They came, they saw, they didn't quite conquer.

The Penn State baseball team (4-6) lived it up in California during spring break, at the Pepsi/Johnny Quick Classic in Fresno, Calif.

Splitting the six-game stint 3-3, the Nittany Lions performed well enough to earn two nods to the Pepsi/Johnny Quick Classic All-Tournament team -- diaper dandy sophomores Craig Clark and Matt Lewis.

The Lions looked good against Monmouth last Monday, with sophomore catcher Joe Blackburn blasting a three-run home run to clinch the 6-3 win.

Gonzaga overpowered Penn State a day later 14-6, but signs of life came again from Blackburn who blew up for a second home run in as many days.

It wouldn't be the last time the Lions would face the Bulldogs, though.

After wins over Dallas Baptist and Southern Utah, and a stumble against San Francisco, in the tournament semifinal matchup the Bulldogs did all they could to hand Penn State the game.

Five unearned runs were dropped in the Lions' laps, but they still couldn't capitalize.

A 3-1 Penn State lead in the fifth inning slipped away to 4-3 Gonzaga advantage after RBI doubles from Kiel Thibault and Aaron McGuinness, and an RBI single from Jeff Culpepper.

The Bulldogs extended their lead with a four-run rally in the eighth, pushing the win just out of Penn State's reach.

Junior outfielder Lance Thompson tried to spark the Lions bats in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI double, but six runs was all the team could muster. Lewis was the star at the plate for the Lions all week, hitting a team best .435 with 10 hits. The outfielder also got it done running the dirt paths too, with three stolen bases and four runs scored.

The 3-3 tournament record isn't going to boost Penn State's overall reputation this year yet, but the warm weather experience could help them conquer more teams down the line as the season progresses.

The Lions see action next on Saturday against Delaware in Newark, Del.