The Youngstown State baseball team (2-15, 1-2 Horizon League) will step back into non-conference action on Friday when it begins a three-game weekend series against Georgetown (13-9, 0-0 Big East) at Capital One Park in Tysons, Va.

The Penguins and Hoyas are scheduled to open the series on Friday at 4 p.m. before proceeding to play on Saturday at 10 a.m. and on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Live video for all three games of the series will be streamed on MuscoVision while live stats will be available through links posted on YSUsports.com. Fans can also follow @YSUBaseball on X for live updates.

Youngstown State at Georgetown

Opponent	Date	Location	Video	Live Stats
	Friday March 20 | 4 PM ET	Capital One Park Tysons, Va.	MuscoVision	Live Stats
	Saturday March 21 | 10 AM ET	Capital One Park Tysons, Va.	MuscoVision	Live Stats
	Sunday March 22 | 1 PM ET	Capital One Park Tysons, Va.	MuscoVision	Live Stats

A Glimpse at the Guins

• Senior left-hander Braden Gebhardt will start on the mound for the Penguins in the series opener on Friday while senior right-hander Jack Messmore is scheduled to take the ball in game two on Saturday. Junior right-hander Mikey Rodriques is slated as the probable starter in the series finale on Sunday.
• Youngstown State most recently dropped two of three Horizon League games against Oakland this past weekend at Pullman Park in Butler, Pa. YSU's first scheduled home series of the 2026 season was moved to Pullman Park due to construction delays at 717 Credit Union Field at Eastwood in Niles, Ohio. The Penguins had their scheduled home opener vs. Central Michigan, which was scheduled for March 11 at ForeFront Field in Avon, Ohio, postponed due to inclement weather. YSU's midweek non-conference contest at Pitt that was originally scheduled for Wednesday of this week has been rescheduled for March 25 due to inclement weather conditions.
• The Penguins earned a come-from-behind 6-5 victory over Oakland in their Horizon League opener on Friday afternoon at Pullman Park. The Golden Grizzlies evened the series with a 12-6 win on Saturday before picking up the series with a 4-3 victory in the finale on Sunday. YSU earned its first victory of the 2026 season with a 2-1 win in the series opener at Longwood on Feb 27.
• Youngstown State recorded eight stolen bases as a team in Friday's 6-5 league-opening victory over Oakland at Pullman Park. The eight steals were the program's most since the Penguins tied the single-game school record with nine steals against Toledo on April 10, 2019. Friday's series opener with the Golden Grizzlies marked just the fifth time in school history that YSU swiped at least eight bases in a game. The Penguins ranked second in the Horizon League with 29 stolen bases as a team in 38 total attempts at the outset of the week.
• Senior left-hander Braden Gebhardt was recently named to the College Baseball Foundation 2026 National Pitcher of the Year Watch List. The Howland, Ohio, native was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week three times in as many weeks to begin the 2026 season. Gebhardt earned his third consecutive weekly league honor after posting a career-high 12 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings on the mound in YSU's 2-1 series-opening win at Longwood on Feb. 27. The senior southpaw scattered five hits while walking just two batters and matching the longest outing of his career for the second straight week.
• Most recently, Gebhardt allowed five runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts over six innings in his fifth start of the season in YSU's 6-5 win over Oakland on Friday. The senior allowed his first earned run of the 2026 season during his 30th inning of work in the top of the fourth inning. Through games completed on March 15, Gebhardt led the Horizon League while ranking 23rd nationally with 40 strikeouts. He also paced the league in ERA (1.41), opponent batting average (.177) and innings pitched (32.0) at the start of the week.
• Gebhardt, who earned the first weekly Horizon League honor of his career following opening weekend, did not allow an earned run while limiting Oregon to two hits over seven strong innings on the mound in YSU's 3-0 loss to the Ducks on Feb. 20 at PK Park in Eugene, Ore. He also recorded 11 strikeouts over six innings in a stellar Opening Day effort in a 2-1 loss at Auburn in the 2026 season opener on Feb. 13. In the first start of his senior season, Gebhardt was responsible for one unearned run on two hits with 11 strikeouts over six innings on the mound. He posted the most strikeouts in a game by a YSU pitcher since Collin Floyd fanned 12 batters against Milwaukee on April 9, 2021.
• At the outset of the week, senior right-hander Jack Messmore ranked third in the Horizon League in innings pitched (23.2), fourth in ERA (5.32) and fifth in strikeouts (17). The first-year transfer from New Mexico scattered six hits and struck out five batters over 6.1 scoreless innings in game one of a doubleheader at Auburn on Feb. 14 in his YSU debut. Messmore recorded a season-high six strikeouts in his most recent outing against Oakland on Saturday.
• Freshman infielder Alex Jang ranked seventh in the Horizon League with a .311 batting average over 14 games played and 10 starts heading into the week. The Las Vegas, Nev., native leads YSU in hits (14), doubles (3) and total bases (20). The freshman has now hit safely in six of his last eight games. Jang recorded a career-high three hits including his first-career home run and a double in the series finale at Longwood on March 1.
• Fifth-year senior outfielder Kendal Spencer ranked tied for second in the Horizon League with a team-high seven stolen bases in nine attempts through games completed on March 15. Spencer recorded three of YSU's eight steals in the league-opening win over Oakland on Friday. Redshirt junior outfielder Brady Shannon ranks tied for sixth in the league with a team leading three home runs.
• Youngstown State's pitching staff ranked second in the Horizon League with a 5.67 team ERA, 126 strikeouts and a .280 opponent batting average through games played on March 15. The Penguins had also allowed the second-fewest total runs (126), earned runs (88), hits (157) and earned runs (88) and walks (89) in the league at the start of the week.
• The Penguins and Hoyas will meet on the diamond for the first time in Friday's series opener. YSU will play its first game against a current member of the Big East since 2018. The Guins' last win over a current Big East member came during the 2012 season.
• Youngstown State is under the direction of second-year head coach Trevor Charpie. In Charpie's first season guiding the program in 2025, the Penguins finished with a 15-42 overall record and an 11-19 mark in Horizon League play to finish fourth in the league standings. There are 38 players on YSU's roster in 2026, and 17 of them were with the program last year. The Penguins returned 15 letterwinners from last year's team and have 21 newcomers to the roster.

