Baseball Weekend Preview: Penn State

The Nebraska baseball team (17-10, 7-2 Big Ten) will travel to State College this weekend and look to bounce back, taking on conference foe Penn State (17-12, 1-7 Big Ten) in a three-game series at Medlar Field.

The Huskers are looking to bounce back after suffering a 10-2 home loss to in-state rival Creighton. Prior to the matchup against the Bluejays, Nebraska was unbeaten at home and had won 11 of their last 13 games, with the only two losses coming on the very last pitches against Minnesota.

Penn State currently sits at an RPI of 152, having been swept by both Minnesota and Purdue and also losing two of three to Indiana. Given the Nittany Lions' performance so far this season, anything short of winning three games this weekend will prove to be a disappointment. No one knows that more than outfielder Joe Acker, who describes the Creighton game as a "fluke" and knows that the team expects more. "Guys are going to have to bring energy and get prepared for the weekend ahead of us," Acker said. "We're coming into Penn State this weekend expecting to come home with three wins and that's what we expect as a team."

After the Huskers finish up the series against Penn State, the Huskers will return for two mid-week games, facing Kansas State at Haymarket Park on Tuesday and Omaha up at Werner Park the following day.

Friday, 12 p.m.: Matt Waldron (4-0, 1.64 ERA) vs. Dante Biasi (3-3, 1.75 ERA)

Saturday, 2 p.m.: Nate Fisher (4-1, 2.35 ERA) vs. Bailey Dees (2-1, 4.38 ERA)

Saturday 6 p.m.: Reece Eddins (2-2, 5.14 ERA) vs. Eric Mock (2-1, 2.83 ERA)

***Friday's matchup can be seen on BTN+ with a monthly subscription while Saturday and Sunday's games can be streamed on Penn State's LionVision. As always, the game can be heard on the Husker Sports Network.

Palensky provides offensive spark: Aside from Tuesday's matchup against Creighton, the Husker bats have really come alive this season and Nebraska's Aaron Palensky has been at the forefront. Palensky is currently fourth in the Big Ten this year in batting average (.355) and ranks fifth in the conference in hits with 38. Perhaps what's been most impressive is the fact that Palensky has recorded a hit in 24 of the Huskers 27 games this year.

Waldron starting off the weekend, again: Senior pitcher Matt Waldron has been the reliable starter who opens up the weekend series for the Huskers virtually all season and he hasn't disappointed. Waldron boasts an ERA of 1.64 through 44.0 IP, striking out a team-leading 48 batters and only allowing three total walks on the year. Waldron's 16.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio is first in the Big Ten and tied for third in the nation. In his career, Waldron has struck out a total of 208 batters and sits at eighth all-time in program history, just four away from tying for seventh.

Strong start key for the Huskers: This year, the Huskers have been able to find success in getting out to an early lead on their opponents while struggling to come from behind. Nebraska currently holds a 9-2 record when scoring in the first inning while also possessing a record of 13-3 when scoring first. However, it's a different story for the Huskers on the opposite end of things who hold a 4-7 record when opponents score first. This year has shown that it's key for Nebraska to get on opponents early and hold a lead rather than having to battle back.

***The Nittany Lions hold a 17-12 record but have struggled in conference play. They are currently second-to-last in the conference standings with only a 1-7 record.

***Nebraska holds the overall series record at 8-2, dating back to 2012. The last time the Huskers traveled to State College, they came away with a 21-3 win and coming away with the Big Ten regular-season conference title.

***Senior outfielder Jordan Bowersox is currently on a roll at the plate. He has a team-high batting average of .333 along with 35 total hits and 21 runs scored. Look for Bowersox to get on base early and often for the Nittany Lions if they expect to take the series

***Head coach of Penn State, Rob Cooper, holds an overall head coaching record of 400-401 but, in his sixth season for the Nittany Lions, only holds a record of 114-171.