In every major college athletic program, the number of studs and unsung heroes are nearly identical. They are the people who don't grab the newspaper headlines. An unsung hero keeps the program afloat when needed.

That title fits Penn State fencer Brendan Baby.

Baby, 17-7 this season and 80-41 for his career, gets the motor running when odds are stacked in the opponent's favor.

Against a tough St. John's squad on January 27, Baby faced a 3-4 deficit. The Lions needed two wins for the epee squad to defeat St. John's. Baby won and teammate Adam Wiercioch took the next bout for a 5-4 come-from-behind victory.

"On the first touch, I was lucky," Baby said. "I said to myself, 'Hey, look. I can find the opportunity.' It gave me confidence."

Heeding the advice of assistant coach Ben Millett, Baby relaxed for that last bout against the Red Storm after two disheartening losses. Baby didn't hesitate as he attacked instead of reacting while on his heals. Baby scored the win with what he characterized as a stroke of luck.

"Luckily I hit him," said Baby. "If I had missed, it could have been bad."

Baby grew up in Wilmette, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. It was somewhat of a culture shock coming to State College.

"We get off Route 80 and it's 20 miles of rural countryside," Baby said. "Driving in, I was thinking, 'this could be interesting.'"

Baby made himself at home. After a freshman year record of 25-10, he had officially arrived. He proved that previous fencing credentials only go so far. Adaptation to the college game is needed to be successful. Like his major, it's been history ever since.

That history consists of rising to challenges. Just last year, while epee teammate Daniel Landgren was busy winning individual gold at the NCAA championships, Baby garnered enough points to place Penn State atop the collegiate fencing world for the sixth straight year. In those three wins, Baby has seen each angle.

"The first time was probably the best time," Baby said. "When you're ahead and people catch up, it's scary. When you're behind, it's exciting."

During his sophomore year, Brendan went 3-0 against a Notre Dame team the Lions only beat by one point. Simply put, Baby gets the job done.

"Brendan has a sense of purpose and good discipline," coach Emmanuil Kaidanov said. "He loves sharing what he knows. He's a generous guy."

Kaidanov will miss Baby when the season concludes. He touched on Baby's smile and optimistic point of view.

"He's a great person," epee fencer Stephanie Eim said. "I will miss him a lot. He was the first person I met on the team. He was someone who kept me going with his positive attitude and simply showed me what the Penn State tradition is all about."

Brendan's career isn't over just yet, though. At other schools, Baby could've gone to NCAA tournaments and earned All-America honors. In Happy Valley, Landgren is the NCAA champion in men's epee. Freshman Wiercioch is honing in on the playoffs. Since team's can only contribute two competitors at one individual weapon, it may leave Baby out in the cold.

"I want to win another NCAA team title," Baby said. "I want to make sure I enjoy my time with the team and enjoy my last year."

If he can't compete, Baby will be cheering for his teammates every step of the way. That echoes his unselfishness and makes him an unsung hero for the Nittany Lions.