Baseball travels to Richmond looking to rebound

Penn State baseball heads to Malcolm U. Pitt Field this weekend for a four-game road set against the Richmond Spiders starting on Friday. The sights are set high for the Nittany Lions after going 1-2 in the MLB Desert Invitational last weekend.

QUICK RECAP: Nittany Lions suffer book-ending losses in Arizona

Penn State fell to Air Force, 15-3 in eight innings to open the season on Friday. All three Nittany Lion runs came in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to the eighth and delaying the run rule. Ace Colin Fitzgerald shut out Air Force through the first three frames.

Penn State came back a day later to take down Grand Canyon, 9-3. The deciding factor was a fifth-inning surge that saw five runs score for the Nittany Lions, four of which being on RBI triples. Four Penn State batters had multi-hit days, including Bryce Molinaro and Jack Porter as they combined for six in 10 at-bats at the heart of the order.

The final stop in the Copper State trip was met with an historic blow for the Nittany Lions as they fell 24-5 in seven innings to Kansas State. Three Penn State pitchers took the mound in the seventh inning, which saw the Wildcats bat around and score 14 runs. On the flip side, Jayden Davis secured back-to-back multi-hit games, going 2-for-4 with an RBI sacrifice groundout.

Stats and facts

Friday’s loss was the first time in the Mike Gambino era that Penn State did not win on Opening Day, happening for the first time in the program since 2022. Sunday’s loss was the worst defeat for the program since 1898 in a 24-1 road loss to Manhattan.

On a more positive note, three Nittany Lion batters who played all three games posted a .300 average or higher in the opening weekend. Justin Turcovski went 3-for-6 and now ties the team lead in RBIs with four. Jayden Davis and Jack Porter both started all three games and combined for nine hits and had the lone double totals with three.

Ben Hudson impressed in his debut on the bump in Saturday’s win over Grand Canyon, tossing five innings and striking out six batters. He had the lowest earned run total of anyone in the Nittany Lion rotation with just one, and he held the Antelope batters to just two hits in 21 at-bats.

Key players to watch

Preston Yaucher made his official entrance into the college baseball world last weekend, going 2-for-3 in the finale. He struck out five times, though he did play in every game and looks for improvement. Yaucher may be able to showcase his true power pop against Richmond’s pitching staff, auditioning for a spot in the everyday lineup.

Joey DeMucci played with something to prove behind the plate last weekend, catching two runners stealing against Kansas State. The Wildcats did not attempt to steal another base, giving DeMucci a fielding advantage. Penn State three-platooned the catcher position in the three games, however DeMucci could be a breakout candidate if he improves at the plate.

Frankie Sanchez might end up being one of the four starters on the mound this weekend for the Nittany Lions as he played a rotation role before sitting out last year with Tommy John surgery. He showed up in the finale against Kansas State and was the only pitcher who did not allow a run for Penn State in the weekend.

Series prediction: Penn State 3, Richmond 1

Any of the games could be a true toss-up depending on how the order and alignment shakes up by the finale. With that being said, however, I think Fitzgerald eases back into his role with a week outside under his belt, giving the Nittany Lions an opener victory.

The return of Michael Anderson from the designated hitter spot could see him be utilized well out of the bullpen. That depth will be very necessary in the Saturday doubleheader, one which I see being a split.

The finale could spell all sorts of things for Penn State, however one of them in particular could be how the pitching staff eases into their bullpen roles. A four-game set helps largely with this in seeing everyone’s second impressions, leading the structure as the factor behind a finale win.