Penn State Nittany Lions baseball

Penn State Nittany Lions baseball
2024 Penn State Nittany Lions baseball team
UniversityPennsylvania State University
Athletic directorPatrick Kraft
Head coachMike Gambino (1st season)
ConferenceBig Ten
LocationUniversity Park, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Home stadiumMedlar Field at Lubrano Park
(Capacity: 5,570)
NicknameNittany Lions
ColorsBlue and white[1]
   
College World Series runner-up
1957
College World Series appearances
1952, 1957, 1959, 1963, 1973
NCAA regional champions
2000
NCAA Tournament appearances
1952, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 2000
Regular season conference champions
1996

The Penn State Nittany Lions baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate athletic team of the Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, United States. The team competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I and are members of the Big Ten Conference.

History

Penn State has played baseball continuously since 1893.[citation needed] The Nittany Lions currently play their home games at 5,570-seat Medlar Field, a facility that opened in 2006 and that they share with the State College Spikes of the MLB Draft League.

After spending most of their history as an Independent, the Nittany Lions joined the Atlantic 10 Conference ahead of the 1983 season. In 1989, Penn State announced plans to join the Big Ten Conference for all sports, beginning baseball play in the Big Ten in 1992.[2] Since joining the conference, Penn State won the 1996 regular season title and has advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game twice, most recently in 2024.

Throughout its history, Penn State has played in 17 NCAA baseball tournaments, advancing to the College World Series 5 times, and finishing as runners-up to California in 1957. Penn State's most recent College World Series appearance came in 1973 while its most recent NCAA tournament berth came in 2000, when the Nittany Lions won the Rutgers-hosted Montclair Regional before falling to Texas in the Austin Super Regional.

The Nittany Lions have been coached by Mike Gambino since the 2024 season.

Penn State in the NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Division I baseball tournament started in 1947. The Nittany Lions have played in 17 tournaments and advanced to the College World Series in 1952, 1957, 1959, 1963, and 1973, finishing as the runners-up to California in 1957.

Year Record Pct Notes
1952 2–2 .500 College World Series, 3rd place
1955 0-1 .000 Lost in District 2 Semifinals
1956 0-1 .000 Lost in District 2 Semifinals
1957 5–2 .714 College World Series, 2nd place
1958 0–1 .000 Lost in District 2 Semifinals
1959 4–2 .667 College World Series, 3rd place
1962 0–1 .000 Lost in District 2 Semifinals
1963 3–2 .600 College World Series, 5th place
1967 1–2 .333 District 2 Semifinals
1970 1-2 .333 District 2 Semifinals
1971 1-2 .333 District 2 Semifinals
1972 2–2 .500 District 2 Finals
1973 3–2 .600 College World Series, 7th place
1974 0-2 .000 District 2 Semifinals
1975 1–2 .333 Mideast Regional
1976 0–2 .000 Northeast Regional
2000 4–3 .571 Austin Super Regional
TOTALS
 27–31 .466

College World Series

Penn State baseball has appeared in the College World Series five times. Its best result was runner-up in 1957.[3][4]

Championship Results

College World Series[3][4]

Year Rank
1952 4
1957 2
1959 4
1963 6
1973 8

Super Regionals[4]

Year Rank
2000 2

Regionals[4]

Year Rank
2000 1
1976 5
1975 3
1975 4
1974 4
1973 1
1972 2
1971 3
1970 3
1967 3
1963 1
1962 3
1959 1
1958 3
1957 1
1956 3
1955 3

All-Time Scores

  • 1952 (2-2)
    • Penn State. 5, Texas 3
    • Penn State 12, Duke 7
    • Missouri 3, Penn State 2
    • Holy Cross 15, Penn State 4
  • 1957 (3-2)
    • Penn State 7, Florida State 0
    • Penn State 4, Texas 1
    • California 8, Penn State 0
    • Penn State 5, Notre Dame 4
    • California 1, Penn State 0
  • 1959 (2-2)
    • Penn State 5, Connecticut 3
    • Oklahoma State 8, Penn State 6
    • Penn St. 7, Clemson 0
    • Oklahoma State 4, Penn State 3
  • 1963 (1-2)
    • Arizona 8, Penn State 1
    • Penn State 3, Western Michigan 0
    • Texas 6, Penn State 4 (10 innings)
  • 1973 (0-2)
    • Arizona State 3, Penn State 1
    • Oklahoma 6, Penn State 0

