Penn State Baseball Series Grades vs Indiana
The Penn State Nittany Lions took on the Indiana Hoosiers this past weekend at Medlar Field. The blue and white played the first game of the series on Saturday, winning 7-2, before dropping both games of a doubleheader Sunday 4-1 and 22-11.
Infield: B-
C.J. Pitarro got the nod at first base for the first two games of the past series, going 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. The junior lefty never really got the bat going, and was relieved by fellow first baseman Josh Spiegel, who was much more productive in the third matchup.
Spiegel went 4-for-5 from the plate Sunday afternoon, scoring four RBIs and leading two Penn State scoring rallies in both the third and seventh innings. The rotation at first base has been a theme for head coach Rob Cooper this season, but the senior Spiegel made a case versus Indiana for everyday opportunities.
One position that has featured an everyday starter is second base, which is held down by experienced junior Kyle Hannon. Hannon went 2-for-9 from the plate in the first two games of the series, before heating up Sunday afternoon. The Harrisburg native notched 2 RBIs, a hit and two walks in Penn State’s third matchup.
Shortstop Jay Harry’s series had a different trajectory, as he got hot early and then proceeded to cool off. Harry went 2-3 at the plate with an RBI Saturday, before going for a combined 1-for-10 in the doubleheader Sunday.
Grant Norris manned down third, and led the infielders in offensive productivity. The righty hit 3-10 with 3 RBI and three walks to boot, notching a hit in all three games. Norris provides some consistency on the other corner of the infield for Rob Cooper’s squad.
Outfield: C
Right fielder Billy Gerlott started off the series with a bang, going 3-for-4 with the bat with an RBI. The junior struggled to do much of anything during Sunday’s doubleheader, going 0-for-7 at the plate and only reaching once on a walk.
Johnny Piacentino was the most consistent of the group, notching a hit in all three games and going 3-for-11 on the series with one RBI. The senior center fielder from Cherry Hill, N.J., has been a calming leader in a volatile outfield this season.
Left fielder Tavyen Kelley had his woes in the first two games of the series, going 1-7 at the plate with an RBI. However, Kelley showed why he’s become the everyday starter down the stretch, going 2-for-5 with the bat in the second game of the doubleheader and touching home twice as well.
Pitching: B-
Saturday saw starter Jaden Henline take the mound, whose dominant pitching would be the main contributor to a Penn State victory. Henline threw six innings deep only allowing two runs last time out versus Michigan and looked to follow it up with another solid performance in conference play.
The 6-foot-2 junior was outstanding, going five innings deep only allowing two earned runs. However, his teammate Travis Luensmann locked things down out of the pen, throwing four scoreless innings and only allowing two hits, locking up the Nittany Lions’ victory in the first game of the weekend.
Sunday’s doubleheader saw a tale of two stories for the Penn State rotation. Experienced pitcher Daniel Oudenkirk got the start but lacked control and discipline early. The 6-foot-9 right-hander walked four in only 1 and ⅔ innings of work, going on to allow four earned runs.
However, the blue and white relievers came to the rescue again, as the graduate student Steven Miller went an unprecedented seven and ⅓ scoreless innings out of the pen, striking out seven batters and only allowing four hits.
The second game of Sunday’s doubleheader was an offensive onslaught, with 33 runs and 32 hits tallied between the two sides. Penn State starter Jordan Morales got the nod, but he was rushed from the mound in a hurry after allowing six earned runs in 3 and ⅔ innings of work.
The blue and white bullpen was utilized heavily to close it out, as Coach Cooper threw in five different Nittany Lion relievers. The pen went on to allow 11 more earned runs between them, capping off a disappointing pitching performance to close out the weekend.
Parker Silverman is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email pws5405@psu.edu.
