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Late rally seals comeback win for Penn State baseball

On Tuesday, four late runs helped propel Penn State baseball past Youngstown State for a come-from-behind victory.

Published

2 months ago

April 19, 2023

April 1, 2023. Penn State's Josh Spiegel bats during the Nittany Lions' 7-2 victory over Indiana. Credit: Basic Blues Nation, 2023.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Coming off a competitive but disappointing series performance against Purdue last weekend, the Penn State Nittany Lions looked to get back on track Tuesday against Youngstown State. The Lions seemed to still have some rust from the weekend early but rallied late. Four runs across the seventh and eighth innings helped propel Penn State baseball to the 10-8 victory.

Lions dig early hole

Youngstown State applied pressure to open the inning after two consecutive singles got runners on second and third. A SAC fly would score the runner from third and give the Penguins an early 1-0 lead. However, freshman pitcher Ben Demell bounced back nicely after giving up a walk to put runners on the corners. A pair of strikeouts would limit the damage and hold Youngstown State to a single run for the inning.

Kyle Hannon reached first on a leadoff walk for the Nittany Lions. He then advanced second on a wild pitch, putting himself in scoring position almost immediately. Jay Harry then hit a single that sailed past the first baseman, allowing him to take second after a throwing error to the catcher. Hannon advanced to third and was held there. A Bobby Marsh single to left center field would then score Hannon and tie the game 1-1. A sacrifice fly from Johnny Piacentino would score Harry from third, and then an RBI single from Grant Norris would score Marsh and give Penn State the 3-1 lead going into the second inning.

Youngstown State tied the game in the top of the second after a single and double got runners on second and third. A double to right center would allow a runner to score, but a throwing error from Thomas Bramley would allow a second runner to score to tie the game. A sacrifice fly helped the Penguins take the lead, 4-3. Youngstown State added another run after a questionable call (that led to manager Rob Cooper’s ejection) from the first base umpire, increasing the lead to 5-3. A following RBI single would give them a 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the second. When Coach Cooper was asked about his exchange with the umpire that led to his ejection, he joked that he “strongly disagreed with his assessment of it” and that he was just “asked to leave.”

Penn State was held scoreless in the bottom of the second. But the Lions returned the favor, holding Youngstown State scoreless after Connor Throneberry came into the game in relief of Ben Demell. Penn State loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the third. Grant Norris capitalized off of this as he worked a walk and brought in Spiegel to inch closer to the Penguins’ lead. A double play groundball from Tayven Kelley scored Bramley and made it a 6-5 game. The Lions tied the game 6-6 after a Penguins wild pitch allowed Piacentino to score.

Lions pitcher Connor Throneberry would work a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth. Kyle Hannon reached base after being hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourth, but the Lions couldn’t capitalize. The Penguins retook the lead in the top of the fifth after a fielding error from the pitcher allowed a runner to score. The Nittany Lions were again held scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, and the score remained 7-6. Youngstown State got a runner on second from a double to open the top of the sixth. Two straight wild pitches enabled the runner to reach third and score, increasing the Youngstown State lead to 8-6.

Late rally seals comeback win for Penn State baseball

After a scoreless sixth inning, Jay Harry reached first on an error by the second baseman in the seventh. Josh Spiegel singled to the right side for his second hit of the day to get Harry to third. A sharp ground ball from Bramley would score Harry and a single from Johnny Piacentino would plate Spiegel and tie the game again, 8-8. Youngstown State would be held scoreless in the top of the eighth.

Penn State added two go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth after Kyle Hannon singled and Jay Harry walked. Bobby Marsh roped a double to left center field, allowing Hannon and Harry to score. Penn State took a 10-8 lead with these crucial go-ahead runs. When asked what was going through his head in that at-bat, Marsh said he was “calm and collected.” He said he was looking for a ball up and hit it to left field once he found it. When I asked him about whether there was any particular spark in the dugout that led to the rally and his hit, he stated that it was just about “believing in the team” and that despite them being down at that point, “we always knew that we had a chance.”

