PHILADELPHIA – After months of preparation and anticipation, the University of Pennsylvania baseball team will open its season this weekend with a series against Kennesaw State.
 
Penn (0-0) vs. Kennesaw State (4-3, 0-0 ASun)
Game 1 | Friday, Feb. 28 | 4 p.m.
Kennesaw, Ga. | Live Stats | Watch
 
Game 2 | Saturday, Feb. 29 | 2 p.m.
Kennesaw, Ga. | Live Stats
 
Game 3 | Sunday, March 1 | 1 p.m.
Kennesaw, Ga. | Live Stats
 
The Series: Kennesaw State
This weekend's season opener marks the first meeting between Penn and Kennesaw State. It also marks the first time the Quakers will open their season in the Peach State. Penn is 4-2 against programs which hail from Georgia dating back to a meeting with the Bulldogs in 1897.
 
All Eyes On Us
Prior to the start of the season, Penn was voted the preseason No. 1 in the Ivy League Preseason Media Poll. With each of the Ancient Eight schools contributing votes from a pair of media personnel, the Quakers topped the poll with 119 points and 10 of the 16 available first-place votes.
 
Penn was also dubbed the preseason favorite in D1Baseball's Ivy League Preview, citing the Quakers as the most well-rounded team in the league. Baseball America selected Penn to finish second in its Ivy League preview, with last year's champion, Harvard, taking the top spot.
 
Returning Talent
Penn boasts a bevy of returning star power to the lineup this season, including six of its eight All-Ivy selections in 2019. Those selections include Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, Christian Scafidi, and Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Josh Hood. The pair are joined by outfielder Peter Matt as the trio of returning first-team all-conference selections.
 
Chris Adams, and Craig Larsen return after second-team selections while Eduardo Malinowski will look to build after an honorable mention honor last year.
 
Freshman Sensation
Josh Hood will be counted on to lead the Quakers offensively after a stellar freshman season. His 2019 honors include NBCWA First-Team Freshman All-American, Unanimous First-Team All-Ivy, Ivy League Rookie of the Year, and First-Team All-Philadelphia Big 5.
 
Last season, Hood posted a .331/.411/580 slash line with 60 hits, 42 runs scored, 42 RBI, eight home runs, four triples, and 13 doubles.
 
Returning Rotation
Penn is the only of the Ancient Eight programs to return its entire weekend rotation for the 2020 season. Last year's Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, Christian Scafidi, headlines an experienced group. Mitchell Holcomb and John Alan Kendrick, both seniors, will be expected to maintain their starting roles from last season while sophomores Joe Miller and Kevin Eaise will see significant innings as well.
 
Heavy Hitters
Last season, the Quakers shattered the program record with 533 hits and 109 doubles. Penn lost its two leading bats to graduation (Matt O'Neill - 64, Sean Phelan - 60), but expect big bats like Hood, Larsen, Matt, and Malinowski, among others, to make up for Penn's power hitting.
 
Senior Leadership
The Quakers are led by a trio of senior captains in the 2020 season. Adams and Scafidi maintain their captaincy after serving as half of a quartet last season while Matt joins them for his first year as a captain.
 
Opening Day Struggles
As is the case with many northern-based teams, Penn has struggled in season openers as of late. This weekend, the Quakers will look for their first season-opening win since a 13-4 victory over Georgetown in 2010.