Nittany Lions Return to the Tar Heel State to Face Wildcats (Series Preview)

Penn State (5-2, Big Ten) at Davidson (3-5, Atlantic 10)

Dates: March 1-3

Times: 5:30 PM, 1:30 PM, 4:30 PM, 1:00 PM

Coverage

• TV: ESPN+ (Friday & Sunday only)

• Live Stats: StatBroadcast (PSU) & WildcatStats (Davidson)

Storylines

Nittany Lions Clinch First Ranked Series Win Since 2007 (Link to Story)

The Nittany Lions clinched the series with a mercy-rule win, with the game ending after seven innings. Penn State became the first team to defeat Stanford by a 10+ run margin in back-to-back games since Florida State in the 2012 Tallahassee Super Regional.

Howard Named A-10 Rookie of the Week (Link to Story)

In the lineup as a designated hitter against Villanova, Howard was 7-for-11 at the plate (.636) with a double and five RBIs. In his college debut on Friday, Howard went 4-for-4 with four RBIs as the Wildcats won 11-8.

Numbers Tell The Story

Offense	Penn State	Davidson
Batting Average	.307	.248
On-Base Pct	.439	.401
Home Runs	10	5
Run Splits (F-S-S)	21-17-8	15-21-5

Defense	Penn State	Davidson
Earned Run Avg	4.87	11.18
Opponent Batting Avg	.238	.306
Strikeouts	51	81
Walks	28	63

First-Ever Meeting (www.GoPSUSports.com)

Penn State is 0-0 against Davidson all-time. Penn State is 6-3 against Atlantic 10 opponents all-time. Penn State last played St. Bonaventure in 2022, winning 3-2 in 10 innings. Davidson is 2-0 against Big Ten opponents all-time. Davidson last played against Michigan in 2015, winning 3-2.

Probable Starting Pitchers

Penn State (Starters)

1. RHP Travis Luensmann, Sr. (0-0, 3.00 ERA)

2. RHP Jaden Henline, Sr. (5-3, 4.70 ERA) [2023 Stats]

3. RHP Frankie Sanchez, Jr. (1-0, 1.50 ERA)

4. If Injured: RHP Carson Kohls, Sr. (0-1, 23.62 ERA)

5. RHP Mason Butash, Fr. (0-0, 9.00 ERA)

Penn State (In the Bullpen)

• LHP Anthony Steele, Jr. (3 app, 6.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP)

• RHP David Lee, Sr. (3 app, 4.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.46 WHIP)

• Closer: RHP Ben DeMell, R-So. (3 app, 12.00 ERA, 1 sv)

Davidson (Starters)

1. RHP Wilson Perkins, R-So. (1-1, 5.63 ERA)

2. LHP Cooper Cavanaugh, Fr. (0-0, 2.89 ERA)

3. LHP Ryan Feczko, R-Jr. (0-2, 9.95 ERA)

4. RHP Brycen Champey, So. (0-1, 8.22 ERA)

Davidson (In the Bullpen)

• RHP Adam Katz, Fr. (5 app, 3.0 IP, 24.00 ERA, 3.67 WHIP)

• LHP Isaac Fix, Jr. (4 app, 6.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 2.17 WHIP)

• Closer: LHP Jason Ban, Fr. (3 app, 4.50 ERA, 1 sv)

Top Hitters

Penn State (10.50|8.50|4.00 Runs per Game)

1. C Matt Maloney, Jr. (.467 avg, 1 hr, 12 rbi)

2. OF Adam Cecere, Gr. (.412 avg, 2 hr, 7 rbi)

3. INF Bryce Molinaro, So. (.233 avg, 2 hr, 8 rbi)

Davidson (7.50|10.50|2.50 Runs per Game)

1. INF Michael O'Shaughnessy, So. (.429 avg, 2 hr, 12 rbi)

2. INF Eli Putnam, Jr. (.385 avg, 2 hr, 6 rbi)

3. C/OF Jacob Friend, Jr. (.208 avg, .483 obp, 2 sb)

Game Lines

Friday: PSU -1 | O/U: 13.5

Saturday #1: DAV -4.5 | O/U: 13.5

Saturday #2

• Without Sanchez: DAV -9.5 | O/U: 19.5

• With Sanchez: PSU -0.5 | O/U: 9.5

Sunday: PSU -2.5 | O/U: 18.5

Game Promotions

Friday: N/A.

Saturday:  N/A.

Sunday: N/A.

Quick Picks: Expert Analysis

Bryan: Sanchez's injury status heavily impacts the Nittany Lions this week, in my opinion. However, after last week, I think they'll get comfortable in a series win. Penn State 3, Davidson 1.