[3]

Awards

Jace Diesing Sr. Most Outstanding Player Award

  • 1957: Cal Emery

[3]

Season by Season Result

Season League Conference Head Coach Conference Results Regular Season Conference Results NCAA Tournament
Wins Losses Ties Wins Losses Ties
Penn State Nittany Lions
1952 NCAA Independent Joe Bedenk 15 4 0 CWS, 3rd place
1955 NCAA Independent District 2 Semifinals
1956 NCAA Independent District 2 Semifinals
1957 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 19 0 0 District 2 Champions

CWS, 2nd place

1958 NCAA Independent District 2 Semifinals
1959 NCAA Independent 15 4 0 District 2 Champions

CWS, 3rd place

1962 NCAA Independent District 2 Semifinals
1963 NCAA Independent Chuck Medlar 13 4 0 District 2 Champions

CWS, 5th place

1965 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 0 0 0
1966 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 15 8 0
1967 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 16 8 1 District 2 Semifinals
1968 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 10 12 0
1969 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 14 8 0
1970 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 17 8 0 District 2 Semifinals
1971 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 15 6 0 District 2 Semifinals
1972 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 18 5 1 District 2 Finals
1973 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 19 7 0 District 2 Champions

CWS, 7th place

1974 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 18 6 1 District 2 Semifinals
1975 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 22 9 0 Mideast Regional
1976 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 18 8 0 Northeast Regional
1977 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 18 6 0
1978 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 17 6 2
1979 NCAA Eastern 8 0 0 0 20 5 0 5 Seed, 2-1
1980 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 17 7 0
1981 NCAA Independent 0 0 0 17 12 0
1982 NCAA Independent Shorty Stoner 0 0 0 17 11 0
1983 NCAA Atlantic 10 9 1 0 16 23 0 1 Seed West Division, 0-2, Lost to Temple in Title Game
1984 NCAA Atlantic 10 9 5 0 24 17 0 2 Seed West Division, 1-2, Lost to Temple in Lower Final
1985 NCAA Atlantic 10 11 4 0 32 14 0 2 Seed West Division, 1-2, Lost to West Virginia in Lower Final
1986 NCAA Atlantic 10 8 7 0 29 19 0 3 Seed West Division (Did not Qualify)
1987 NCAA Atlantic 10 12 6 0 29 19 0 2 Seed West Division, 0-2, Lost to UMass in Lower Round 1
1988 NCAA Atlantic 10 9 8 0 24 26 0 3 Seed West Division (Did not Qualify)
1989 NCAA Atlantic 10 12 4 0 23 19 1 2 Seed West Division, 0-2, Lost to GWU in Lower Round 1
1990 NCAA Atlantic 10 6 10 0 22 23 0 4 Seed West Division (Did not Qualify)
1991 NCAA Atlantic 10 Joe Hindelang 14 6 0 25 20 0 1 Seed West Division, 1-2, Lost to Rutgers in Lower Final
1992 NCAA Big Ten 11 17 0 24 24 0 8 Seed (Did not Qualify)
1993 NCAA Big Ten 5 23 0 15 28 0 10 Seed (Did not Qualify)
1994 NCAA Big Ten 12 15 0 25 24 0 6 Seed (Did not Qualify)
1995 NCAA Big Ten 13 13 0 25 29 0 5 Seed (Did not Qualify)
1996 NCAA Big Ten 19 8 0 32 24 0 1 Seed, 1-2, Eliminated by Illinois in Lower Final
1997 NCAA Big Ten 12 14 0 29 24 0 6 Seed (Did not Qualify)
1998 NCAA Big Ten 15 11 0 28 24 0 4 Seed, 1-2, Eliminated by Illinois in Lower Final
1999 NCAA Big Ten 12 15 0 32 23 0 6 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2000 NCAA Big Ten 18 9 0 41 17 0 2 Seed, 3-2, Eliminated by Illinois in Final Montclair Regional Champions

