Youngstown -- Thanks to a winter storm that forced schedule changes across the region, Youngstown State and Cincinnati will rekindle an in-state rivalry for the first time since 1999 when the squads play Tuesday at 4 p.m.

The Penguins were originally set to play at Dayton Tuesday, but the FieldTurf at Cincinnati's Marge Schott Stadium withstood the weather better than UD's Time Warner Cable Stadium.

YSU trails the all-time series 9-4 and has not won since May 8, 1991.

The Penguins enter the one-game series winless after six games at Georgia Tech and Alabama. Over the weekend at Alabama, YSU was in all three games before falling short. The Penguins allowed eight runs to the Crimson Tide in the seventh inning of game one's 15-7 loss. YSU loaded the bases in the ninth in game two's 7-4 setback, and the Guins trailed just 3-2 in the finale until they went silent at the plate over the final four innings.

Lucas Stays Hot Atop Lineup

Senior third baseman Sean Lucas had hits in all three games at Alabama as part of an overall 6-for-14 series against the Crimson Tide. Filling in at the leadoff spot for the injured John Koehnlein, Lucas went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in the opener. He then singled and scored on Saturday, and he had two hits and drove in a run in Sunday's finale. Overall, Lucas is batting a team-high .375 with three runs and two RBIs. The senior third baseman also has a team-high three multi-hit games, and he has hit safely in the past five contests.

Playing without Diedrich, Koehnlein

The Penguins played without their top two hitters this weekend at Alabama and were held to a .225 average as a team. Erich Diedrich, a second-team all-league pick a year ago, fractured his wrist on Feb. 1 and has not played this season. The senior catcher/first baseman is a career .347 hitter and is just four home runs and four RBIs of setting both of YSU's career records. Koehnlein is also out with a hand injury after breaking a knuckle at Georgia Tech on Feb. 24. After ranking fourth in the country in hitting last season with a .434 clip, Koehnlein started this season 1-for-12 against the Yellow Jackets.

Leon, Iacobucci Making Most of Early Opportunities

Freshman David Leon and redshirt freshman Joe Iacobucci are making the most of early playing time. Both are currently batting .294 (5-for-17), and both have drawn a team-high four walks for a .429 on-base percentage. Iacubcci has one more RBI than Leon, but Leon has one more extra base hit. Leon has also struck out only one time in 22 plate appearances.

Wachter Showing Improvement

Sophomore catcher Dustin Wachter has batted .308 and scored twice in four starts behind the plate for the Penguins this season. Last year through the first two weekends Wachter was batting .125.

Last Year's Start Versus This Year's Start

Although YSU has started 0-6 the past two seasons, the Penguins have played much better through the first two series in 2008, especially on the mound. Last year through six games, the pitching staff allowed 61 runs, had a combined ERA of 11.63 and a 12.54 ERA from its starters. This year, the staff has allowed 48 runs, has an ERA of 7.50 and a 5.02 ERA from its starters. The Penguins have also been within four runs in four of the six games this year. Last year that was only the case in one out of the first six games.