The Penn State Nittany Lions are seeking a late-season surge after getting swept by the No. 14 UCLA Bruins last weekend, and in comes the Maryland Terrapins. The Terps have had a less-than-stellar season as they are nine games below .500 in conference play, so it could be a real opportunity for the Nittany Lions. Here are the biggest storylines for this weekend's crucial clash in Happy Valley.
Maryland: Porter and Calarco providing a powerful spark
First baseman Hollis Porter has been mashing in his first season with the Terrapins, crushing 18 home runs which places second in the Big Ten. He leads the team in slugging percentage at .656, and his 55 runs batted in is two away from tying the highest on the roster. Behind the plate, catcher Alex Calarco has had quite the season, tying for second in the Big Ten in runs batted in with 57. Calarco has hit 16 home runs, which is second on the Terrapins behind Porter, in 46 games this year.
Maryland: Bullpen has had its share of struggles
On the mound, the Terrapins have not had much success once the starters go out of the game this year. Not a single bullpen pitcher has an earned run average under 5.00, and the pitching staff, as a whole, has the second-most walks in the Big Ten with 238. Right-handed pitcher Cristofer Cespedes has separated himself as Maryland's top reliever with the best strikeout-to-walk ratio among bullpen pitchers for the Terrapins, with 29 strikeouts and 15 walks.
Penn State: Rotation making a change
The Nittany Lions are opting for a different look among starting pitchers this weekend, as right-handed pitcher Mason Horwat is not listed in the probable starting rotation in the series notes. Horwat is typically the Saturday starter for Penn State, but now the ball is being given to the typical Sunday starter and left-handed pitcher Logan Olson. Sunday's starter is unannounced as of now, but with the return of Matt Morash from injury, there is a chance we see the sophomore left-handed pitcher on the bump for Game 3.
Penn State: Eyes on the prize in Omaha
The Nittany Lions have given away their chances to make it to the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid after losing all three games of their road series to No. 14 UCLA last weekend. Now needing to win the Big Ten Tournament, Penn State needs to make it into the 12-team field that will play in Omaha, Nebraska, in three weeks. The Nittany Lions are currently in eighth place in the conference standings, and their "magic number" to qualify for the conference tournament is seven.
1. Friday Projected Starters
Maryland: LHP Kyle McCoy (4-2, 3.27 ERA)
Penn State: LHP Ryan DeSanto (7-1, 3.58 ERA)
2. Saturday Projected Starters
Maryland: RHP Joey McMannis (1-2, 9.00 ERA)
Penn State: LHP Logan Olson (0-3, 7.94 ERA)
3. Sunday Projected Starters
Maryland: LHP Omar Melendez (1-2, 7.83 ERA)
Penn State: To be announced.
Portney's Picks
What the Terrapins lack in pitching depth is they make up for in heavy hitting and left-handed pitching presence. I could see this series being a tale of three wildly different games, with a pitcher's duel on Friday and unpredictability on Saturday and Sunday. With a reworked rotation and home-field advantage, I see Penn State taking two-of-three this weekend.