GUINS BATTLE BACK IN NINTH, FALL SHORT TO LOUISVILLE

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Despite a hard-fought effort, Youngstown State showcased resilience and determination in their baseball matchup against the University of Louisville on Saturday at Jim Patterson Stadium.

In a game where every play mattered, Youngstown State (0-8) demonstrated their ability to compete at a high level, pushing Louisville (6-4) to their limits throughout the matchup.

Despite falling short on the scoreboard, the Penguins displayed flashes of brilliance, highlighting their potential as a competitive force in collegiate baseball. Facing off against a formidable opponent, the Penguins showcased their tenacity and spirit, refusing to back down even in the face of adversity.

Louisville’s dominance notwithstanding, Youngstown State’s pitchers exhibited commendable effort, with Evan Webster (1-0) delivering a solid performance in his third start of the season. Webster’s career-long six innings and career-best six strikeouts demonstrated the depth of talent within the Youngstown State roster.

At the plate, although Youngstown State faced challenges, they managed to make their mark, with players like Michael Lippe and Brandon Anderson leading the charge. Lippe’s impactful hits and Anderson’s contributions underscored Youngstown State’s offensive capabilities, showcasing their ability to compete against top-tier competition.

Sloan Ulrich endured a challenging outing for YSU, falling to 0-2 for the season despite a resilient effort. In a 95-pitch performance, Ulrich yielded 9 hits over 5 innings, resulting in four earned runs. However, amidst the struggle, Ulrich managed to tally 6 strikeouts while issuing just one walk. Niall Todd entered in relief, pitching two-thirds of an inning but struggled with control, walking 3 batters. Freshman Chris Domke stepped up, pitching 1.1 innings and conceding two runs on two hits, with one strikeout. Gavin Wilm, a Salem product now with YSU, showcased his prowess in a strong, clean inning against Louisville.

On the offensive front, YSU found their rhythm in the top of the ninth, ignited by Trey Pancake’s leadership. Despite being down to their final out, YSU scored all five runs, with Pancake going 2 for 4 and scoring a run. Ian Francis contributed significantly, going 3 for 5 with 2 RBI, while Trey Law added two hits, a run, and an RBI to the scoreboard. Teddy Ruffner also chipped in with a pair of hits and a run scored, demonstrating YSU’s offensive depth and resilience in the face of adversity.

Despite the final score, Youngstown State’s performance was marked by resilience and determination. As they regroup and prepare for future matchups, they will undoubtedly draw upon the lessons learned from this intense showdown, using it as motivation to continue their pursuit of excellence on the baseball diamond.

As the series concludes on Sunday, Youngstown State remains focused on putting forth their best effort, determined to leave a lasting impression and showcase the strength of their program to the collegiate baseball community.

 

YSU BASEBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP 1) WITH DAN BERTOLINI

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH-  YSN recently featured Youngstown State University (YSU) baseball coach, Danny Bertolini, discussing the upcoming season and the team’s preparations. Host DJ Yokley spoke with Bertolini about the team’s prospects and some key players to watch out for in the upcoming season.
In the episode, Bertolini emphasized the team’s focus on health and preparation, especially after the challenges faced due to injuries in the previous season. He highlighted the efforts put into strength training and conditioning by the team’s new strength coach, Drew Davies, which has contributed to the team’s improved health and readiness for the upcoming season.

The discussion also covered the team’s preparations, including their outdoor training sessions at Eastwood and Kafaro Field, taking advantage of the milder winter weather this year.

Regarding the team’s upcoming trip to Texas for the season opener against Texas State, Bertolini expressed the importance of these trips for team bonding and providing valuable experiences, particularly for players who have not previously traveled extensively.

Bertolini also offered insights into the recruitment process, emphasizing the importance of academic excellence and playing the game the right way as key factors in identifying potential recruits for the team. He also stressed the team’s relentless and versatile playing style, with an emphasis on speed, strategy, and team bonding.

The episode concluded with lighthearted banter and Bertolini sharing personal insights about his family, including his excitement about welcoming a new addition in July.

