Tuesday, April 3
University Park, Pa.
6:30 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Penn State
Road Swing Concludes at Penn State
April 02, 2018 05:11 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A seven-game roadtrip for the West Virginia University baseball team comes to an end on Tuesday, April 3, at Penn State. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in State College, Pennsylvania.
The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, WVU's fourth consecutive nationally-televised contest and sixth in the last seven games.
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The Mountaineers (10-14, 1-5 Big 12) begin the month of April at PSU before playing 14 of its next 17 games at home. Tuesday's game at Penn State marks WVU's 22nd road game in its first 25 games to begin the season. Thanks to a heavy road slate early in the season, West Virginia is No. 24 in the latest RPI rankings, and the Big 12 boasts the No. 2 RPI in the country.
The Nittany Lions (7-15, 1-5 Big Ten) are in the midst of a six-game homestand, which began with four consecutive losses, one to Cornell and three to Purdue. The homestand came after PSU played 15 of its first 18 games away from home.
A pair of freshman left-handers will take the mound on Tuesday. Jackson Wolf (1-0, 2.79 ERA) will go for the Mountaineers against Jeff Taylor (0-0, 0.00) for the Nittany Lions. Wolf, who earned his first career win on Thursday at No. 7 Texas Tech, makes his first career start and seventh appearance of the season. Taylor is making his fourth appearance of the year and has 5.2 innings pitched in 2018.
Tuesday's contest in State College, the 112th all-time meeting between the two teams, is the first of two this season. WVU and PSU will play again next week at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. First pitch at the home of the Pirates is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, and tickets are available at Pirates.com/Baseball.
FOLLOWING ALONG
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State is 7-15 on the season and 1-5 in Big Ten action. The Nittany Lions own a 2-5 mark at home while they are 5-7 on the road and 0-3 at a neutral site. PSU concludes a six-game homestand on Wednesday, which began with a 10-6 loss to Cornell and was followed by a sweep by Purdue. Penn State lost the opener, 3-2, and fell in a doubleheader on Saturday, 6-3 and 9-0.
Ryan Sloniger has a team-best 24 hits and a .289 batting average. He also leads the team with 19 RBIs, seven doubles and a .398 on-base percentage.
Mason Mellott has a 3.12 ERA in 11 relief appearances, while Justin Hagenman has a team-best 36 strikeouts in 41.0 innings pitched. Mellott shares the team lead of three saves with Eric Mock, while three Nittany Lions have recorded two wins.
In his 5th season at Penn State, Rob Cooper has compiled a record 375-371 in 14 years as a head coach. Ten Penn State players have been drafted in his four seasons, while 39 players have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE NITTANY LIONS
West Virginia is 42-69 all-time against Penn State and 15-42 in State College. WVU is 1-4 in coach Randy Mazey's six seasons. The Mountaineers won the last meeting, 4-2 at PNC Park in 2017, which snapped a four-game losing streak against the Nittany Lions.
The series began in 1904, a 9-5 Penn State win in Morgantown. Former Atlantic 10 rivals, WVU and PSU have met at least once every year since 2014.
Last year, West Virginia and Penn State split a pair of games. PSU won the opener, 6-5 in Morgantown, before WVU claimed a 4-2 the following day at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Playing their first-ever game at PNC Park, the Mountaineers scored single runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings to come away victorious on the North Shore in Pittsburgh.
The WVU pitching staff put together a strong outing, beginning with starter Sam Kessler. The righty allowed one run on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk in 4.0 innings. Cody Wood followed with 3.1 innings to earn the win, allowing just one run on five hits with a strikeout. Braden Zarbnisky closed it out with 1.2 innings of no-hit ball to pick up the save.
Offensively, catcher Chase Illig led the team with two hits and drove in two runs, including the eventual game-winner in the fourth inning. Zarbnisky also added a hit and an RBI, extending his hitting streak to a career-best nine games.
ON DECK: WVU HOSTS UNLV
West Virginia returns home for a weekend series against UNLV from April 6-8. The series at Monongalia County Ballpark begins on Friday, April 6, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday's game is at 4 p.m., while first pitch of Sunday's finale is at 1 p.m.