Series Preview

A Win on Friday Would…

• Give the Penguins their third victory of the 2026 season.
• Snap a two-game losing streak.
• Give YSU its first win over Georgetown.
• Give the Guins their first victory over a current member of the Big East since the 2012 season.
• Give Trevor Charpie his 18th career coaching victory.

Scouting Georgetown

• Georgetown enters this weekend's series with a 13-9 overall record after falling 6-4 at Virginia on Tuesday. The Hoyas have lost three straight decisions after dropping two of three home games against William & Mary this past weekend. Georgetown's 8-2 loss to William & Mary on Saturday snapped a four-game winning streak for the Hoyas.
• Georgetown is scheduled to open Big East play on April 2 when it opens a three-game series with Xavier at Capital One Park. The Hoyas own a 10-4 home record at Capital One Park ahead of this weekend's series with the Penguins. Georgetown returns 22 players from the 2025 squad while adding 10 transfers and seven newcomers.
• Senior infielder Jeremy Sheffield leads the Hoya offense slashing .354/.457/.519 this season. He has notched 28 hits, 19 RBIs, a team-high eight doubles, one triple, one home run and 14 runs scored. Graduate infielder Connor Peek is slashing .354/.450/.456 with 28 hits, five doubles, one home run, a team-high 21 RBIs and 19 runs scored.
• Graduate right-hander JT Raab earned a spot on the 2026 Preseason All-Big East Team after posting a team-best 3.63 ERA over 74.1 innings on the mound in 2025. Raab was named to the All-Big East First Team in 2025. Graduate left-hander Spencer Seid boasts a 4-1 record and a 2.93 ERA while leading Georgetown with 31 strikeouts and 27.2 innings pitched over five starts. Senior right-hander Kai Leckszas owns a 4-1 record and a 2.63 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 24 innings pitched over five starts. Graduate right-hander Luke Jackman has a 1.64 ERA while leading the Hoyas with five saves in 11 innings over eight appearances out of the bullpen.
• Georgetown finished the 2025 season with a 16-40 overall record and a 3-18 mark in Big East play to finish at the bottom of the conference standings. The Hoyas were picked seventh out of eight teams in the 2026 Big East Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Georgetown head coach Edwin Thompson is now in his sixth season leading the Hoyas. Thompson guided GU to its most successful season in program history in 2024. The Hoyas posted a 36-21 overall record in 2024 to achieve three consecutive 30-win seasons for the first time in program history.

Series History

• Friday's series opener will mark the first meeting on the diamond between Youngstown State and Georgetown.

