Weekly Preview

• The Youngstown State baseball team (5-10) will play its first midweek contest of the season on Wednesday at Pitt (8-7) at 3 p.m. before opening Horizon League play with a three-game series at Purdue Fort Wayne (1-14) beginning on Friday. After opening their series on Friday at 11 a.m., the Penguins and Mastodons will proceed to play single games on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
• Wednesday's game at Pitt will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra. Live audio will be available for all three games at Purdue Fort Wayne at YSNLive.com. Live stats for all four games will be available through links on YSUsports.com. Fans can also follow @YSUBaseball on Twitter for live updates.
• Freshman right-hander Lane Rhodes will make the first start of his collegiate career on Wednesday at Pitt. Senior right-hander Jon Snyder will take the ball on Friday for the series opener at Purdue Fort Wayne while senior right-hander Travis Perry will start game two on Saturday. Junior right-hander Matt Brosky is scheduled to start the series finale on Sunday.
• YSU and Pitt will be meeting for the first time since the shortened 2020 season. The Panthers hold a 36-10-1 advantage in the all-time series, but the Penguins have won three of the last four meetings. YSU holds a 10-4 edge in the all-time series with Purdue Fort Wayne after winning six of eight meetings last season.
• The Penguins have won three of their last five games after splitting a four-game series at New Orleans this past weekend. YSU picked up a 6-5 comeback victory in the series opener on Friday before falling 8-7 in 10 innings in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. The Penguins earned a 3-2 win in game two of the doubleheader before dropping a 1-0 decision in the series finale on Sunday.
• Junior right-hander Matt Brosky has been stellar for the Penguins this season over his first four collegiate starts. He has posted a 0.93 ERA, 33 strikeouts and a .158 opponent batting average in 29 innings pitched over four starts. Brosky allowed one run on four hits and set new career highs with 10 strikeouts and 8.2 innings pitched without issuing a walk in Sunday's series finale at New Orleans. Entering the week, Brosky leads the Horizon League in ERA, strikeouts, innings pitched and opponent batting average.
• Youngstown State was picked fourth in the 2022 Horizon League Baseball Preseason Poll. Wright State edged out UIC as the preseason favorite in a vote of the league's head coaches while Milwaukee was selected third. The Penguins were picked to finish third in the league by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and fourth by D1Baseball.com.

Youngstown State at Pitt, Purdue Fort Wayne

A Win on Wednesday Would...

• Give YSU its second straight win over Pitt.
• Be YSU's fourth in the last four seasons against Pitt.
• Be the Penguins' fifth win over an ACC opponent in the last six seasons.
• Be YSU's seventh victory over a Power Five opponent in the last seven seasons.
• Be the 320th in head coach Dan Bertolini's career and his 91st at Youngstown State.

A Win on Friday Would…

• Allow the Penguins to open Horizon League play with a victory for the second straight season.
• Allow YSU to win its Horizon League opener for just the second time since 2013.
• Give YSU its second straight win over Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Allow the Penguins to win their second consecutive series opener.

Scouting The Panthers

• Pitt is 8-7 overall on the season after being swept in a three-game ACC series at North Carolina this past weekend. The Panthers will host Bucknell on Tuesday afternoon before welcoming the Penguins on Wednesday.
• Junior catcher Tatem Levins is batting .362 and slugging .707 while leading Pitt with 21 hits, six home runs and 17 RBIs. Former Penguin Jeff Wehler is batting .340 with a team-high four doubles over 12 starts. Junior infielder Sky Duff was a Third-Team All-ACC selection in 2021.
• Sophomore right-hander Hayden Summers boasts a 0.90 ERA and two saves in 10 innings over four relief appearances. Sophomore right-hander Logan Evans leads Pitt with 23 strikeouts and 25.1 innings pitched over four starts.
• Pitt posted a 23-20 overall record and a 16-17 mark in ACC play last season. The Panthers went 11-10 at Charles L. Cost Field in 2021. Pitt was picked seventh out of seven teams in the Coastal Division in the 2022 ACC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll.

Series History – Pitt

• Overall: Pitt leads 36-10-1
• Bertolini: 3-3 // Home: 5-12 // Away: 5-24-1
• Neutral: 0-0
• Current Win Streak: 1 by Youngstown State
• The Penguins and Panthers will be meeting for the first time since March 4, 2020. YSU won the most recent matchup 7-5 in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have now won three of the last four meetings.
• Pitt had won six straight in the series before YSU's 4-2 win at Charles L. Cost Field on March 13, 2019.
• First meeting: April 30, 1986 (L 2-14).