Tickets are available for all three games at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Several promotions are planned for this weekend, beginning with Friday Night Happy Hour on Friday, where half-off beverages are available from 5:30-6:30, and all fans can play Baseball Bingo. On Saturday, fans can watch the WVU football spring game, at 1 p.m., and the baseball game, at 4 p.m., with a special combo ticket for just $15. It also is Family Day, where fans can purchase four tickets and receive a $10 concession voucher for just $25. The series concludes on April 8, with the first Kids Day of the year, which features a new Kids Zone Presented By WVU Medicine Children's with inflatables and Mr. Twister's Balloon Art and Face Painting. Additionally, kids can run the bases after the game.
LAST TIME OUT: AT NO. 7 TEXAS TECH
West Virginia continued Big 12 play on the road with a series at No. 7 Texas Tech. Playing the No. 1 RPI team in the country, the Mountaineers went 1-2 and held the Big 12's best offense to 12 total runs in three games.
Single game tickets and mini-packages for the 2018 season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets at WVUGAME.com, call 1-800-WVU GAME or visit the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. The 2018 schedule, with game times, can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com. A printable PDF and schedule breakdown also are available on WVUsports.com.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, WVU's fourth consecutive nationally-televised contest and sixth in the last seven games.
Big Ten Network | Radio | Live Stats | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
The Mountaineers (10-14, 1-5 Big 12) begin the month of April at PSU before playing 14 of its next 17 games at home. Tuesday's game at Penn State marks WVU's 22nd road game in its first 25 games to begin the season. Thanks to a heavy road slate early in the season, West Virginia is No. 24 in the latest RPI rankings, and the Big 12 boasts the No. 2 RPI in the country.
The Nittany Lions (7-15, 1-5 Big Ten) are in the midst of a six-game homestand, which began with four consecutive losses, one to Cornell and three to Purdue. The homestand came after PSU played 15 of its first 18 games away from home.
A pair of freshman left-handers will take the mound on Tuesday. Jackson Wolf (1-0, 2.79 ERA) will go for the Mountaineers against Jeff Taylor (0-0, 0.00) for the Nittany Lions. Wolf, who earned his first career win on Thursday at No. 7 Texas Tech, makes his first career start and seventh appearance of the season. Taylor is making his fourth appearance of the year and has 5.2 innings pitched in 2018.
Tuesday's contest in State College, the 112th all-time meeting between the two teams, is the first of two this season. WVU and PSU will play again next week at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. First pitch at the home of the Pirates is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, and tickets are available at Pirates.com/Baseball.
FOLLOWING ALONG
- Tuesday's game is set for a national television broadcast on the Big Ten Network. The midweek contest also will feature a video stream, radio broadcast and live stats.
- Brandon Gaudin and Danan Hughes will call the action on BTN, and subscribers can also watch online via BTN2Go.
- On the radio, Dan Zangrilli will have the call on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG on various affiliates throughout the state, while fans across the country can tune in to the broadcast online at WVUsports.com and on the WVU Gameday App and the TuneIn App on their mobile device.
- Direct links to the video stream, radio broadcast and live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com.
- Additional behind-the-scenes updates, news and notes from State College can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @WVUBaseball.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State is 7-15 on the season and 1-5 in Big Ten action. The Nittany Lions own a 2-5 mark at home while they are 5-7 on the road and 0-3 at a neutral site. PSU concludes a six-game homestand on Wednesday, which began with a 10-6 loss to Cornell and was followed by a sweep by Purdue. Penn State lost the opener, 3-2, and fell in a doubleheader on Saturday, 6-3 and 9-0.
Ryan Sloniger has a team-best 24 hits and a .289 batting average. He also leads the team with 19 RBIs, seven doubles and a .398 on-base percentage.
Mason Mellott has a 3.12 ERA in 11 relief appearances, while Justin Hagenman has a team-best 36 strikeouts in 41.0 innings pitched. Mellott shares the team lead of three saves with Eric Mock, while three Nittany Lions have recorded two wins.
