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Penn State Baseball Dominates Doubleheader

The Nittany Lions scored 25 runs over two games Saturday to win both in dominating fashion.

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Montour's Zac Stern hits in the PIAA 4A Baseball Championship game against Holy Ghost Prep at Penn State University's Medlar Field in State College on Thursday, June 16, 2022. The Spartans took home the title with a 10-9 win over the Firebirds. © MICHELE C. HADDON / BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK Cot Piaa Championship 13

After a slow start to the season, Penn State baseball hit its stride in a doubleheader on Saturday, dominating Wagner and Dartmouth by a combined score of 25-8. The pair of wins improved the Nittany Lions’ record to 6-2, with one final game against Holy Cross left to play this weekend.

Game 1: Penn State 17, Wagner 6

Penn State put on the runs immediately in the first.  Leadoff hitter Kyle Hannon doubled to get Penn State in scoring position, which he was able to score after stealing third and drawing a throwing error to reach home.  Thomas Bramley, left fielder, was then able to double and get knocked in from an RBI single by Billy Gerlott.  2-0 PSU.  

The Lions then loaded the bases from a walk by Anthony Steele, which allowed Johnny Piacentino (DH) to single and score Billy Gerlott from third base.  3-0 Nittany Lions.  They continued tacking on runs via a single from catcher Josh Spiegel which scored two more runners and brought the score up to 5-0 in Penn State’s favor.

Wagner loaded the bases in the second inning and scored a run from a ground out.  They also scored another run after the next batter flied out to center field.  5-2 PSU.    

Jay Harry then scored from third on a throw to second base, giving him just enough time to run in.  6-2 PSU.

No more scoring would occur until the sixth inning, where back-to-back home runs by catcher Josh Spiegel and Grant Norris extended Penn State’s lead to 8-2.  A double followed by Tayven Kelley scored Bramley and Harry and made it 10-2 PSU.

Successive runs in the inning would be scored from a groundout, double, and fielding error and would be capped off by a two-run home run by Tayven Kelley to make it 17-2 PSU.

Wagner would put up a four-run effort in the top of the ninth inning, but PSU would still pull away with a large win of 17-6.  Pitcher Travis Luensmann (2 H, 5 K, 2 ER) got his third win of the season and remains undefeated (3-0).  

Game 2: Penn State 8, Dartmouth 2

No scoring would occur until the third inning of the game.  Penn State stranded men on base a few times, and Dartmouth even loaded the bases in the third inning. But Penn State’s Daniel Ouderkirk got out of the jam in impressive fashion by striking out three straight batters.  

The scoring drought would finally break in the bottom of the third inning, where Penn State’s leadoff hitter, Kyle Hannon, would hit a solo home run to center-right field and put Penn State on the board, 1-0.   

In the fifth inning, after a Kyle Hannon walked and stole second base, Jay Harry singled up the middle to score him and brought the Nittany Lions’ lead to 2-0.

However, Dartmouth got on the board with an RBI double in the sixth.  2-1 Penn State.  Head Coach Rob Cooper decided to take out Ouderkirk at this point, but it was a great performance regardless.  They then scored again after a throw to first was beaten out by a Dartmouth batter.  2-2 all.

Penn State would go on to score 3 runs in the sixth inning from a SAC fly from Jay Harry, a wild pitch scoring Norris, and Kyle Hannon stealing home in impressive fashion.

An error helped Tayven Kelley score in the seventh to give the Lions another run and get the score to 6-2.  A Johnny Piacentino double then scored Steele, and a Hannon groundout scored him to make the score 8-2 Nittany Lions.

The final score ended up staying 8-2, helping Penn State to another win and the doubleheader sweep for the day. 

Starter Daniel Ouderkirk picked up 11 strikeouts and allowed one earned run in the win, pitching over five and one-third innings.  However, the win officially was awarded to Steven Miller, Ouderkirk’s replacement, who allowed no earned runs and accumulated two strikeouts in his short stint, which lasted two and two-thirds innings.

Penn State Baseball History

As a final note, here is an interesting tidbit of history from the second game. After recording 11 strikeouts, Daniel Ouderkirk became just the second Penn State pitcher since 2004 to have back-to-back 10+ strikeout games. He joins Dante Biasi, who accomplished the feat in 2019. 

