Sports briefs

Linksters to test field in Jacksonville

The Penn State men's golf team begins spring play this weekend at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship in Jacksonville, Fla., hosted by the University of North Florida, at Queens Harbor Yacht and Country Club.

The 19-team field will play the 6,865-yard, par-72 course from today through Sunday, with 18 holes slated for each day.

"The Mercedes-Benz will help us prepare for our first District 2 tournament," coach Greg Nye said. "If we could finish in the top 12, that would be a great accomplishment. We haven't had the chance to get outside much."

In addition to Penn State -- seven Southeastern Conference schools (Tennessee, LSU, Mississippi State, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt), two ACC teams (Florida State, Maryland) along with Tulsa, Rhode Island, Virginia Tech, South Alabama, Augusta State and College of Charleston -- will compete.

Tulsa captured last year's tournament championship with a 7-over par 871 total.

Laxers visit Maryland for second scrimmage

The Penn State men's lacrosse team battles Maryland at 2 p.m. Sunday in Maryland for its second scrimmage of the season.

The Nittany Lions, who defeated Cornell, 12-5, in a scrimmage last Saturday, are No. 15 in the USILA pre-season poll.

Penn State's first regular season game is at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 against No. 11 Notre Dame in Holuba Hall.

Lady sluggers play Bloomsburg in Holuba

The Penn State softball team moves closer to the beginning of a new season under a new coach with a scrimmage at noon Sunday against Bloomsburg in Holuba Hall.

First-year coach Robin Petrini has 17 returning letter winners -- including nine starters -- and four freshmen in her inaugural campaign. Last year's squad posted a 24-26 record, finishing ninth in the Big Ten at 5-18.

Penn State is anchored by senior co-captains Marisa Marucci and Shannon Salsburg. Marucci started 49 of the Lady Lions' 50 games a year ago and will resume her assignment at second base. She batted .229, with 36 hits, 24 runs and 18 RBI.

Salsburg, a 1996 GTE CoSIDA Academic All-American at first base, belted a team-high nine home runs last season and also paced the Lions in slugging percentage (.571) and RBI (38).

The Lady Lions open the regular season at 2 p.m. Feb. 28 through Sunday March 2 at the East Carolina Tournament in Greenville, N.C. Penn State will face Towson State, Canisius and Radford, among other teams, in the three-day event.

Netwomen hit road to Princeton Invitational

Women's tennis coach Sue Whiteside will travel with freshmen Allison Barnett and Pilar Montgomery for the Feb. 21-23 Princeton Invitation.

The Lady Lion rookies will compete against some Eastern Region individuals.

Whiteside said she wanted to give her younger players a chance to get ranked in the Eastern Region.

Barnett and Montgomery have been playing in both singles and doubles competition so far this spring season and have been victorious in each of their matches.

Barnett has won two matches at the singles two draw, while Montgomery has won three matches at the singles one, three and four positions.