A "new era" was proclaimed when Medlar Field at Lubrano Park was scheduled to welcome the Penn State baseball team tomorrow during its home opener against intrastate rival Pittsburgh.

That dream is on standby, as tomorrow night's game has been postponed because of the recent snowstorm. The field should be cleared for Penn State's series against Central Connecticut on Friday.

Rick Marlin only played one year at newly retired Beaver Field, nervously charging balls in the outfield that could bounce in a plethora of different directions, but he is thankful that all such worries and bad hops are now gone.

And now, routine plays should become, well, routine.

"It's something where you don't have to worry about the field because everything is smooth," Marlin said, "and they take care of the field real well."

Team sports information director Matt Beltz said the grounds crew at Medlar Field was unable to get the tarp over the field in time to prevent a "snow-out," but it would be able to clear the infield by today.

A makeup date for the Pittsburgh contest has yet to be determined, but tickets purchased for the game can be used at the rescheduled date. And with the forecast calling for warmer temperatures later in the week, it is expected that the outfield snow should melt before this weekend's series.

Plowing or shoveling the snow is not an option because it can damage the grass surface, Beltz said.

Although it is Penn State's turn to use the facilities at Medlar Field, and the university owns the stadium, the State College Spikes, a minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, are responsible for maintaining the field all year.

Matt Neri, the sports turf manager at Medlar Field, was unavailable for comment.

"If you get 10 inches of snow, I don't care if you get the crew from Augusta National," Beltz said, "it's still going to be tough."

When the snow melts, Beaver Field -- responsible for many bad hops in the outfield and infield, alike -- will become a distant memory. Penn State junior outfielder Brian Ernst remembers the grass being so hard, grounders through the second base gap could skip their way to the fence in an instant.

Playing at the venue didn't embarrass Ernst, but he couldn't help but admit a sense of relief heading into what players have fondly been calling "The Med."

The Lions, currently 2-12, were waiting for a boost by playing at home before their seven-game losing streak ever began.

But Penn State can't escape the reality of a northeastern baseball school's wintry environment during early spring.

Before anticipating the opener a couple weeks ago, all Ernst had to say was "It's probably going to be pretty cold."

"Our old field last year, old Beaver Field, wasn't too much. Having a new field, a good fan base out there to support us, that really helps the team," Ernst said. "It wasn't a bad field. Just compared to all the other stadiums we have on campus, it wasn't up to par.

"Now we have one of the top fields in the country, so it will be nice to have teams respect where we are playing."