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PSU Hockey NCAA Tournament Preview: Michigan Tech

The Nittany Lions are vying for their first Frozen Four berth in program history.

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16 hours ago

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March 21, 2023

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Penn State Hockey, NCAA Tournament
Mar 14, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre DameÕs Dylan St. Cyr (1) reacts after being scored on by Penn State at the Compton Family Ice Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina/South Bend Tribune-USA TODAY NETWORK

State College, PA — Basketball isn’t the only sport with March Madness. Penn State hockey is dancing! For the first time since 2018 and the third time in program history, the Nittany Lions (21-15-1, 10-13-1 B1G) have qualified for the NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament. Penn State earned a No. 2 seed in the recent bracket selections, the highest in school history. 

The Nittany Lions’ previous trips to the NCAA tournament in 2017 and 2018 ended at the hands of Denver University. The good news for Penn State is that it finally avoided the Pioneers in its region. 

The bad news is that the Lions still got a tough draw. They will open the tournament against the Michigan Tech Huskies at 5:00 p.m. on Friday at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA. 

Michigan Tech University Snapshot

Name: Michigan Technological University

Location: Houghton, MI

Enrollment: 7,009

Acceptance Rate: 86%

Conference: Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA)

Men’s Hockey National Titles: 3 (1962, 1965, 1972)

Mascot: Blizzard T. Husky

About the Huskies

If you don’t follow college hockey regularly, you probably haven’t heard of Michigan Tech. A small school tucked away in the rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan, hockey is their only Division I sport. The rest of its athletic programs compete at the Division II level. 

Michigan Tech’s hockey team has had considerable success, claiming three national titles, numerous conference championships, and NCAA tournament appearances. The team appeared in last year’s tournament and bowed out to Minnesota Duluth in the first round. 

Led by CCHA Coach of the Year Joe Shawhan, the Huskies (24-10-4, 15-7-4 CCHA) are a team built on the back of its netminder. Michigan Tech’s goaltender Blake Pietila may be the best in the country. He was named a finalist for the Richter Award, given to the best goaltender in the country. He was also named the CCHA Player of the Year. His play has been so strong that he is even a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey’s Heisman. This season, he posted a 0.929 save percentage, allowing just 1.98 goals per game. He leads the nation with 10 shutouts this season. 

Michigan Tech can also light the lamp on the other end. The Huskies offensive attack is led by CCHA Rookie of the Year Kyle Kukkonen, who scored 18 goals this season. He is complimented by All-CCHA First Team forward Ryland Mosley, who has 31 points this year. 

The Huskies have some impressive wins this year. They swept Alaska on the road and picked up a win over a very good Boston University team. This is a particularly poor draw for Penn State hockey, given the Nittany Lion’s style of play. Michigan Tech is built similarly to a typical Notre Dame team that Penn State is used to facing. They have elite goaltending and a first line with talented scorers. 

Will Penn State Hockey Advance in the NCAA Tournament?

Penn State hockey has an advantage in this one, given that they are playing just about 150 miles from campus in Allentown, PA. Not far from Philadelphia, the area has a large alumni base. There should be a large crowd on hand for Friday evening’s showdown. 

However, the crowd only goes so far. Michigan Tech has shown they can handle challenging road environments, going 12-5-1 away from home this season. 

Penn State’s recent run of play has been mediocre at best, going 4-10-1 in their final 15 games. When you combine that with the fact that Michigan Tech’s style of play is almost tailor-made to handle Penn State’s offensive attack, it is tough to envision Penn State hockey coming away with its second-ever tournament win on Friday. I’ll go with Michigan Tech, as Penn State will need help to solve Blake Pietila. 

Michigan Tech-3, Penn State-1

The winner of this game will go on to face the winner of the Michigan and Colgate game also on Friday. The winners of the two opening-round games will play at the PPL Center at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday for a right to go to the Frozen Four.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at cjmangum29@gmail.com. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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Penn State is New No. 1 Team in the Nation

It’s the Nittany Lions first No. 1 ranking since 2009.

