May 13, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Hosting its final non-conference contest of the 2013 season, the Penn State baseball team will face off with Villanova on Tuesday, May 14. The Nittany Lions (12-34, 3-18 Big Ten) will take on the Wildcats (11-39, 2-19 Big East) at 3:35 p.m. at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Promotions: All Penn State students are welcomed to attend the PSU vs. Villanova contest for FREE. Winning Weekend scratch-off tickets will be available for fans at the gates while supplies last.
Links: The non-conference game will be available via and Listen Live at GoPSUsports.com, as well as updated at the @PennStateBASE Twitter account.
Last Time Out: The Lions return to Happy Valley after dropping a three-game set to Big Ten foe Illinois this past weekend. Freshman Nick Hedge (Winnetka, Ill.) shined in his home state, posting 7.1 scoreless innings in two appearances against the Illini with just two hits allowed. Making the start on Sunday for Penn State, the rookie fired 5.0 innings with only one hit allowed while striking out two. Hedge now holds a 3.86 ERA and an opposing batting average of .229.
Leading the Lions at the plate this weekend, freshman James Coates (Girard, Ohio) went 5-for-13 for a .385 average, collecting a run, an RBI and his first career double against Illinois. The rookie has now recorded 44 hits, 22 runs and 17 RBIs with 12 multiple-hit games this season. Going 3-for-8 in two appearances, fellow freshman Tyler Kendall (Boynton Beach, Fla.) tallied three RBIs, including two in the 5-4 loss to the Illini to tie his career record. Each batting over .300 in the three-game set, junior Alex Farkes (Boston, Mass.) went 4-for-11 in three appearances and sophomore Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.) went 2-for-6 in two appearances. Farkes collected a run, two RBIs and a double, while Novak notched two runs and double. The sophomore's eight-game hitting streak was snapped on Sunday, posting 10 hits, five hits and two RBIs during the stretch.
Lion Stats: Leading Penn State with a .284 batting average, senior Luis Montesinos (Miami, Fla.) continues to lead the squad with two triples and co-leads the team with sophomore J.C. Coban (Boca Raton, Fla.) with 22 RBIs. Coban holds a team-best seven doubles and has recorded two home runs this season, while redshirt junior Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) leads the Lions with 49 hits and 23 runs. The trio has combined for 140 hits, 56 RBIs and 55 runs.
Sophomore Patton Taylor (Nichols, N.Y.) will make the start on Tuesday, currently holding a 13.50 ERA in four appearances and three starts. Penn State's bullpen continues to be led by redshirt senior Cody Lewis (Laguna Niguel, Calif.), who boasts a 2.27 ERA with an opposing batting average of .200. Lewis has made a team-high 19 appearances this season, allowing 21 hits and just eight earned runs while striking out 37 in 31.2 innings. Sitting with a 3.45 ERA and a 2-1 record, senior Neal Herring (West Chester, Pa.) has now fired 15.2 innings in nine appearances and one start. Herring has allowed 16 hits and six earned runs in 15.2 innings with seven strikeouts.
Scouting the Wildcats: Currently riding a 10-game losing streak, Villanova recently dropped a conference series to No. 17 Pittsburgh this weekend, falling 4-3, 12-4 and 10-2. The Wildcats are led by senior Tyler Sciacca, holding a team-best batting average of .297, as well as a slugging percentage of .445. Sciacca also leads his squad with 16 doubles, two triples and 29 RBIs. Resting with a .290 batting average, senior Paul Rambaud has also tallied two triples, and sits with a team-best 53 hits and 28 runs scored. Despite only posting a batting average of .195, junior Connor Jones has recorded three home runs and sits with 29 hits, 24 RBIs and 21 runs, as well as five doubles and two triples for a .315 slugging percentage. The trio has combined for 128 hits, 70 RBIs and 65 runs this season.
Expected to make the start on Tuesday against Taylor, sophomore Jeff Courter currently sits with a 4.28 ERA and an opposing batting average of .268. In 14 appearances and three starters, Courter has allowed 40 hits and 19 earned runs while striking out 18 in 40.0 innings of work. The Villanova bullpen is led by senior Matt Longfield and junior Matt Meurer, holding respective ERAs of 4.50 and 6.14. Longfield has allowed 12 hits and seven earned runs with 20 strikeouts in 22 appearances, while Meurer has given up 62 hits and 33 earned runs with 37 strikeouts in 25 appearances and five starts.
All-Time Series: Penn State leads the all-time series against Villanova, holding a 30-29 advantage since the first meeting between the two squads in 1902. The Lions have not faced the Wildcats since May 12, 2009, when Villanova topped PSU 10-5 in Happy Valley. There has not been a Penn State victory over Villanova since April 3, 1976, when the Lions claimed a 10-4 victory at Villanova.
Up Next: The Lions will conclude the 2013 season this weekend, hosting Michigan State for the final Big Ten series. Thursday, May 16's first pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m., while Friday's contest will begin at 2:05 p.m. at Medlar Field. The series will conclude on Saturday, May 18 at 1:05 p.m. for Penn State's Senior Day. All contests are FREE for Penn State students.
Tickets: Season tickets for students are just $20, with Student General Admission tickets starting at $2 and Student Bleacher tickets at $1. Season tickets for Adult General Admission start at $63, while Adult General Admission tickets are sold for $4. For fans interested in the Diamond Club "In the Box" seats, single games start at $6 and season tickets will be sold for $99. Youth General Admission and Season tickets are the same cost as student tickets. Single game tickets can be purchased at the Spikes' Box Office or via the Tickets page on GoPSUSports.com.
Check back to GoPSUSports.com for continued updates during the 2013 season. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/PennStateBASE and find us on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstatebaseball.