While this is Mike Deese's third season at Penn State, when he looks at this year's lineup, he can't help but get excited.
"You look down the lineup, there really is any point in time where anyone can get on, hit a double," Deese said. "We're scoring at will right now. Guys are working hard this year, doing their jobs and getting on. It's fun hitting in that kind of lineup."
The senior and the rest of the Nittany Lion baseball team will play its fourth game in five days when it plays Kent State at 3 p.m. today at Schoonover Stadium.
Starting for Penn State (11-8) will be lefty Mike Lorentson. The senior has struggled so far this season, going 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA.
Coach Robbie Wine said Lorentson hasn't done as well as the team hoped as a starter so far but Lorentson is valuable as a swing pitcher. Wine said Lorentson may have better stuff for a shorter stint but with two midweek games, a spot opened for the veteran.
As for the Golden Flashes (13-4), they are hitting .307 as a team and have just a 3.94 ERA.
The pitching strength could be an obstacle for the potent Lion attack.
Wes Borden, who is second on the team with three stolen bases, said his club usually doesn't go with the same lineup for consecutive games. He said that means everyone on the team has shown he can hit, thus helping the offense become a team strength.
Six of Penn State's wins have been after the squad was trailing. Although Wine said getting up early makes the team freer to try different tactics like a hit and run, he has noticed his club's tendency to rally.
"These guys seem to wake up when their backs are against the wall a little bit, too," Wine said. "There's a little anxiety feeling. I don't know. I think we've hit in every situation this year, and I think they've responded to every one of them good so far."
Wine said the hitters have done a good job of knowing when to be patient or more aggressive. Against New York Tech lefty Andrew Guarassi, who struck out seven in seven innings, Penn State fell behind 2-0 before scoring the game's final four runs.
When faced with a pitcher as effective as Guarassi was, Wine said his team needed to make "things happen instead of just sitting back and waiting for them to happen."
Wine said one such play was when Cory Wine got jammed yet still fought off the pitch for a double in left field and brought in the game's winning run.
Fast-forward two days, and Penn State was more effective by not swinging, as it walked 11 times in a 9-2 victory.
Learning how to approach a situation depending on an at-bat is one aspect Wine wants to continue to see.
"We have to be patient at times. We have to slug it out at times," Wine said. "We talked about turning it loose. I think they're learning -- I hope they're learning."