PRESENTED BY

THE “O” BROS

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- In this weeks edition of YSU player profiles, the O’Shaughnessy brothers joined the show. Padraig is a senior 1st baseman, while his younger brother Braeden is a junior utility infielder. Both Braeden and Pad have owned the right side of the infield this season, and have led the Penguins at the plate. The brothers talked about playing together at the Division 1 level, the support system from their family, and the 2022 YSU baseball season.

Check out this special two for one player profile brought to you by Baird Brothers

YSU BASEBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP 3) WITH DAN BERTOLINI

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- YSU baseball Head Coach Dan Bertolini joined the show this week to talk about his team’s series against Texas Rio Grande Valley. Bertolini talked about the difficulties traveling on the road, the small details needed to win ballgames, and some of the key players for YSU this past weekend.

PRESENTED BY

HAVING A BALL

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- YSN’s very own Richie Juliano sat down with Nate Ball, a junior pitcher on the Youngstown State baseball team. Ball is from Toldeo suburb Perrysburg, and he talks about his journey to YSU. Ball recently had an unbelievable weekend in the series win over Bethune Cookman, striking out 5 of the 7 batters he faced, and recorded his first two collegiate saves over the weekend. Ball talks about his successful weekend, and some key lessons he has learned along the way. To learn more about the junior pitcher, check out the player profile brought to you by Baird Brothers.

 

YSU BASEBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP 2) WITH DANNY BERTOLINI

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- Our very own Richie Juliano and Anthony Romo sat down with Dan Bertolini, the skipper of the Youngstown State baseball team. Bertolini talks about the opening series win over Bethune Cookman, and the key pieces in the two victories. Bertolini also touches on the upcoming series in Nashville, as the Penguins take on the Belmont Bruins in week two of the season. To learn more about the YSU baseball team, check out the second coach’s profile brought to you by Baird Brothers.

NOTHING IS SAFE FROM NASONTI’S RANGE

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YOUNGSTOWN OH- To have a good outfield in baseball, you got to have guys that can chase down anything. The YSU Penguins are oozing with talent when it comes to their outfielders. But it all starts with their super senior Lucas Nosanti. Lucas has Range to patrol any part of the field you’d like. Last season, we saw him make a multitude of plays that didn’t seem possible. He looks to build off that ride with a positive 2022 campaign.

The Champion grad is no stranger to winning. His senior season at Champion the flashes won the state championship. He still holds on to several single-season records in Champion as well. Flash forward to now, he is shining just as bright as a Penguin. Last season, he batted .253 and knocked in 14 RBI. Even more impressive he did not commit a single error in center field in over 130 chances. He is a .251 career hitter and brings 47 career RBI into this season.

Lucas sat down with Richie Juliano and Anthony Romo this week ahead of the Penguins opening weekend. He talks with them about his goals this season, reflections on his career so far, and much more. Don’t miss our first Penguin player profile on YSN.

Presented By:

YSU BASEBALL CONTINUES PARTNERSHIP WITH YSN FOR 2021 SEASON

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- The Youngstown State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will continue its partnership with Youngstown-area sports website Your Sports Network (YSNLive.com) to broadcast Youngstown State baseball games for the upcoming 2021 season.

YSN will stream all 23 of the Penguins’ scheduled home games at Eastwood Field and select road contests, including the team’s season-opening series at Troy. Each broadcast will feature streaming audio with Youngstown State sports broadcasting major Richie Juliano handling the primary play-by-play duties in 2021. Juliano also serves as the play-by-play announcer for YSU women’s basketball and YSU volleyball home games on ESPN+/ESPN3. All live broadcasts will be free for fans with archived versions available for purchase.

“We’re so fortunate to be teamed up with Youngstown State baseball for our third season,” said YSN founder DJ Yokley. “It’s been an honor to follow the journey of these young men through their adversity and triumphs. We’re thrilled to be able to serve Penguins fans once again as the home for YSU baseball, and to bring everybody one step closer to the talent on this team.”

