Where does Penn State baseball go from here?

The Nittany Lions had arguably their worst weekend of the Mike Gambino era to open 2026, going 1-2 with two run-rule losses bookending their time at the MLB Desert Invitational.

Perfect Game All-Conference selection Bryce Molinaro struggled to record an RBI all weekend and had just three hits in 11 tries.

The run game that led the Big Ten in stolen bases last year was only able to record four stolen bases all weekend.

The pitching was not all great either as only two pitchers walked away without an earned run allowed all weekend in Ben DeMell and Frankie Sanchez.

Furthermore, the staff walked 26 batters and struck out only 15, tacking on nine hit by pitch and 14 extra-base hits allowed.

The fielding was an added crutch to the mix, committing seven errors. The Nittany Lions had five of those in the opener, their most in the Mike Gambino era.

On the topic of history, Penn State's 15-3 loss to Air Force last Friday was the first run-rule loss to start the season in program history.

One final note: the Sunday finale loss to Kansas State, which was a whopping 24-5 defeat in seven innings, was the worst since 1898, a 24-1 loss to Manhattan on the road.

Okay, rant over. Let's get to the positives.

The blue and white get a fresh start this weekend; make that four fresh starts in a 'get right' series at Malcolm U. Pitt Field as they travel to face the Richmond Spiders.

This may have looked like a pushover series at first, but now it's time to wipe that slate clean. What does Penn State need to do right this weekend?

Pitching: Settle into the bullpen roles

The preaching point for the Nittany Lions all offseason was the bullpen depth, and I still believe that statement to be true.

There are many quality arms in the pen, including Towson transfer Kyle Emmons and NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List member Dimond Loosli.

The bullpen had to go with the flow of the games, however, which turned into garbage time roles in all three of them regardless of score.

Because of this, there was no closer and therefore no set-up arm. The most semblance of order in the pen was in the middle of the Grand Canyon game, when Ben DeMell stepped up in relief of the starter Ben Hudson in the sixth.

It's nice for a team to show off its new toys in Week 1, but order is key. These are real game situations that require the relievers to be more than just 'with the flow.'

This Richmond team scored only 20 runs all weekend, 12 of which coming after the third inning against Monmouth.

Winning the middle and late innings will prove to be pivotal, even if it means going back to basics.

Plus, with Michael Anderson recovering from back tightness, the Nittany Lions get back a high-velocity closer with lots of potential soon.

Hitting: Find the 'hit for average' players

The Nittany Lions hit a home run with their transfer portal... too many of those, in fact, for it not to show up all weekend as the lone one was a solo shot by Jesse Jaconski in garbage time on Sunday.

Besides that point, it was clear that the lineup was not ordered correctly for solid-contact hitters.

Cohl Mercado went 1-for-7 in his first two games, being sported as the leadoff guy but now it could be challenged.

If Justin Turcovski, who went 3-for-6 last weekend, gets more reps in the outfield, he could definitely move up to that spot. This is the time to do it with Indiana State looming next week.

Molinaro is a power bat, and as the cleanup batter he is book-ended by power hitters in Jaconski and Jack Porter.

The offensive identity starts with having players that can get on base and moves forward with the run game.

Get the runners involved, and the offense gets back to its winning ways. Until then, it'll be a hope and pray for a long ball with punch-and-judy hitting mixed in somehow.

Point is, when one player is slumping, a team can struggle as a result. The 'get right' series is right in front of them as they face a pitching staff that won't be as competitive.

Fielding: Alignment and assignment

The biggest factor this past weekend was found in putting players where they needed to be, however that seemed not to be the case as much.

In a supposed feel-out phase for the blue and white on defense, some players established where they should be in all of that.

Spencer Barnett enjoyed his spot at first base, not committing a single error on the weekend. His bat was solid enough to make a case for him staying there as well.

The problem now arises between two players who need fielding improvement in Porter and Tampa transfer Kevin Karstetter.

Porter watched a routine double turn into a triple this weekend and Karstetter took part in a share of errors in the infield.

Only one can be a designated hitter, but now Anderson's power bat is called into question as he continues to recover from back tightness.

Will it still be a feel-out phase in Richmond this weekend? It seems like it, especially as three catchers made their case for playing time.

The infield continues to rotate, leaving much to be desired. Only time will tell if true freshman Preston Yaucher sees more time at short, along with much more.

Overall, letting the moment breathe and getting back to fundamentals is the key in all of this. Remembering the why behind America's pastime should do Penn State a little good moving forward.