Ten Tournament berth with one series remaining. MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Despite taking its first lead of the series, Minnesota answered with eight unanswered runs on its way to a 8-1 win over the Penn State baseball team on Sunday afternoon at the Metrodome. The Nittany Lions [...]

Penn State stands two games out of a Big Ten Tournament berth with four games remaining. MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Penn State baseball team fell victim to a dominant pitching performance by Minnesota’s TJ Oakes, mustering only four hits in a 5-1 loss on Saturday afternoon at the Metrodome. Senior Louie Picconi (North Merrick, N.Y.) [...]

The junior catcher is up to 140 total bases on the season, within 23 of tying Michael Campo’s school record. MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Despite junior Ben Heath’s (Huntersville, N.C.) school record-breaking 18th home run of the season, the Penn State baseball team couldn’t handle Minnesota’s bats as the Gophers (23-27, 11-8 Big Ten) scored five [...]

Steranka blasts seventh homer of the season while Glantz hits his first of 2010. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Despite a game-tying two-run home run from sophomore Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.) in the bottom of the fifth inning, Iowa’s red-hot bats rattled off 10 runs over the sixth, seventh and eighth en route to a 13-9 [...]

By Ryan Loy Collegian Staff Writer A ninth inning rally fell short as the Penn State baseball team (21-25, 8-10 Big Ten) dropped its second straight game to Iowa, 13-9. The Nittany Lions scored six runs in the final two innings, including four in the ninth, but couldn’t overcome the large deficit. Iowa (21-25, 8-10) [...]

By Ryan Loy Collegian Staff Writer Iowa pitcher Nick Brown quieted the Penn State baseball team’s bats Saturday as the Hawkeyes rolled to a 9-3 victory. The Nittany Lions (21-24, 8-9 Big Ten) scored first when Ben Heath had a run-scoring single in the first inning. Brown did not allow another Penn State run until [...]

Hawkeyes use strong pitching from Nick Brown to snap Penn State’s six-game Big Ten winning streak. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – After shutting out Iowa for the first three innings, the Hawkeyes came alive with five runs in the middle frames on their way to downing the Penn State baseball team, 9-3, on Saturday at a [...]