Tag Archive for: Penguins

FLY THE Y! PENGUINS EVEN SERIES WITH HOUSTON

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*Courtesy of ysusports.com

Houston, Texas – Steven D’Eusanio’s three-run home run in the top of the 11th inning lifted the Youngstown State baseball team to a 6-3 victory over Houston on Saturday night at Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park.

The Penguins improve to 1-1 on the season while the Cougars fall to 1-1.

In the top of the 11th inning, Jeff Wehler drew a leadoff walk, stole second and reached third on a wild pitch. After Blaze Glenn walked, D’Eusanio sent a pitch from Houston’s Carter Henry over the wall in left field to send the Penguins to their first win of the season. It was D’Eusanio’s second home run of the contest as he also hit a two a two-run inside-the-park home run as part of YSU’s three-run sixth inning.

The Cougars threatened in the home half of the 11th as they got two runners aboard with one out. Chad Coles came out of the bullpen to strike out Brad Burckel before Joel Hake came on and got Ryan Hernandez swinging to end the game.

Hake earned the save while Gary Clift Jr. was awarded the victory after allowing just one run on one hit and striking out five over 3.1 innings of relief. Clift Jr. retired nine straight batters at one point and retired the Cougars in order in the ninth and 10th innings. Four Youngstown State pitchers limited Houston’s offense to just three solo home runs, and registered a total of 15 strikeouts.

The Cougars jumped ahead with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning before the Penguins plated three runs in the top of the sixth. Houston also hit solo shots in the sixth and seventh innings to force the game into extra innings. Eight of the game’s nine runs were the result of home runs.

Youngstown State outhit Houston 8-3 as five different Penguins recorded a hit. D’Eusanio went 3-for-5 with a single, two homers, two runs scored and a career-high five RBIs. It was also the first-multi-homer game of the sophomore’s career. Phillip Glasser notched a pair of singles while Glenn and Wehler each had a hit and scored two runs.

In his first start since May 5, 2018, Collin Floyd delivered an impressive performance for the Penguins. The senior, who missed all of last season with an injury, allowed only two runs on two solo home runs and struck out eight over seven innings of work. Floyd retired 18 of the first 20 hitters he faced and 21 of 24 overall while sitting down the Cougars in order in four different frames.

YSU got leadoff singles and a runner in scoring position with less than two outs in each of the first two innings, but were unable to capitalize. The Penguins had a great scoring opportunity in the top of the first as Turner Grau and Glasser reached on back-to-back infield singles to begin the game. However, Houston starter Clay Aguilar got Wehler to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play and Glenn to fly out to avoid any damage.

After Floyd retired the first five hitters he faced, Houston’s Blake Way hit a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the second inning to give the Cougars a 1-0 edge.

The score remained the same until the top the top of the sixth inning. After Wehler reached with a two-out single, Glenn hit a fly ball to right field that was misplayed by Way, allowing Wehler to score and tie the game at a run apiece. D’Eusanio then hit a sinking line drive to right center field that got by a diving Johnathon Turner and rolled all the way to wall. D’Eusanio was able to race all the way home for the two-run inside-the-park home run that gave YSU a 3-1 advantage.

After Floyd had retired seven batters in a row, Hernandez sent a solo home run to left center to begin the bottom of the seventh inning and pull the Cougars within a run. Kobe Hyland then hit a one-out sole homer to right center off Clift Jr. in the bottom of the eighth to even the contest at 3-3 and eventually force extra innings.

Henry was saddled with the loss for Houston after surrendering the deciding three runs in the 11th. Tristen Bayless allowed just one hit and fanned eight over 4.1 innings of scoreless relief, and Aguilar was responsible for three unearned runs on six hits over 5.2 innings. Isaiah Blaylock also worked a scoreless inning out of the bullpen for the Cougars.

The Penguins and Cougars will play the rubber match of their three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live at UHCougars.com and YSNLive.com.

YSU BASEBALL ANNOUNCES 2020 SCHEDULE

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*Courtesy of YSUSports.com*

YOUNGSTOWN, OH-  The Youngstown State baseball team will begin the 2020 season with a three-game series at Houston and go on to host 21 home games at Eastwood Field, head coach Dan Bertolini has announced.

The 2020 schedule includes one Power-Five opponent and five from the Mid-American Conference. In addition to 21 home games, YSU will play four road contests against regional foes Akron, Kent State, and Pittsburgh.

The Penguins will open the 2020 season on Feb. 14 at Houston, and proceed to play their first 13 and 21 of their first 23 games on the road. The home opener is slated for March 10 against Bowling Green while Horizon League play is set to begin March 13 at Northern Kentucky.