Bobby Marsh!!! He drops a fly ball into left for a double! Hannon and Harry score!

B8 | PSU 10, YSU 8#WeAre pic.twitter.com/nKWB7NN2wK

— Penn State Baseball (@PennStateBASE) April 19, 2023

Anthony Steele retired three straight Youngstown State batters, and Penn State got the comeback win 10-8.

Critical showdown awaits this weekend

Penn State baseball hosts Ohio State for a crucial three-game series beginning on Friday, April 21st, at 6pm.

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Penn State baseball loses season finale against No. 20 Maryland

The Nittany Lions will look to pick up the pieces and rebuild for 2024.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 21, 2023

Surya Maddali

Jun 7, 2014; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Maryland Terrapins outfielder Anthony Papio (13) and shortstop Blake Schmit (1) celebrate a run against the Virginia Cavaliers at Davenport Field. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

In a series that was also the source of significant news for the program, Penn State baseball returned home for a season-ending three-game series against the nationally-ranked Maryland Terrapins. The weekend saw a few close efforts and an impressive upset win, but the Nittany Lions ultimately ended the season with another series defeat.

Offensive explosion in game one

On Thursday, game one saw pure offense from both teams. The Terrapins scored three runs in the second inning, but then the Lions responded with seven runs in their half of the inning. Such was the story of the game, with both squads exchanging runs back and forth.

Maryland scored three runs in the fourth to cut the Penn State lead down to a single run. But Penn State again answered right back by scoring six runs across the fifth and sixth innings. This scoring outburst featured a triple from Grant Norris that scored Johnny Piacentino and Thomas Bramley. After six innings, the score was 13-6 Nittany Lions.

In the seventh, Maryland scored six runs to cut the Penn State lead to a single run. However, after adding two additional runs as a cushion, the Nittany Lions surrendered five runs in the ninth inning to lose 17-15.

Penn State baseball pulls upset in game two

Mere hours after news broke of head coach Rob Copper’s resignation on Friday, Penn State put together an inspired performance that culminated in the upset of the 20th-ranked Terrapins.

The Nittany Lions took a quick 2-0 lead in the second inning after an RBI double from Thomas Bramley that plated CJ Pittaro and Jay Harry. Maryland finally responded in the fifth, taking a 3-2 lead. But that lead didn’t last long, as Penn State quickly reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the inning following a two-run single from Jay Harry.

CJ Pittaro added an insurance run in the eighth inning, and the Lions won by a score of 5-3. The win marked Penn State’s second victory against a ranked opponent this year, with the first coming against Miami to open the season.

Lions’ season ends in disappointment

Despite a valiant effort, Penn State’s season finale ended in disappointment.

The Lions took a 1-0 lead after an RBI triple from CJ Pittaro in the second. However, Maryland answered in the third and fourth innings to take a 2-1 advantage.

After a three-run fourth inning, Penn State retook the lead 4-2. However, the Lions were unable to score any more runs on the day. A home run and a pair of singles gave Maryland a 7-4 victory and, ultimately, the series win. Due to Saturday’s win, the Terrapins also won the Big Ten regular season title.

Looking forward to 2024

With this series, the Nittany Lions’ 2023 campaign came to a disappointing end. In what was head coach Rob Cooper’s last season, Penn State baseball finished at .500, the second time in two seasons it did so. The Lions were not stellar in conference play, finishing at 7-16 and missing the conference tournament as a result.

With a few changes coming to the program by next season, it will be interesting to see how the Nittany Lions regroup and move ahead in the spring of 2024.

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National search begins after Penn State baseball coach Rob Cooper resigns

Penn State will be looking for a new baseball coach to start the 2024 season.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 20, 2023

Surya Maddali

Credit: Basic Blues Nation, 2023.

After a disappointing season, Penn State baseball has to find a new path forward. And next year, the program will have to find that path with a new face at the helm. On Friday, Penn State baseball coach Rob Cooper announced that he will not return to the team next season.

