The Penn State Nittany Lions continue Big Ten conference play in Evanston as they match up against the Northwestern Wildcats. For storylines, starting pitcher matchups, and picks, read below.
Penn State: Pitching depth concerns may loom large
In Game 2 against Indiana last Friday, sophomore right-handed pitcher Mason Horwat exited the game with two outs in the first inning. He had to be taken out by the athletic trainer into the dugout, however, there was no clarity on the severity of the injury. Horwat has not been listed in this weekend's game notes for the starting rotation.
On top of that, the Nittany Lion bullpen has been struggling recently. The pitching staff has not allowed less than six runs in a game since February 22. In the Tuesday loss to Georgetown, Penn State allowed 14 earned runs and 15 hits. The Nittany Lions have depth on the mound, but there have only been a few trustworthy arms lately.
Penn State: Different lineup, same great offense
This week, the Nittany Lions tried something new with their lineup, with one of the changes being right fielder Cohl Mercado moving from ninth to the top of the order. Another major lineup change was bringing centerfielder Paxton Kling to third in the order.
The bats only continued to heat up in the two games it was implemented in this week against Georgetown, scoring 21 runs and batting .307 in 75 at-bats. The Penn State bats also hit five home runs, but the spotlight of the midweek was on Paxton Kling. The junior centerfielder went 5-for-5 with two doubles and 3 runs batted in against Georgetown on Wednesday.
Northwestern: Greenspan in year two
Wildcats' head coach Ben Greenspan was tasked with turning around the Northwestern baseball program starting in 2024. So far, he's had a 25-42 record in Evanston, but his teams have clinched notable series wins over Maryland and Long Beach State in his tenure.
Greenspan was recently given the Sidney and Mildred LaPidus Head Baseball Coach endowment, which will give extra funding to the baseball program according to news.northwestern.edu.
Northwestern: Non-conference slate prepares Wildcats
The Wildcats played four games against Power Four opponents before Big Ten conference play, with three being against Duke and one against Indiana. In that stretch, the Wildcats went 0-4 and were outscored 35 to 15 overall.
The highlight of that four-game stretch came off the bats of outfielders Preston Knott and Jackson Freeman, who went a combined 3-for-8 with two home runs and four runs batted in against Duke on March 1.
1. Friday Projected Starters
Penn State: LHP Ryan DeSanto (3-0, 3.78 ERA)
Northwestern: LHP Crawford Wade (1-2, 5.95 ERA)
2. Saturday Projected Starters
Penn State: LHP Matt Morash (0-1, 6.30 ERA)
Northwestern: RHP Matthew Kouser (2-1, 4.91 ERA)
3. Sunday Projected Starters
Penn State: TBD
Northwestern: TBD
Portney's Picks
The rotation being in question and the bullpen depth for the Nittany Lions raises concerns. The Wildcats are no slouch, but their arms will be no match for the Penn State bats. Penn State will take two out of three against Northwestern this weekend.