Happy Valley Hardball with a sabermetrics twist

Penn State now stands at 4-2 on the young season.

BEAUMONT, Texas – The Penn State baseball team exploded for seven runs in the second inning and cruised to a 10-4 victory against Dallas Baptist before dropping a 4-0 final to Lamar in a split doubleheader on Saturday at the YMBL Cardinal Classic. Freshmen Neal Herring (West Chester, Pa.) and Steven Hill (Colleyville, Texas) dazzled on the mound, both allowing only one earned run in six innings of work. Penn State finishes its stay in Beaumont on Sunday with another matchup against Lamar.

“We’re playing great baseball, even in that second game,” said sophomore Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.) “Both pitchers were great. We’re rolling right now, so hopefully we can continue that into tomorrow against Lamar again.”

via Nittany Lions Top Dallas Baptist, Fall to Lamar in Doubleheader Split – PENN STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE.

By Stephen Hennessey

Collegian Staff Writer

Jordan Steranka and Mario Eramo belted home runs Saturday afternoon to power the Penn State baseball team over Dallas Baptist, 10-4.

The Nittany Lions (4-1) scored seven runs in the second inning to ensure freshman pitcher Neal Herring’s first win of the year. Herring surrendered an unearned run in the bottom of the first, but the freshman gave up only one other run in six solid innings. Through two collegiate starts, Herring owns a 2.25 ERA through 12 innings pitched.

via Seven-run second inning propels baseball team – The Daily Collegian Online.

By Ryan Loy

Collegian Staff Writer

Ryan Ignas pitched seven strong innings to lead the Penn State baseball team (3-1) to a 12-6 win Friday against McNeese State (4-5).

Ignas allowed two earned runs on five hits while striking out six. The win was Ignas’s; first of the season after a no decision in the Nittany Lions’s; season-opening win against Cincinnati.

via Offense, Ignas lead Lions to 12-6 win – The Daily Collegian Online.

Saturday marked Penn State’s first nine-inning game of the season after three straight extra inning contests to start the year.

BEAUMONT, Texas – Behind seven strong innings from sophomore Ryan Ignas (North Wales, Pa.) and yet another home run from junior Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.), the Penn State baseball team topped McNeese State, 12-6 at the YMBL Cardinal Classic on Friday. The Nittany Lions, who finished with 19 hits for the game, jumped out to an early lead and wouldn't look back. The squad now prepares for two games on Saturday, against Dallas Baptist (12 p.m. ET) and host Lamar (3:30 p.m. ET).

via Baseball Opens Spring Trip With 12-6 Pounding of McNeese State – PENN STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE.

By Stephen Hennessey

Collegian Staff Writer

Last weekend, redshirt senior reliever David Lutz found himself in a situation he has rarely faced in his career.

Coach Robbie Wine handed Lutz the ball as Penn State trailed by one run in the seventh inning. The senior was asked to pitch three innings — a task he had been asked to perform only twice in 24 appearances last season.

Lutz shut out Seton Hall into the ninth inning, allowing the Nittany Lions to send the game to extra innings. Lutz then gave way to freshman John Walter, who pitched two scoreless innings in his first collegiate appearance.

Lutz and Walter were two of the six Lion pitchers who appeared in unfamiliar roles last weekend. That will be a trend for most of the Penn State's pitching staff in 2010.

via Pitchers ready to contribute during Spring Break – The Daily Collegian Online.

By Ryan Loy

Collegian Staff Writer

Ben Heath leads the Penn State baseball team in hits, runs and RBI after one weekend of play, but his work behind the plate has been just as important.

Heath, along with teammate Bobby Jacobs, helped guide the Nittany Lions' young pitching staff through 35 innings of baseball during three extra-inning games.

via Junior catchers provide leadership – The Daily Collegian Online.

By Paul Casella

Collegian Staff Writer

Last year, he knew what the situation was going to be when he took the mound.

There would be nobody on base and the score would be tied at zero.

But in his first career collegiate appearance, Penn State pitcher Steven Hill toed the rubber with only one out and the bases loaded — in the 10th inning of a tie game.

After going 8-1 with a 0.75 ERA as a starter last year at Colleyville (Texas) High School, Hill’s role with the Penn State baseball team will involve coming out of the bullpen

via Freshman Hill settling into role as reliever – The Daily Collegian Online.

From Texas TV station KFDM

About Penn State

Penn State went 2-1 in last week’s Big Ten/Big East Challenge in Clearwater, Fla. The Nittany Lions opened with wins of 5-4 over Cincinnati and 3-2 over Seton Hall then dropped a 9-8 decision to Notre Dame in 10 innings.

By Alex Angert

Collegian Staff Writer

There is one area Penn State coach Robbie Wine would like to see improved going into the upcoming week’s nine-game Texas road trip.

Luckily for Wine, it’s one of the most basic aspects of the game his team had the most trouble with — fielding routine fly balls.

For the average fan, it would seem like an easy fix. But for the Penn State baseball coach, there’;s not much that can be done.

While opposing teams in other regions of the country are practicing outdoors in game-like conditions, the Nittany Lions are confined to Holuba Hall. The players were unable to prepare for the tricks Mother Nature can throw at them on the road, and miscommunication between them was somewhat of a concern for Wine this past weekend.

via First weekend outdoors creates minor problems – The Daily Collegian Online.

Heath was also named to the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge All-Tournament Team on Monday.

WICHITA, Kan. – Penn State junior Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) was one of 53 Division I catchers named to the Watch List for the Coleman Company Johnny Bench Award delivered by Papa John's Pizza, as announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission on Monday. Named in honor of the former Cincinnati Reds' great, the award is presented to the top catcher in Division I.

Heath is one of five Big Ten catchers named to the list. The field will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists, whom will be announced on May 19. Three finalists will be announced on June 2 prior to the NCAA Regionals and Major League Baseball Draft. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 13th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on July 1.

via Ben Heath Named To Johnny Bench Award Watch List – PENN STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE.

Ben was named to the All Big Ten/Big East Challenge second team as a catcher/DH.   For the weekend, Ben batted .333 (6-for-18, 4 RBI, 6 R, 3 HR, 2 2B, 4K) to pull down the honors.

With a 2-1 record, one would have thought that PSU could have gotten more than one guy named to the 29 man squad, but so be it.

Here’s the complete team as named by CollegeBaseball360.com.

By Alex Angert

Collegian Staff Writer

In his 26 years of coaching and playing baseball at the collegiate and professional level, Robbie Wine has never seen a season begin the way this one did.

After snow canceled Penn State’s opening series last week, the baseball team traveled to Florida for the second annual Big Ten/Big East Challenge to open up the season this weekend — one unlike any other for the coach and the players.

All three games, which were played against Cincinnati, St. John’s and Notre Dame, went into extra innings, and all three ended with the home team walking off for the win, two of which were in Penn State’s favor.

via PSU walks off with pair of wins in wild weekend – The Daily Collegian Online.

• Louisville 3-0
• Saint John’s 3-0
• Penn State 2-1
• Ohio State 2-1
• Northwestern 2-1
• Villanova 2-1
• Michigan State 2-1
• Iowa 2-1
• Connecticut 2-1
• Cincinnati 2-1
• Indiana 1-2
• Illinois 1-2
• South Florida 1-2
• West Virginia 1-2
• Michigan 1-2
• Notre Dame 1-2
• Rutgers 1-2
• Seton Hall 1-2
• Purdue 0-3
• Minnesota 0-3