Austin Super Regional

2001 NCAA Big Ten 15 11 0 29 29 0 4 Seed, 1-2, Eliminated by Michigan in Third Round
2002 NCAA Big Ten 11 19 0 23 30 0 10 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2003 NCAA Big Ten 17 15 0 29 28 0 4 Seed, 3-2, Eliminated by Ohio State in Lower Final
2004 NCAA Big Ten 17 15 0 28 29 0 6 Seed, 0-2, Eliminated by Michigan State in Lower Round 1
2005 NCAA Big Ten Robbie Wine 13 19 0 28 27 0 8 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2006 NCAA Big Ten 13 19 0 26 30 0 8 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2007 NCAA Big Ten 20 10 0 31 26 0 3 Seed, 3-2, Eliminated by Minnesota in Lower Final
2008 NCAA Big Ten 17 15 0 27 31 0 3 Seed, 1-2, Eliminated by Indiana in Lower Round 3
2009 NCAA Big Ten 8 16 0 25 26 0 8 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2010 NCAA Big Ten 9 15 0 22 30 0 10 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2011 NCAA Big Ten 12 12 0 32 22 0 6 Seed, 0-2, Eliminated by Minnesota in Lower Round 1
2012 NCAA Big Ten 15 9 0 29 27 0 3 Seed, 0-2, Eliminated by Nebraska in Lower Round 1
2013 NCAA Big Ten 4 20 0 14 36 0 10 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2014 NCAA Big Ten Rob Cooper 5 18 0 18 32 0 10 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2015 NCAA Big Ten 6 16 0 18 30 0 12 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2016 NCAA Big Ten 12 12 0 28 27 0 10 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2017 NCAA Big Ten 4 20 0 18 37 0 13 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2018 NCAA Big Ten 3 21 0 15 34 0 13 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2019 NCAA Big Ten 4 18 0 22 27 0 13 Seed (Did not Qualify)
2020 NCAA Big Ten 0 0 0 10 5 0 Was not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 NCAA Big Ten 18 24 0 18 24 0 Was not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022 NCAA Big Ten 26 29 0 11 13 0 6 Seed, 1-2, Eliminated by Rutgers in Second Round
2023 NCAA Big Ten 7 16 0 25 25 0 12 Seed, (Did not Qualify)
2024 NCAA Big Ten Mike Gambino 12 12 0 29 24 0 7 Seed, 3-1, Lost to Nebraska in Big Ten Championship game
Total 475 557 0 1380 1190 6 Final Standings, Tournament Record, Final Game

Shutouts

  • 1957: Ed Drapcho, Penn St. vs. Florida St., 6-8-57 (7-0)
  • 1959: Ron Riese, Penn St. vs. Clemson, 6-15-59 (7-0)
  • 1963: Dick Noe, Penn St. vs. Western Mich., 6-11-63 (3-0)

[3]

Notable alumni

To date Penn State has had 89 players drafted and has been the alma mater to 24 MLB Players

Statistical Leaders

Batting[5]

Games Played

At Bats

Runs Scored

Hits

Doubles

Triples

Homeruns

Runs Batted In (RBI)

Stolen Bases

Caught Stealing

Walks

References

  1. ^ "Design Essentials". Brand.PSU.edu. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Jr, Robert Mcg Thomas (1989-12-16). "Penn State To Join Big Ten Conference". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  3. ^ a b c d e "GENERAL CWS RECORDS" (PDF). Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "Penn State University College World Series History". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  5. ^ "Penn State Nittany Lions - Baseball History - The Baseball Cube". TheBaseballCube.com. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
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