The Georgetown University baseball team (7-10) split back-to-back games against the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions (12-3) March 11 and 12.

Despite the Hoyas’ pursuit of a shutout starting from the end of the third inning when they led 11-0, the Nittany Lions kept things interesting at Tuesday’s game. 

Thanks to an aggressive batting approach, Penn State was able to cut substantially into the Hoyas’ early lead. Georgetown was only able to eke out the 14-10 win thanks to across-the-board contributions from several sophomores. 

Both offensively and defensively, Tuesday’s game was a sophomore talent showcase. Sophomore middle infielder Blake Schaaf, a native of Oakland, Calif., notched 4 runs, 3 hits and 1 RBI. He recorded a season single game high of 3 hits and 1 triple.

With a season total of 48 at-bats now under his belt, Schaaf left Tuesday’s game with a .333 batting average for the 2025 season — which dropped only to .314 after Wednesday’s game after 3 at-bats — an improvement from his 2024 average (.235). 

Even when the Hoyas solidified an 11-1 lead by the bottom of the fourth inning, Schaaf played aggressively on offense. After singling to the left infield, Schaaf stole second and then third base. 

The Nittany Lions underwent a pitching change, swapping right-handed pitcher Ben DeMell for right-handed pitcher Connor Throneberry, who began his outing by walking first-year outfielder Dylan Larkins. 

The Hoyas adjusted to Throneberry’s fresh arm in a matter of seconds. After walking to first, Larkins stole second. On the same play, Schaaf stole home, increasing Georgetown’s lead to 12-1. 

Georgetown Head Coach Edwin Thompson described Schaaf as having a “very special day” and said the same of graduate left-handed pitcher Kavi Caster who secured 4 hits, 3 RBIs and 1 walk. 

On the arm side, sophomore right-handed pitcher Johan Franco recorded a season-best ERA of 3.60. In a 4-inning performance, Franco totaled 1 earned run and 3 strikeouts. 

In the fourth inning, Penn State’s bats began narrowing the gap with a homer from infielder Joe Jaconski. In the fifth, the Lions gained 2 more runs. Penn State infielder Bryce Molinaro homered in the sixth, followed by a 2-run homer from infielder Ryan Weingartner in the seventh.

The sophomore showcase prevailed. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jack Volo entered the game with bases loaded in the top of the eighth after Hoya graduate right-handed pitcher Nadell Booker hit Penn State right-handed pitcher Jesse Jaconski with a pitch. The score was 13-8.

After striking out Nittany Lions outfielder Cohl Mercado and Ryan Weingartner, Volo walked outfielder Paxton Kling, who averaged hitting .344 in the 2025 season. 

Volo said he regretted some of his pitch decisions.

“I definitely was a little selective with my pitches,” Volo told The Hoya. “And I look back on that as a mistake.”

Only giving up a walk and a single, Volo exited the inning with the Hoyas holding a three-run lead. 

Volo said his experiences pitching in pressure-filled situations prepared him.

“You kind of find ways to take the pressure off yourself,” Volo said. “I’ve pitched in some situations, maybe not quite as big as that, but some other pressure, high pressure situations. So I felt like I was ready for it.” 

After two innings, the right-hander totaled 5 strikeouts and 0 earned runs. 

Wednesday’s game yielded a different result, however, with the Nittany Lions emerging victorious 11-6. The Hoyas were unable to score until the top of the fifth, when sophomore outfielder Ashtin Gilio secured his third home run of the season, putting Georgetown on the board for a score of 8-1. 

Thompson said the Hoyas struggled to adjust to the strength of Penn’s starting pitcher. 

“One of those days where their starter was outstanding, going four frames and no hits. We couldn’t make adjustments,” Thompson told Georgetown Athletics. 

Penn State continued to put bats to balls until the ninth, when the Hoyas refused to relent. Georgetown first-year infielder Sho Garcia, first-year outfielder Christian Hamilton and junior first baseman Luke Bauer got on base, followed by a Larkins RBI single to left-center. Still, it was too little too late, and the Hoyas went home with an 11-6 loss. 

Georgetown will face the Monmouth University Hawks (6-10) for a three-game home matchup beginning March 14 at 4 p.m. at Capital One Park.