Penn State baseball set to travel south for Puerto Rico Challenge

For the first time in NCAA history, Puerto Rico will be home to college baseball action. The cities of Ponce and Caguas will welcome eight Division I baseball teams for the first-ever Puerto Rico Challenge.

Penn State is one of those squads, with head coach Mike Gambino and Co. ready to face off against some big competition this weekend. The Nittany Lions will play three games, opening up with Missouri, followed by Stetson then UConn.

The buzz around the trip has a lot of members on Penn State ready to start the season. "We're excited for a lot of reasons, I think it's the first-ever college baseball weekend down in Puerto Rico. It's awesome to bring attention to an island that is a beautiful place....it's a great baseball culture on the island down there," Gambino said.

The Nittany Lions finished just one win short of the Big Ten title and an NCAA tournament birth. The journey to Omaha has begun, so what should they expect to see from their opponents on the diamond?

Missouri

The SEC is the nation’s baseball powerhouse, with numerous contenders in the national title conversation every season. The Missouri Tigers have been searching for a way to make it back to the NCAA tournament for years now. Last season, they finished 23-32, going 14-11 in non-conference play. It can be easy to get lost in the mix when your conference is home to programs like Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida.

But that’s in the past and the Tigers still have talent that can hurt you in an instant. Missouri is looking at a new infield after losing pieces over the offseason. The Tigers have a strong freshman class that came in this season, and they also attacked the transfer portal heavily, picking up 11 new players for the roster.

Junior infielder Peyton Basler is a strong pickup. He put up a .328 average with 68 runs and an aggressive 26 stolen bases last season with the Kansas City Kansas Community College Blue Devils.

Basler’s JUCO teammate, Gehrig Goldbeck, was also a standout with his elite glovework in the field and his trustworthy bat, hitting .354. Goldbeck and Basler already have that chemistry in the infield should be a big help for the Tigers.

One of the best returning bats in the lineup belongs to junior infielder Jackson Lovich. He finished second on the Tigers last season in home runs with 10, and first in RBIs with 35. There wasn’t a ton of pop in the lineup last year, but Lovich is a player that should be circled with a red Sharpie.

On the mound, Brock Lucas should be a difference-maker for the program. His command over his pitches is special. He’s been improving every season for the Tigers, going from a 6.26 ERA to a 3.63 ERA. Holding his opponents to a .215 batting average last season, the junior should have an increased role this time around.

It should be a fun clash between Penn State and Missouri. First pitch is Friday at 4 p.m. EST.

Stetson

The Stetson Hatters made quite a bit of noise last season, most notably for their midweek wins over No. 4 Florida, No. 16 UCF and No. 10 Florida State. The Hatters went 41-22 last season, with a record of 21-12 in non-conference play. Even when drawn in a regional with Florida State, UCF, and Alabama, Stetson still managed to garner one win during the weekend despite getting eliminated.

Speed is the name of the game for the Stetson Hatters, as they return two players with 16 stolen bases last season in infielders Landon Moran and Isaiah Barkett. JUCO transfer outfielder Jordan Taylor could make a big impact this season after tallying a .344 batting average in 2024.

The Hatters lost their top three qualified pitchers from last season, which combined for a 17-7 record and 190 strikeouts. Their rebuild at that spot is helped by Indiana transfer righthander Ethan Phillips, who had a 4-0 record and a 6.16 earned run average through nine starts.

The two teams will battle on Saturday at 10 a.m. EST.

UConn

On Sunday, Penn State will conclude its trip to Puerto Rico when they face the UConn Huskies. It will be the first time the two teams will meet in over 15 years, with the most recent matchup on March 12, 2008, when the Huskies took a 4-2 win in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Last season, UConn finished with an overall record of 36-25 and had the best record in the Big East division at 17-4. Despite being the No. 1 seed, they fell in double-elimination in the Big East Tournament to No. 4 Xavier and No. 3 Georgetown, with both games going to extra-innings.

One player missing from this Huskies roster is left-handed pitcher Braden Quinn. The New Fairfield, Conn., native was selected in the 14th round of the 2024 MLB Entry Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Last season, the southpaw relief pitcher put up a 3.63 ERA in just 44.2 innings, totaling 67 strikeouts and earning four saves.

Despite losing Luke Broadhurst and Korey Morton, two of UConn’s leaders in slugging percentage last season (minimum 100 at-bats), the Huskies infield will still have first baseman Maddix Dalena and Tyler Minick to make a significant impact on the offense.

In 2024, Dalena hit .224 with 12 doubles and 13 homers, driving in 43 runs in the process. His .511 slugging percentage was one of four Huskies who had a percentage higher than .500 (minimum 100 at-bats). He also walked 27 times and struck out 57 times.

As for Minick, he hit .266 with seven doubles and nine homers, driving in 28 runs. He did have a higher slugging percentage than Dalena, which was .525. While he only drew four walks, the Reading, Pa. native struck out only 33 times, a significant amount less than Dalena.

Penn State and UConn will face off in its final game in Puerto Rico, with the first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sunday.

For all things Penn State baseball be sure to follow CommRadio insiders Anthony Desher (@Ranch_Deshing), Bryan Portney (@29Bport) and Daniel Studer (@DanielStuderPSU).

Anthony Desher is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email desher1119@gmail.com.

Bryan Portney is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bep5295@psu.edu.

Daniel Studer is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email dbs5866@psu.edu.