Penn State baseball coach Rob Cooper resigns

Hours before Friday’s game against Maryland, Penn State released a statement from Cooper announcing his resignation from the program. Cooper’s resignation is effective following the Nittany Lions’ final game on Saturday.

“I am beyond grateful for my time as the head baseball coach at Penn State. This is a special place, because of the special people who make it up. My family and I love Penn State. While I am disappointed I wasn’t able to get the baseball program the success it deserves, I am excited about the vision Dr. [Pat] Kraft has for Penn State Athletics, the student-athletes, and the baseball program,” Cooper’s statement said in part.

Cooper led the Nittany Lions for a decade, winning 197 games. Despite a disappointing 25-24 record so far this year, Penn State has experienced success recently. In 2022, Cooper led the Lions to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2012. Penn State upset No. 3 Iowa before being eliminated.

In addition, 12 players were drafted during Cooper’s tenure, while 13 total players signed professional contracts. The most successful has been Matt Wood, who was the highest-selected pick in program history. He was recently promoted to the High-A level in the Brewers organization.

Congratulations to @Mattwood_59 on his promotion to High-A Wisconsin! 👏👏👏

In 25 games with the Mudcats Wood hit .293/.468/.488 and 20 RBI's❗️ pic.twitter.com/XpAbYYKDeh

— Carolina Mudcats (@CarolinaMudcats) May 15, 2023

A national search begins

In the statement released by Penn State, athletic director Pat Kraft thanked Cooper for his years of service to the university. “We appreciate Rob Cooper for all he has done for the Penn State community these last 10 seasons,” Kraft said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Rob for not only the commitment he made to our baseball program, but also the way he represented Penn State University with class. I want to thank Rob, and wish him, his wife, Maureen, and his family nothing but the best in the future.”

The university’s statement ended by saying that Penn State would immediately begin a national search to find Cooper’s replacement.

Seeming to rally behind their head coach, the Nittany Lions upset No. 20 Maryland Friday night, 5-3. Cooper’s final game as Penn State head coach will be on Saturday, with first pitch coming at noon at Medlar Field.

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Penn State releases plans for Medlar Field renovations

The home of Penn State baseball will soon be getting some upgrades.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 17, 2023

Surya Maddali

April 11, 2023. Medlar Field during Penn State's 11-6 victory over West Virginia. Credit: Basic Blues Nation, 2023.

Over the last few years, Penn State has shown its commitment to the university’s athletic programs through facility upgrades. The Penn State football program recently finished a significant upgrade to the weight room in the Lasch Building, and the Penn State Board of Trustees recently approved $70 million to begin renovations of Beaver Stadium. Across the street, the Penn State baseball program will also be getting an upgrade, as plans for Medlar Field renovations were also recently released.

Penn State plans Medlar Field renovations

It was recently revealed that Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, the home of Penn State baseball since 2006, is getting renovations after the end of the State College Spikes’ season this summer. The upgrades include completely changing the playing field and lighting systems.

Essentially, through a two-part process, the entire playing field will get an upgrade. The field is currently made of natural grass. While the renovations will not change the surface type, Penn State does play to completely change the grass in Medlar Field. In addition, the university plans to upgrade the field’s lights to all LED, which will brighten the area during night events at the field, such as Dollar Dog Night games.

Will these changes improve the gameday experience for baseball fans?

As someone who covered games from the press box this season, I gained perspective on the fan experience at Medlar Field. Overall, replanting a natural grass field is never harmful. It helps keep it fresh for the players and can prevent injuries that would otherwise be caused by aged grass.

The lighting seems to be the most meaningful change, as it will significantly improve the lumination level for night events. I think the existing lighting is underwhelming at times, and it has not been bright enough for the night games. This renovation is a welcomed one for me, and will benefit players, fans, and the media alike.

The Nittany Lion baseball team will close out its season at the 5,400-seat stadium this week when the Nittany Lions take on Maryland in the regular season finale.