Penn State baseball v. Bucknell, Harry

Penn State baseball infielder Jay Harry catches a pop-fly during their game against Bucknell on Thursday, April 6, 2022, at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in University Park, Pa.

The blue and white is coming home to State College for its first home series of the season following its third and final weekend at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Penn State split its last four games, which included two wins and a loss against Brown and a loss against North Carolina, and will return to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park with a 9-5 overall record.

In the next 10 days, Penn State looks to impress the home crowd, facing strong teams in Georgetown and Binghamton.

Penn State was slated to play Navy on Wednesday evening; however, the game was canceled due to unplayable field conditions.

Here’s a look into how the blue and white matches up against this week’s opponents.

Georgetown

Penn State begins a three-game weekend series against Georgetown. The Hoyas currently boast a strong 10-6 record following a 2-1 series win against Hartford.

Georgetown has been incredibly strong on offense, combining for 44 total runs in its last five games, four of which have been wins. To achieve success against the Nittany Lions, the visitor will have to bring its better hitting to the plate to surpass the Penn State bullpen.

The hitters to look out for in this weekend’s series for Georgetown are junior Michael Eze and graduate student Ubaldo Lopez. The two have combined for 29 runs and 27 RBIs on 35 hits in 16 games this season.

However, Penn State has its own strong hitters to be wary of in junior Jay Harry and graduate student Thomas Bramley. Together, they’ve combined for 23 runs and 22 RBIs on 35 hits in 14 games this season.

On the mound, Georgetown will likely look to its most consistent pitchers in graduate students Tyler Mead and Jake Bloss.

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Mead has looked the most consistent this season for the Hoyas, boasting a 2.13 ERA, allowing only four runs on 10 hits and recording a whopping 19 strikeouts.

Bloss has also been strong on the mound for Georgetown, holding a 1.69 ERA, allowing four runs on 12 hits and recording 25 strikeouts.

Binghamton

To start next week, Penn State will face Binghamton on Tuesday evening. The Bearcats currently hold a 5-7 record after winning their most recent series against George Washington, 2-1. Over the weekend, they’ll face Lafayette before traveling to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

Binghamton may have a losing record currently, but when it does win, it wins convincingly. In their five wins this season, the Bearcats have won by an average of 9.4 runs

Binghamton’s top hitters are sophomore Devan Bade and junior Tommy Reifler. Both hitters have 14 total hits this season and have combined for 16 RBIs in just 12 games played so far the Bearcats.

For Penn State, the starters will be the key to victory. Binghamton starts off hot, as its players have scored at least one run in the first inning in their last three games. Most recently, the Bearcats jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the top of the first inning against George Washington.

The most likely candidates to start on the mound for Penn State are senior Jordan Morales and sophomore Tommy Molsky.

Morales has had a strong start to the season, currently holding a 4.60 ERA, allowing eight runs on 14 hits and recording 17 strikeouts.

In contrast, Molsky has struggled so far this season. With a 7.15 ERA, including 12 runs allowed on 14 hits along with 15 walks, Molsky has a lot to prove in his next few starts to keep his spot in the rotation.

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