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2 days ago

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March 20, 2023

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Penn State Men's Volleyball, No. 1 Team in the Nation
October 8, 2011; State College, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions mascot performs during the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Rec Hall. Illinois defeated Penn State 3 sets to 2. Mandatory Credit: Rob Christy-USA TODAY Sports

State College – Men’s volleyball has a new top team, and it resides in Happy Valley. Penn State men’s volleyball is the new No. 1 team in the nation, up one spot from the week prior.

Penn State Men’s Volleyball is Now the No.1 Team in the Nation

The Penn State men’s volleyball team has been on a tear lately. The Nittany Lions are 18-2 on the season, including a shutout of Saint Francis on Saturday.

And when the new American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll was released Monday, the Lions found themselves in the top spot. The bump up marks the first time that Penn State men’s volleyball has been ranked No. 1 since 2009.

Penn State replaced Hawai’i, who was previously the No. 1 team. The Nittany Lions ended the Rainbow Warriors’ 25-match win streak in a 3-1 victory during the Outrigger Challenge earlier this month. Hawai’i lost to Long Beach State on Friday night, which allowed Penn State to take the top spot.

The Nittany Lions’ first match as the No. 1 team in the nation will be in Rec Hall Tuesday when they take on Ohio State. The match begins at 7 PM and will air on B1G+. Penn State then has road series against Harvard and George Mason over the next two weeks and will finish the regular season at home with Charleston (WV) on April 14-15.

What a Time to be a Lion 

Penn State men’s volleyball’s new ranking was just the latest in a string of positives for Nittany Lion athletics.

On Saturday, Penn State wrestling capped off an undefeated regular season by winning the program’s 10th national title in 12 years. The men’s basketball team recently played for the Big Ten title and won its first NCAA Tournament game in over 20 years. In addition, men’s and women’s ice hockey made the NCAA Tournament in their respective sports.

On the diamond, the Penn State softball team has won at least seven games in a row twice already this season. Across campus, the baseball team swept its home opener to improve to 10-5 on the year.

And, of course, who could forget about Penn State football. The Nittany Lions are one week into spring practice for the anticipated 2023 season. James Franklin will undoubtedly have his work cut out for him, but the Lions are already dark horse candidates to make the College Football Playoff this fall. 

For Penn State fans, there certainly is no time like the present.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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Penn State Baseball Sweeps Georgetown

The Nittany Lions’ bats made quick work of the Hoyas on Sunday.

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2 days ago

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March 20, 2023

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Penn State Baseball, Georgetown
Vintage baseball gloves in the Norwell studio of Huntington Base Ball Co Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. 110222 Gd Baseballs16 Jpg © Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

State College — After winning their home opener Saturday, the Penn State Nittany Lions made quick work of Georgetown Sunday. The 7-2 victory gave Penn State baseball a clean sweep of the Hoyas for the weekend.

Penn State Baseball Sweeps Georgetown

Penn State struck first when third baseman Ben Kaliher singled and scored Anthony Steele. They took the lead 1-0.  

The scoring continued in the second inning for the Nittany Lions. Another single, this time by Thomas Bramley, scored Tayven Kelley and increased the lead to 2-0.  

A Jay Harry double then broke the game open for the Lions, as a double by him scored Bramley and Kaliher and increased the margin to four runs.

Penn State added another run in the fourth inning after another Jay Harry hit, this time a single, scored Tayven Kelley and increased the score in the Lions’ favor to 5-0.  

Georgetown would get on the board in the sixth inning when a fielding error allowed a runner to score. But Penn State responded in the eighth inning. A wild pitch allowed Ben Kaliher to score. Another fielding error increased the lead to 7-1.

Georgetown would add another run in the ninth inning, but it would not suffice in their favor. The Nittany Lions won with a final score of 7-2 to sweep their first home series against Georgetown.  

Jordan Morales, who picked up the win, pitched a solid game. Morales allowed three hits and two walks and recorded two strikeouts. Most importantly, he allowed no earned runs.  

With the win, the Nittany Lions improve to 11-5 on the season.

Penn State baseball continues play at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park Tuesday against Binghamton. The Nittany Lions then head into conference play by going on the road to Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines.  

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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