After the opening series in Houston, YSU will play a three-game series at the College of Charleston the next weekend on Feb. 21-23. The Penguins will then travel to play a three-game set at Abilene Christian on Feb. 27-29. Youngstown State will face Houston and Abilene Christian for the first time while the series at College of Charleston will mark the first meeting between the programs since 2011.

The Penguins will remain on the road for a contest at Pittsburgh on March 3 and a four-game series at North Carolina Central on March 6-8. YSU will also be facing North Carolina Central for the first time in program history. After playing their home opener at Eastwood Field against Bowling Green on March 10, the Penguins will open Horizon League play with a three-game series at Northern Kentucky on March 13-15. YSU is scheduled to play 30 conference games in a nine-week span between March 13 and May 16.

The Penguins will return to Ohio for a contest at Toledo on March 17 and a home game against St. Bonaventure the following day. YSU will then hit the road again for a three-game Horizon League series at Milwaukee (March 20-22) and a return trip to Pittsburgh (March 25). The March schedule will conclude with four straight home games at Eastwood Field. Defending Horizon League Tournament champion UIC will come to town for a three-game Horizon League set (March 27-29) before a non-conference matchup with Niagara (March 31).

April will start with a three-game series at defending Horizon League regular-season champion Wright State (April 2-4). The Penguins will then play four of their next five at home beginning with a non-conference contest against Ohio at Eastwood Field on April 7. After making the short trip to Kent State the following day, YSU will return home to host Oakland for a three-game Horizon League series (April 10-12).

The Penguins will continue the April slate with a six-game road stretch beginning at St. Bonaventure on the 14th. YSU will travel to Chicago for a three-game Horizon League set at UIC (April 17-19) before back-to-back non-conference games at Ohio (April 21) and Niagara (April 22). The next four games will be at Eastwood Field beginning with a three-game league series against Northern Kentucky (April 24-26). After hosting Pittsburgh on April 28, the Guins will make the quick trip to Akron the next day to close out April. The Penguins and Zips will meet for the first time since 2015. Akron’s baseball program was cut following the 2015 season and will return in 2020.

Youngstown State will play 11 of its final 15 regular-season games at home include seven of 10 in the month of May. The final month of the season will begin with a three-game Horizon League series against Wright State at Eastwood Field (May 1-3). After a three-game league set at Oakland (May 8-10), the Penguins will enjoy their third and final four-game homestand of the campaign. YSU will host Kent State on May 12 before finishing the regular season with a three-game Horizon League series against Milwaukee on May 14-16.

The Horizon League Tournament is scheduled for May 20-23 at the home of the regular-season champion.

YSN is proud to again be the audio home for all Penguin home games, as well as select road games in 2020.  You can join the YSN team and the Guins at YSNLive.com/YSUBaseball .

PENGUINS RUSH PAST HOWARD

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Courtesy of YSUSports.com

 

Youngstown, Ohio – The Youngstown State football team rushed for 454 yards and scored six touchdowns on the ground in a 54-28 victory over Howard on Saturday afternoon from Stambaugh Stadium.

The Penguins (2-0) finished the game with 640 yards of total offense, the sixth most in program history, while the 454 yards compiled on the ground was the fourth most all-time.

For the game, Braxton Chapman finished with 132 yards and a score on eight carries, London Pearson ran for 126 yards and score on six carries, Christian Turner carried the ball six times for 86 yards with a score and Joe Alessi had 70 yards on eight carries with a pair of touchdowns. Nate Mays finished 8-of-14 with for 182 yards and pair of touchdowns while also picking up 30 yards on the ground.

The defense finished with the contest with five sacks and two turnovers. Ma’lik Richmond led the way with eight tackles and sack while DeMarko Craig finished the game with seven tackles and a pair of sacks.

After forcing Howard to punt on their opening drive, YSU marched down right down the field to take a 6-0 lead with 7:11 left in the first quarter. The Penguins moved the ball 82 yards on just eight plays as Alessi capped off the drive with a six-yard touchdown run.

Howard answered with a touchdown drive of their own to take a 7-6 lead after Caylin Newton connected with Kyle Anthony on a 50-yard touchdown pass with 4:19 remaining in the opening quarter.

After returning a Nate Mays interception to the YSU 29-yard line, the Bison extended their lead to 14-6 after Dedrick Parson ran in the touchdown from just two yards out.

The Penguins opened the second quarter with a scoring drive to bring the score to 14-13 with 13:04 remaining in the half. Mays connected with Jermiah Braswell who made a diving catch in the end zone for a 38-yard score.

With the Bison threatening to extend their lead, Richmond forced a fumble which was recovered by Antoine Cook at the YSU 17-yard line. The Penguins turned the Bison turnover into seven points after Christian Tuner punched in a five-yard touchdown run to finish off a nine-play, 83-yard drive with 7:52 left in the second quarter.