Scouting The Mastodons

• Purdue Fort Wayne is 1-14 overall on the season after dropping two of three games at Saint Louis this past weekend. The Mastodons earned their first victory of the season with a 4-1 win in game one of a doubleheader on Sunday after a 0-13 start. Purdue Fort Wayne will host Dayton on Wednesday before welcoming the Penguins over the weekend.
• Senior infielder Jack Lang is batting .263 and slugging .456 while leading the Mastodons with 15 hits, nine RBIs, 26 total bases and three stolen bases. Senior outfielder Alex Evenson is batting .271 with 13 hits and five RBIs while senior infielder Braedon Blackford has a team-high three home runs.
• Sophomore right-hander Mitchell Spencer has a 1-1 record, a 3.68 ERA and 16 strikeouts in a team-high 22 innings pitched over four starts. Senior left-hander Justin Miller has a team-high 20 strikeouts in 19.2 innings over four starts.
• Purdue Fort Wayne posted an 11-35 overall record and an 8-28 mark in Horizon League play last season. The Mastodons were picked seventh out of seven teams in the 2022 Horizon League Baseball Preseason Poll.

Series History – Purdue Fort Wayne

• Overall: Youngstown State leads 10-4
• Bertolini: 6-2 // Home: 3-1 // Away: 7-3
• Current Win Streak: 1 by Youngstown State
• Youngstown State won six of eight meetings between the two teams last season. The Penguins won three of four games at Defiance High School in Defiance, Ohio, in March before winning three of four contests at Eastwood Field in May.
• Last season marked the first meetings between the two programs since 2005 – it was Purdue Fort Wayne's first season in the Horizon League.
• The Penguins held a 4-2 edge in the all-time series prior to last season.
• First meeting: April 17, 2004 (W 6-1).

Recapping New Orleans

Game 1 - Friday, March 11 // W 6-5

• Youngstown State scored six runs in the top of the eighth inning to overcome a five-run deficit and earn a 6-5 victory over New Orleans in the series opener on Friday at Maestri Field in New Orleans, La.
• Dylan Swarmer went 4-for-4 at the plate, and he had two hits including the go-ahead RBI single during YSU's furious eighth-inning rally.
• Alex Cardona, Brandon Mikos, Casey Marshalwitz and Nathan Ball combined to limit New Orleans to one hit over four scoreless innings of relief to help facilitate the Penguins' comeback. Each tossed a scoreless inning of relief after the Privateers scored five unearned runs off YSU starter Jon Snyder in the bottom of the fifth. Mikos earned the win in his first collegiate appearance while Ball picked up his fourth save of the season.

Game 2 - Saturday, March 12 // L 7-8 (10 innings)

• New Orleans scored three runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to rally for an 8-7 victory over Youngstown State in game one of Saturday's doubleheader.
• The Penguins took a 7-5 lead after a two-out, two-run single by Lucas Nasonti in the top of the 10th inning before the Privateers rallied for three runs in the home half of the frame. Braeden O'Shaughnessy and Steven D'Eusanio each had two hits for the Penguins while Nasonti recorded a team-high two RBIs.
• YSU starter Chad Coles allowed two runs on five hits over 4.1 innings of work while Kenny Misik retired the only batter he faced in the fifth inning. Lane Rhodes was responsible for three runs on four hits in two innings while Brandon Matthews tossed 1.1 scoreless innings. Casey Marshalwitz worked a scoreless ninth inning before Nathan Ball allowed three runs on four hits in the 10th to suffer the loss.

Game 3 - Saturday, March 12 // W 3-2

• Travis Perry allowed just one run on three hits over seven innings to lead Youngstown State to a 3-2 victory over New Orleans in game two of Saturday's doubleheader at Maestri Field.
• Perry retired the first 12 batters he faced, and he struck out the side in the fourth inning. He finished the game with four strikeouts and two walks over a season-high seven innings while earning his first victory of the season. Nick Perez allowed one run on three hits over two innings of relief to earn his first career save.
• Lucas Nasonti, Seth Lucero, Braeden O'Shaughnessy and Ian Francis each had two hits to lead the Penguins offensively. Seven different Penguins recorded a hit in the contest as YSU outhit New Orleans 11-6.

Game 4 - Sunday, March 13 // L 0-1

• Anthony Herron Jr. hit a walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give New Orleans a 1-0 victory over Youngstown State in the series finale on Sunday at Maestri Field.
• Brosky suffered the hard-luck loss after putting together another brilliant outing for the Penguins. The junior right-hander allowed one run on four hits and set new career highs with 10 strikeouts and 8.2 innings pitched without issuing a walk. The Strongsville, Ohio, native retired the first 16 batters he faced before allowing a one-out single in the sixth inning.
• New Orleans starter Collin Horton matched Brosky with a brilliant pitching performance of his own. The sophomore right-hander allowed just one hit and had a career-high 16 strikeouts with five walks over 8.2 innings. Horton did not allow a hit until a two-out single in the top of the ninth inning.
• Braeden O'Shaughnessy recorded YSU's only hit of the game with a single in the ninth.