The 2019 season marked the first trek into the collegiate ranks for the streaming company, which currently serves as the sports broadcast home for more than 50 schools and a dozen organizations in the Youngstown area. This will be the third consecutive season that YSN has served as the broadcast home of YSU baseball.

“We’re extremely excited to partner with YSN for another great year,” said YSU head coach Dan Bertolini. “The support from DJ and the whole staff at YSN has been unbelievable and we’re proud to be a part of the YSN Live family.”

The Penguins will open the 2021 season on Friday, Feb. 19, at Troy to begin a four-game series. Yokley and Billy McCartney will be on the call for all four games from Riddle-Pace Field in Troy, Ala. YSU’s home opener at Eastwood Field is scheduled for March 19 against St. Bonaventure.

 

*Story courtesy of YSUSports.com

YSU BASEBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP 4) WITH DAN BERTOLINI

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- After yet ANOTHER successful trip to the Lonestar State, the Grit City Guins made their return to the Igloo with two more victories in tow.  Now with a record of 4-5, the Guins will try to even up their record on Wednesday against Pitt.

Before that matchup, Coach Bertolini stopped by to discuss some X’s and O’s with us, as well as a little bit deeper dive into this year’s successes and some questions about baseball scholarships, and the Skipper’s favorite part of coaching.

All that and more on the fourth installment of YSU Baseball Coach’s Corner with Dan Bertolini

Presented by

WEHLER GOES YA-YA TO BREAK UP NO-NO; GUINS FALL IN TEXAS

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*Story Courtesy of YSUSports.com

 

ABILENE, TX- Jeff Wehler hit a two-run home run to break up a no-hitter in the ninth inning, and the Youngstown State baseball team fell 5-2 to Abilene Christian in the series opener on Thursday night at Crutcher Scott Field.

Wehler’s two-run blast came with one out in the ninth inning off Austin Glaze, who was the third ACU pitcher of the night. Starter Austin Wagner, Ben Johnson and Glaze combined to allow two runs on one hit, one walk, and one hit batsman. Youngstown State also had two runners reach on errors.

YSU starter Travis Perry allowed five hits in 6.1 innings, but he was hurt by a pair of two-out home runs that accounted for three of the Wildcats’ five runs.

Abilene Christian is now 6-3, while Youngstown State dropped to 2-5.

Wagner did the bulk of the work for ACU, pitching six innings and striking out eight batters on 80 pitches. He extended his streak of not allowing an earned run to 17 innings this season. Johnson pitched the seventh and eighth innings, and Glaze pitched the ninth.

Perry walked the first Wildcat batter of the game, Cameron Cromer, who stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on Tommy Cruz’s RBI single. Perry started to settle in by retiring six straight batters into the third inning before Cruz hit the first pitch of his second at-bat over the wall in right-center to put Abilene Christian ahead 2-0.

ACU extended its lead to 4-0 in the fourth after Perry got the first two batters out. Joseph Craig walked on a full-count pitch, and Ryne Randle homered down the right-field line for the second two-out homer in as many innings.

Perry walked Randle to start the seventh, and he got a flyout before handing the ball over to the bullpen. Hayden Clearman greeted Dalton Earich with a single, and Cromer reached on an error to load the bases. Cruz walked on a full count pitch to force in ACU’s fifth run, and Earich retired the next two batters.

In the top of the ninth, Glasser, who hit a deep fly ball to center that was ruled a three-base error in the sixth, walked with one out to set the stage for Wehler. The junior hit the first pitch of his at-bat to straightaway center for his first home run of 2020.

Perry was tagged with his first loss of the season, and Earich was not charged with a run in 0.2 innings. Casey Marshalwitz came on to pitch a scoreless eighth inning for the Penguins.

Youngstown State and Abilene Christian will continue their three-game series on Friday at Crutcher Scott Field. The first pitch will be at 7:05 p.m. Eastern, and YSU is slated to start pitcher Colin Clark against ACU’s Austin Ruesch.