Penn State to meet Nebraska in Big Ten Championship showdown

Clinching a spot in the Big Ten Tournament on the last game of the season, entering as the No. 8 seed and being looked at as the biggest underdog had Penn State against the odds.

Penn State landed in Omaha just to take off and go on an electrifying run. Taking down the No. 1 team in the conference in Illinois and defeating Michigan two times in three days has put the Nittany Lions in the big game for the first time since 2000.

The Nittany Lions enter the title game as the only team in the tournament to not suffer a loss throughout the bracket.

It’s been all hands on deck for the squad throughout the week and each player has stepped up to the challenge.

Clutch hitting from Adam Cecere and Bryce Molinaro has helped the Nittany Lions numerous times while the pitching has stepped up in a big way.

Travis Luensmann and Jaden Henline went deep into their games, filling up the strike zone and silencing bat after bat.

The bullpen has gotten out of jams and slammed the door on opponents. Head coach Mike Gambino has been pushing all the right buttons during the tournament.

The team knows how to pull off late-inning heroics, scoring a total of 13 runs in the eighth inning or later during this three-game stretch. They have also scored first in all three games.

The group is enjoying the ride and is ready to make history. The Nittany Lions are one win away from their first Big Ten title and a birth on the NCAA Tournament bracket.

They will have their work cut out for them once again as the Nebraska Cornhuskers look to spoil the party.

The Cornhuskers had their back against the wall from the start, losing 15-2 and getting mercy-ruled by Ohio State in the opening round of the tournament.

One loss away from elimination, Nebraska dug deep and rattled off four straight wins to get to the championship game.

They took down Purdue, got revenge on Ohio State and won both of the double-elimination games against the red-hot Indiana Hoosiers, who only needed to win one game to advance.

The bats came alive in Game 2 against Indiana, lifting the Cornhuskers to a 10-4 win. The group has been getting big contributions when they need it the most.

The most notable player on the roster and arguably the hottest bat in the tournament is catcher Josh Caron. Throughout this tournament, he’s crushed five home runs and tallied 10 RBIs in eight hits.

With the tournament taking place in Omaha, Cornhusker fans will be packing the stadium looking to give their team the advantage.

Will the Nittany Lions finish the story, or will the Cornhuskers get their first?

First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. EST.

Anthony Desher is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.