YSU pushed their lead to 27-14 with just 39 seconds remaining in the half as Mays connected with Ryan Emans for a 15-yard touchdown. The Penguins took the ball 63 yards on three plays with the scoring drive highlighted by a 38-yard pick up from Braswell on the first play. Heading into halftime, Justus Reed blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt by Howard’s Nick Ferris.

In the first half, YSU produced 319 yards of offense while Howard had 267 yards. The Penguins were efficient on the ground gaining 175 yards on just 23 carries. Turner led the ground game with 56 yards on five carries and a touchdown.

After forcing the Penguins into a three and out to open the half, the Bison went on a seven-play, 45-yard drive to bring the score to 27-21. Newton found Anthony for the second time of the afternoon on a 22-yard strike with 10:02 remaining in the third quarter.

The Penguins pushed their lead back to 13 points on the following drive as Mays scampered in from two yards out. On the first play of the drive, Turner picked up 26 yards which was followed by a 36-yard completion to from Samuel St. Surin down to the Howard six-yard line.

After a DJ Smalls interception return for a touchdown was negated due to a penalty, YSU extended their lead just one play later when Alessi busted through the line for a 40-yard touchdown. After the PAT was blocked, the Penguins took a 40-21 lead with 7:25 remaining in the third.

Following a defensive stand on fourth down for the Penguins, Chapman took the ball untouched for an 87-yard touchdown to give YSU a 47-21 lead.

Pearson continued the rushing assault for the Penguins with a 75-yard touchdown run to give YSU a 54-21 lead with 11:25 remaining in the game. Kyle Anthony picked up his third touchdown of the afternoon on a 16-yard pass and catch with just 4:20 left in the contest to bring the score to 54-28.

The Penguins return to Stambaugh Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14 when they host Duquense at 2 p.m.

GLASS HALF FULL

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It’s all about “The Power of Positivity” in the Youngstown State Baseball Clubhouse.  From the top down, they speak their destiny into reality as of late.  Coach Bertolini feeds off the energy, and excitement of his players, and perhaps none more than Freshman Shortstop, Phillip Glasser.

Youngstown State Baseball 2019 Photo Day – Dec. 7, 2018 (Photo by David Dermer)

The Tallmadge product has been tasked to be in the top portion of the lineup to get on base by any means necessary, and his tenacity and baseball IQ is what has kept him there.  This isn’t your ordinary frosh, as Glasser is an experienced middle infielder with accolades to his resume.  He was ranked as the 50th overall prospect in Ohio by Perfect Game, which is impressive, to say the least.  Let’s not forget that he was a 3-year letterman for Tallmadge including captaining the team that won the 2017 Ohio D2 State Title where he batted .400 with 39 runs, and 20 RBI that season.

For the Guins this season, Phillip has made a nice transition as he’s racked up 22 hits including 4 extra baggers while carrying a nearly .400 OBP.  Defensively is where Phillip makes the donuts, as he’s been the pitchers best friend 12 times helping turn double plays with a fielding percentage of .932.

Youngstown State Baseball at Florida State at Dick Howser Stadium on Feb. 23, 2019 (Photo by Ken Lanese)

Add to all of this that Glasser is a high-character player who puts his team before himself?  You’ve got a guy with a strong foundation to help lead for years to come!

YSN General Manager Steve Leslie sat down with YSU’s #2 for this week’s Penguin Player Profile: GLASS HALF FULL

 

YSU BASEBALL COACH’S CORNER WITH DAN BERTOLINI (EP 7)

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Games have been nailbiters lately, and more often than not- The ‘Guins have been steering the ship.  From walk-off winners to sweeping ACC foes: YSU has turned up the heat on the competition without any warning.  Home is still where the bread is being buttered for the Penguins as they welcome Horizon League opponent UIC into town.

We caught up with Coach Berto before the first pitch of the UIC-YSU Series and picked his brain about the confidence at Eastwood Field.

We also key in on a few treats the Guins have in store this weekend, and what the thoughts are in regards to community baseball and travel baseball.

PHOTO CREDIT: YSUSPORTS.com

AND…Coach Bertolini answers the long-debated question: Good Pitching Beats Good Hitting Every Time.

Well….sort of.

All that and more on Episode 7 of YSU Baseball Coach’s Corner with Dan Bertolini.

PRESENTED BY

NUMERO UNO

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The band “Three Dog Night” created the famous song, One is the Loneliest Number, in 1968.

Fast forward to present day, the number one signifies immortality, excellence, the beginning, a foundation, as well as many other things.  There are pressures to wearing the lone digit, as you are often representing the top of the roster, and the first name that fans and opposition see when looking at the bill.