Recent History vs. Big East Opponents

• YSU's last game against a current member of the Big East was an 11-3 loss to Seton Hall on March 4, 2018, at the Kissimmee Irish Classic in Kissimmee, Fla.
• The last time the Penguins defeated a current Big East member was a 9-7 victory in the finale of a three-game series at Butler on May 6, 2012.
• Youngstown State and Butler were in the Horizon League together from 2002 until the Bulldogs departed for the Big East before the 2013 season. The Penguins own a 28-27 record in 55 all-time meetings with the Bulldogs dating back to the 2002 season when YSU joined the Horizon League.

Recapping Last Week

vs. Oakland – Friday, March 13 // W, 6-5

• Youngstown State scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally for a 6-5 win over Oakland in the Horizon League opener for both teams on Friday afternoon at Pullman Park.
• With the Penguins trailing 5-4 in the home half of the eighth, Kendal Spencer hit a one-out double down the right field line to put the tying run on base. Following an Oakland pitching change, Spencer stole third base before Teddy Ruffner walked and proceeded to swipe second. After Chyran Humphries was intentionally walked to load the bases, Nick Miscavage delivered a go-ahead two-run single to right field that plated Spencer and Ruffner to give YSU a decisive 6-5 lead.
• YSU starter Braden Gebhardt was responsible for five runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts over six innings in his fifth start of the season. The senior left-hander allowed his first earned run of the 2026 season during his 30th inning of work in the top of the fourth inning. Tyler Heflin did not surrender a hit while fanning three batters over three scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. The sophomore right-hander sat down the first seven batters he faced as he retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings.
• The Penguins and Golden Grizzlies finished even in the hit column with eight apiece. Spencer finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, two RBIs, two runs scored and three stolen bases. Miscavage went 2-for-4 with a career-high three RBIs and stole a base while Humphries hit his second home run of the season and walked twice.
• Youngstown State's eight stolen bases as a team were the program's most since the Penguins tied the single-game school record with nine steals against Toledo on April 10, 2019. Friday's series opener in Butler marked just the fifth time in school history that YSU swiped at least eight bases in a game.

vs. Oakland – Saturday, March 14 // L, 6-12

• Oakland scored multiple runs in four different innings on its way to a 12-6 victory over Youngstown State on Saturday afternoon in game two of a three-game Horizon League series at Pullman Park.
• The Penguins struck first with a single run in the bottom of the first inning before the Golden Grizzlies plated a single tally in the top of the second to even the score. After YSU posted another single run in the home half of the second to move in front 2-1, Oakland answered with two runs in the third and two more in the fifth to take a 5-2 edge.
• The Penguins pushed across another single tally in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-3 before the Golden Grizzlies used a four-run top of the sixth to build a 9-3 advantage. YSU got back on the scoreboard when Brady Shannon belted a two-run blast over the wall in left field. Oakland added three more runs in the top of the eighth to lead 12-5, and YSU scored the game's final run in the bottom of the eighth to produce the final margin.
• Nathan Beckley and Kendal Spencer each recorded two hits and drove in a run for the Penguins offensively while Shannon hit his team-leading third home run of the season.
• YSU starter Jack Messmore allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on six hits over 4.2 innings on the mound in a losing effort. The senior right-hander registered a season-high six strikeouts while walking five batters in his fifth start of the season.
• Aidan English was tagged with four unearned runs in one inning of work as the first of four relievers to appear for the Penguins. Bryce Palms was responsible for one run in 1.1 innings, Braedon Davis surrendered two runs in one inning in his YSU debut and Griffin Almond tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

vs. Oakland – Sunday, March 15 // L, 3-4

• Oakland scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to overcome a 3-1 deficit and defeat Youngstown State 4-3 in the Horizon League series finale on Sunday afternoon at Pullman Park.
• The Penguins broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third when Nathan Beckley led off the inning with a bunt single, stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single from Alex Jang. The Golden Grizzlies evened the score with a single run in the top of the fifth before the Guins struck twice in the home half of the sixth to move in front 3-1. Oakland scored the final three runs of the contest in the top of the seventh and held on for the series-clinching victory.
• Beckley recorded two of YSU's five hits in the game, finishing 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and two stolen bases. Brayden Kuriger singled, walked twice and scored a run while Brady Shannon singled, scored a run and swiped one base.
• YSU starter Mikey Rodriques allowed one hit with three strikeouts and two walks over 2.2 scoreless innings in his third start of the season. Brandon Mikos was responsible for three runs on four hits with four punchouts over 3.2 innings of relief while Sloan Ulrich suffered the loss after surrendering one run on seven hits and striking out three batters over three innings of work.

Up Next

Youngstown State is scheduled to remain in non-conference play on Tuesday with a midweek contest at Eastern Michigan. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. at Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich.