Stidfole is the ace of the staff. Last season was his first full season in the routine of being a starter, and the experience had mixed results. Stidfole's strikeout total of 74 last season was second behind his brother Sean, but he also carried a five-plus ERA.
"He's the old guy," Penn State baseball coach Robby Wine said. "He's the guy that's been around. He's the guy that's been through the wars. We're going to expect a lot out of him."
Wine also notes Stidfole has shown a lot of leadership, not just with the pitchers but with the entire team.
The Lions aren't a one-horse staff. The other returning starter, junior left-hander Craig Clark, will enter in the No. 2 slot in the rotation, but has the talent to supplant Stidfole as the ace. Clark has been a consistent presence for Penn State, as he pitched every weekend last season, but had some trouble with his control.
"[Clark] has great stuff, but sometimes he can be his worst enemy," Penn State pitching coach Jason Bell said. "He beats up on himself. He has to learn to trust his stuff and realize that he has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in the league."
Two newcomers, freshman David Bumstead and sophomore Mark Wyner, fill the rest of the Lions' four-man rotation. Wyner, a transfer from West Virginia, is the more experienced of the two. Bumstead is a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and stands at an intimidating 6-foot-7.
"We have a lot more depth, a lot more experience," Wine said. "We'll be a lot more ready for the Big Ten this year. The consistency and experience we have this year is a lot better than last year."
But the experience and consistency of the pitching staff is a moot point if the guy catching can't call a good game.
"A bad catcher can make a great staff average," Wine said. "And a good catcher can make an average staff great."
The Lions shouldn't have that problem, as they return a solid set of backstops to support the emerging pitching staff.
The team's best overall catcher is also the one with the most question marks. Sophomore Joe Blackburn just finished rehabbing from Tommy John surgery -- an injury that sometimes has hit-or-miss results. Before going under the knife last season, Blackburn had a .310 average and 11 RBIs in 10 games.
"He's a hitter. He's a great defensive catcher," Wine said. "And he also has a great relationship with the pitchers. The pitchers trust him, and that's important to us."
That trust between a pitcher and a catcher is the most important one on the field. This is even evident in the Major Leagues where Greg Maddux is known for the need to have his own personal catcher.
The same goes for the Lions, as Stidfole has his own personal catcher in senior Aaron Greenfield. Greenfield has been behind the plate for just about every one of Stidfole's starts in college and Stidfole attributes his comfort level on the mound to the confidence he has in Greenfield.
So how do pitchers prepare for a game two weeks before the beginning of March?
"I'm a senior, I guess I'm used to it," Stidfole said. "By now we're all excited to get on the road. I'm actually having jitters thinking about it."
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