Youngstown State Baseball at Pittsburgh at Charles L. Cost Field on March 13, 2019 (Photo by Rob Hayes)

For Youngstown State’s Lucas Nasonti- there’s an obligation and constant reminder of where he sets the expectations for himself.  He’s the Sherriff of the Penguin outfield as the Centerfielder.  He’s often the table-setter among the top of the lineup, and he proudly dons the number one on his back each time he takes the field.

Youngstown State Baseball 2019 Photo Day – Dec. 7, 2018 (Photo by David Dermer)

The former high school baseball State Champion from Champion, Ohio sat down with YSN General Manager for this week’s YSU Baseball Player Profile to discuss the season so far, and the expectations heading into Horizon League Play.  This week’s Player Profile is NUMERO UNO.

 

YSU BASEBALL COACH’S CORNER WITH DAN BERTOLINI (EP 5)

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The Guins are officially able to put the first victory of the year under their belt against Pitt, but the feeling was still focused for YSU Head Coach Dan Bertolini.  The Penguins have not only been “in” the majority of their games but have also led in many as well.  So, being able to stand toe to toe with the pride of the ACC wasn’t a surprise for the YSU squad.

PHOTO CREDIT: YSU Athletic Department

In Episode Five of YSU Baseball Coach’s Corner, Coach Berto discusses current expectations as we head into Horizon League play, as well as the character of this week’s Player Profiles.

All that and more when you step up to the plate for Coach’s Corner with Dan Bertolini!

PRESENTED BY

 

YOUNGSTOWN GUMBO

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In the south there’s a great dish that is a collection of ingredients when by themselves are average, but when stewed together over the course of hours or days, it becomes a great, hearty meal that is a fan favorite by everyone.

In Youngstown we have a player that has seasoning from his travels, a great arm, defensively solid, an outstanding bat, and is as smart as they come.  Youngstown Gumbo comes to us in form of Junior Catcher, Tanner Montgomery.

Youngstown State Baseball 2019 Photo Day – Dec. 7, 2018 (Photo by David Dermer)

Montgomery has been thrust into the starting role as an upperclassman to help lead the Penguins.  Last year he proved his worth when he did not commit an error in 18 chances in the field.  Montgomery also was 3-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored in five Horizon League games, and by the time conference action comes around in 2019, “Youngstown Gumbo” will be even more seasoned, and ready to serve it up to his opponents.

Youngstown State Baseball 2019 Photo Day – Dec. 7, 2018 (Photo by David Dermer)

YSN’s Steve Leslie sat down with the kid from Akron for this week’s YSU Baseball Player Profile: YOUNGSTOWN GUMBO.

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

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Another weekend, another perennial powerhouse for the Penguins to face this past week.  Once again Coach Bertolini and the ‘Guins held their own at Tennessee Tech.  Now the Red and Black Attack turn their focus to another bird from the Buckeye State as YSU will faceoff with the Miami Redhawks.

We caught up with the YSU Skipper to talk about how things went down south, as well as where the bar is right now for our guys and how we’ll continue to #ChangeYourBest.

 

YSU Baseball Intrasquad Scrimmage – Sept. 21, 2018 at Eastwood Field (COURTESY YSU ATHLETIC DEPT)

 

Also, don’t miss this week’s social media question that asks Coach’s favorite place he’s played in, as well as the stadium he’d still love to do battle in.

All that and more on this week’s YSU Baseball Coach’s Corner with Dan Bertolini (EP 4)

PRESENTED BY

THE KILLER WEHL

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There’s a subtlety in utility for the Youngstown State Penguin Baseball Team this year.  For instance, Sophomore Jeff Wehler played in 53 games in 2018- none as an outfielder.  In 2019, the utility specialist has the majority of his starts in left field and has a handful of web gems already under his belt.

The stellar sophomore’s standout play to this point this season is his two-run home run against Florida State in Game 3 of the series.

YSU Baseball Intrasquad Scrimmage – Sept. 22, 2017 at Eastwood Field

 

Wehler’s success is a direct reflection of the work he’s put in on and off the field.  Jeff led the team and ranked second in the Horizon League with 25 stolen bases his freshman campaign.  That total is the most ever by a YSU freshman.  Wehler also became the first Penguin since 1988 to reach at least 25 steals in a season which also rank as the fourth most in a single season in school history.   Only three freshmen in the country had more steals at the conclusion of the regular season

Youngstown State Baseball 2019 Photo Day – Dec. 7, 2018 (Photo by David Dermer)

YSN General Manager Steve Leslie caught up with the Super Utility Man for this week’s YSU Baseball Player Profile- THE KILLER WEHL.