While the team's record is 5-12, Penn State baseball coach Robbie Wine said that isn't indicative of the Nittany Lions' talent.
"As bad it seems, there's progress, we're making progress," Wine said. "Our pitchers, their roles are being defined."
There's still a few openings in the starting rotation, and the Penn State pitchers will try filling that void at 6:35 tonight against Ohio State in the Big Ten opener on the road.
Right-handed pitcher Seth Whitehill starts tonight, and Mike Wanamaker and Mike Lorentson will start tomorrow's doubleheader.
Whitehill and Lorentson both have ERAs over 5.00. Two pitchers, who were supposed to compete in the starting rotation, sophomore John Karr and junior college transfer T.J. Macy, have not pitched this season.
"We'll battle through it," Wine said about the early season struggles. "It's all about team character. And you battle through these tough times, it's going to make you better."
The pitching stats have been inflated by those early season troubles, including unearned runs --the Lions have given up 10 or more runs six times -- but Penn State had its finest pitching performances last weekend.
Part of it is because the Penn State starters have begun to stretch out their arms, pitching deeper into the game and taking the pressure off the bullpen. It's such a science that Wine pulled right-handed pitcher Ryan Stobart after a double play because Stobart had thrown 100 pitches.
Right-handed pitcher Mike Wanamaker pitched seven innings while only allowing five hits and one run in the first game of last Sunday's doubleheader while on the backend of the doubleheader, left-handed pitcher Mike Lorentson went six scoreless innings, scattering three hits.
"[Lorentson] has been picking it up, he was struggling a little bit in Florida, trying to do too much," said Stobart, who starts Sunday against the Buckeyes. "The coaches settled him down a little bit. He really came out and did his thing."
Stobart said that Wanamaker is this year's Craig Clark, in that Wanamaker has been pitching solid all year -- 3.00 ERA in five starts -- but hasn't received run support. Last year, Clark had a 2.77 ERA in 14 starts, but only registered six wins.
Even as Sunday's starter, Stobart is following the team's approach of taking the series one game at a time.
"The whole team is worried about Friday and that's where our mindset is, not where our record is, not where any of that stuff is," Stobart said. "Just Friday, conference starts, where everybody's at zero."