In his 5th season at Penn State, Rob Cooper has compiled a record 375-371 in 14 years as a head coach. Ten Penn State players have been drafted in his four seasons, while 39 players have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE NITTANY LIONS
West Virginia is 42-69 all-time against Penn State and 15-42 in State College. WVU is 1-4 in coach Randy Mazey's six seasons. The Mountaineers won the last meeting, 4-2 at PNC Park in 2017, which snapped a four-game losing streak against the Nittany Lions.
The series began in 1904, a 9-5 Penn State win in Morgantown. Former Atlantic 10 rivals, WVU and PSU have met at least once every year since 2014.
Last year, West Virginia and Penn State split a pair of games. PSU won the opener, 6-5 in Morgantown, before WVU claimed a 4-2 the following day at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Playing their first-ever game at PNC Park, the Mountaineers scored single runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings to come away victorious on the North Shore in Pittsburgh.
The WVU pitching staff put together a strong outing, beginning with starter Sam Kessler. The righty allowed one run on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk in 4.0 innings. Cody Wood followed with 3.1 innings to earn the win, allowing just one run on five hits with a strikeout. Braden Zarbnisky closed it out with 1.2 innings of no-hit ball to pick up the save.
Offensively, catcher Chase Illig led the team with two hits and drove in two runs, including the eventual game-winner in the fourth inning. Zarbnisky also added a hit and an RBI, extending his hitting streak to a career-best nine games.
ON DECK: WVU HOSTS UNLV
West Virginia returns home for a weekend series against UNLV from April 6-8. The series at Monongalia County Ballpark begins on Friday, April 6, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday's game is at 4 p.m., while first pitch of Sunday's finale is at 1 p.m.
Tickets are available for all three games at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Several promotions are planned for this weekend, beginning with Friday Night Happy Hour on Friday, where half-off beverages are available from 5:30-6:30, and all fans can play Baseball Bingo. On Saturday, fans can watch the WVU football spring game, at 1 p.m., and the baseball game, at 4 p.m., with a special combo ticket for just $15. It also is Family Day, where fans can purchase four tickets and receive a $10 concession voucher for just $25. The series concludes on April 8, with the first Kids Day of the year, which features a new Kids Zone Presented By WVU Medicine Children's with inflatables and Mr. Twister's Balloon Art and Face Painting. Additionally, kids can run the bases after the game.
LAST TIME OUT: AT NO. 7 TEXAS TECH
West Virginia continued Big 12 play on the road with a series at No. 7 Texas Tech. Playing the No. 1 RPI team in the country, the Mountaineers went 1-2 and held the Big 12's best offense to 12 total runs in three games.
- The Mountaineers upset TTU in the opener, 1-0, handing the Red Raiders their first home loss in 14 games this season. It was Texas Tech's first home shutout since 2015. Isaiah Kearns, Jackson Wolf and Shane Ennis combined to hold TTU to just five hits. Darius Hill drove in WVU's lone run with a sixth-inning single that came two pitches after Ivan Gonzalez doubled for West Virginia's first hit of the game. Wolf picked up his first career win and Ennis earned the first save of his career.
- Texas Tech evened the series the following day, with a 4-1 win, as WVU again was no-hit into the sixth inning. West Virginia pitching held TTU to four runs on six hits, while the WVU bullpen did not allow a hit in 5.0 innings.
- The Mountaineers rallied with two ninth-inning runs and brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the series finale on March 30, but the Red Raiders won, 8-5. WVU took a 3-1 lead in the fifth, but TTU responded with seven runs in the next two innings before West Virginia's ninth-inning rally. Kearns, who came off the bench, led WVU with a career-high-tying two hits and one RBI.
Single game tickets and mini-packages for the 2018 season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets at WVUGAME.com, call 1-800-WVU GAME or visit the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. The 2018 schedule, with game times, can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com. A printable PDF and schedule breakdown also are available on WVUsports.com.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
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