Notebook

Brosky Shines in First Career Starts

• Junior right-hander Matt Brosky has shined this season in his first collegiate starts. The Stongsville, Ohio, native has posted a 0.93 ERA, a team-high 33 strikeouts and a .158 opponent batting average in a team-high 29 innings over four starts.
• Brosky picked up his first victory of the season on Feb. 20 when he led the Penguins to a 10-9 series-clinching victory at Bethune-Cookman. He struck out a career-high nine batters with one walk and allowed only one earned run over a career-high six innings pitched in his first collegiate start.
• Brosky recorded a strikeout in five of the six innings he was on the mound, and he had multiple punchouts in three different frames. Brosky struck out the side in the third inning, and he retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth. He retired seven straight batters at one point between the third and fifth innings.
• On Feb. 27 at Belmont, Brosky suffered the hard-luck loss after allowing only two unearned runs on two hits and striking out eight batters over a career-high 7.1 innings pitched. He retired the side in order in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh frames. He recorded a strikeout in five different innings, and he had multiple punchouts in three different stanzas.
• Brosky retired an impressive 14 straight batters between the third and eighth innings. After a two-out walk in the bottom of the third, Belmont did not have a baserunner until a one-out error in the eighth. After allowing a leadoff single in the top of the first, Brosky did not allow a hit until a one-out single in the eighth.
• On March 6 at UT Rio Grande Valley, Brosky allowed two runs, one of them earned, on five hits and struck out six batters over seven innings in another quality outing. After giving up an RBI single in the third inning, Brosky did not allow another hit until a one-out single in the seventh. He recorded a strikeout in four different frames, and he retired the side in order in the fourth.
• In the series finale at New Orleans on Sunday, Brosky suffered another hard-luck loss after putting together another brilliant outing for the Penguins. He allowed one run on four hits and set new career highs with 10 strikeouts and 8.2 innings pitched without issuing a walk. He retired the first 16 batters he faced before allowing a one-out single in the sixth inning. Brosky recorded at least one strikeout in each of the first eight innings, and he had multiple punchouts in two different frames.
• Brosky, who transferred to YSU from Ohio University, has transitioned into a starting role after primarily serving as a reliever over his first few years as a collegiate pitcher. Last season, he made eight relief appearances for the Penguins, finishing with an 0-1 record and a 10.12 ERA in 10.2 innings.
• As a freshman for Ohio in 2019, Brosky posted a 1-1 record and a 10.22 ERA in 12.1 innings over 11 relief appearances. He actually earned his first career win against Youngstown State on April 23, 2019, at Eastwood Field while with the Bobcats.

O'Shaughnessy Stepping Into Larger Role

• Junior infielder Braeden O'Shaughnessy has been YSU's top-producing hitter through the first four weeks of the 2022 season. The Poland, Ohio, native leads the Penguins with a .321 batting average, 18 hits, two home runs, eight RBIs and 26 total bases.
• O'Shaughnessy went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored in YSU's 10-9 victory at Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 20. He went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles in the first game of a doubleheader at Belmont on Feb. 26 before recording a double and a run scored in game two.
• O'Shaughnessy registered five more hits including a pair of home runs over four games at UT Rio Grande Valley on March 4-6. The junior went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in the series opener on Friday before hitting another solo blast and driving in two runs in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. He also went 2-for-5 with a run scored in game two of Saturday's doubleheader.
• O'Shaughnessy batted .462 and slugged .538 with six hits including a double in 13 at bats over four games played at New Orleans this past weekend. The junior also recorded two RBIs, three runs scored, five walks, seven total bases and a .611 on-base percentage.
• O'Shaughnessy recorded an RBI single, a walk and a run scored in YSU's 6-5 win in the series opener on Friday. He then went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, two walks and a run scored in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday. O'Shaughnessy went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored in YSU's 3-2 victory in game two of Saturday's doubleheader. He also went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk in the series finale on Sunday.
• O'Shaughnessy was named to Perfect Game's Horizon League Preseason All-Conference Team after batting .297 and slugging .378 with one double, one triple, one home run and 12 RBIs over 30 games played in 2021.
• O'Shaughnessy has started all 15 games for the Penguins in 2022, making nine starts at second base and six at third base. He made 17 starts last season – nine at third base, four at first base, three as the designated hitter and one at second base.
• As a freshman in 2020, O'Shaughnessy played in nine games and made six starts – three at second base and three at third base. He had two hits including a three-run home run in his collegiate debut at Houston on Feb. 16, 2020.

Penguins Among the League Leaders

• On the mound, the Penguins lead the league with five saves and a team ERA of 4.70. YSU's pitching staff has allowed the fewest hits (111) and the fewest earned runs (63) in the league through the first four weeks of the season. The Penguins also lead the league with 113 strikeouts and a .247 opponent batting average.
• Individually, junior infielder Braeden O'Shaughnessy ranks tied for third in the Horizon League with 18 hits and tied for sixth with two home runs. He also ranks ninth in the league with a .321 batting average. In addition, senior first baseman Padraig O'Shaughnessy leads the league with 11 walks through the first four weeks.
• Junior right-hander Matt Brosky leads the Horizon League with a 0.93 ERA, a .158 opponent batting average, 29 innings pitched and 33 strikeouts. Junior left-hander Nathan Ball paces the circuit with four saves.

Up Next

Following this weekend's three-game series at Purdue Fort Wayne, the Penguins will play a non-conference contest at Penn State on Tuesday, March 22, at 6 p.m. YSU will then play a three-game non-conference series at West Virginia on March 25-27.