Northwestern
Penn State
'Cats Host Penn State to Open Big Ten Play
3/13/2025 7:31:00 PM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern is set to open its 2025 home schedule when it hosts Penn State for a three-game series to begin Big Ten play at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, 3/14: Penn State - LHP Ryan DeSanto vs. NU - LHP Crawford Wade
Saturday, 3/15: Penn State - LHP Matt Morash vs. NU - RHP Matthew Kouser
Sunday, 3/16: Penn State - TBA vs. NU - TBA
First pitch from Rocky and Berenice Miller Park is set for 3 p.m. CT on Friday. Saturday's game is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. Sunday's finale is slated for 12:30 p.m. CT. All three games will be streamed on B1G+.
In its first 15 games, Northwestern's (7-8, 0-0 Big Ten) pitching staff has held opponents to four or fewer hits on four occasions, its most in a season since 2019.
Northwestern ranks third in the Big Ten and 15th nationally in fielding percentage (.983), committing just nine errors on 523 chances. In 2024, Northwestern led the Big Ten and ranked 10th nationally in fielding percentage (.980), committing just 37 errors on 1,847 chances.
OF Preston Knott has reached base safely in all 14 games that he's started this season. Knott went 7-for-17 (.412) with two doubles, a homer, three RBI, and four runs over four games at The Citadel. In Sunday's series finale at The Citadel, Knott led off the game with a HR, doubled in the second inning, and recorded hits in the seventh and ninth for a career-high 4 hits. When leading off an inning, Knott has reached base 10 times in 24 opportunities.
In eight appearances this season, RHP Sam Hliboki has logged an earned-run average of 2.57, earning a pair of saves and posting a 1-1 record. Hliboki's WHIP of 1.00 ranks eighth in the Big Ten among qualified pitchers. In a Saturday doubleheader at The Citadel, Hliboki worked a scoreless seventh inning in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, and then started game two, earning the win. In game two, the Los Angeles native allowed one earned run on five hits, striking out five and issuing zero walks in 6.0 innings of work.
In 12 games played this season, INF Jack Counsell is batting .290 with three doubles, a triple, four RBI, and four runs. At No. 17 Duke, Counsell had a standout weekend, going 4-for-8 with two doubles, two RBI, two runs, and a walk in three games. Counsell followed that up at The Citadel, going 3-for-8 with four walks, a double, a triple, two RBI, and two runs, and a stolen base, posting an on-base percentage of .583 over four games.
INF Trent Liolios continued his torrid start to the 2025 campaign at The Citadel with a pair of homers, bringing his total to a team-high four. Liolios leads the Wildcats in most major offensive categories, including batting average (.333), on-base percentage (.442), slugging percentage (.667), and runs batted in (11).
Northwestern is 44-49 all-time against Penn State. Last season, the 'Cats were swept at Penn State. Last time the two teams met in Evanston, the Wildcats took two out of three.
Penn State (12-3, 2-1 Big Ten) claimed a series victory to open conference play against Indiana last weekend, splitting a Friday doubleheader before defeating the Hoosiers in the rubber match, 10-6. OF Paxton Kling powers the Nittany Lions offensively, leading the team with seven home runs and a 1.160 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Northwestern will continue its homestand with a three-game series against Illinois next weekend, March 21-23 at Miller Park.
