The start of the 2026 baseball season is almost here. As the Nittany Lions prepare to suit up for action, fans supporting the blue and white are doing the same.
Given the hectic nature of our daily lives, watching all 55 regular-season games is a tall task. Below is a guide to three games you should circle on your calendars.
These are the nonnegotiables.
Feb. 15: Kansas State (MLB Desert Invitational)
Penn State’s first test.
There is nothing like baseball in February. Sure, it’s freezing cold in State College, but across the country, the blue and white will be competing in the warm state of Arizona for its first set of action.
The MLB Desert Invitational grants a favorable slate of three games for Penn State, which will take on Air Force and Grand Canyon before facing Kansas State.
The Wildcats were a respectable team competing out of the Big 12 and finished with a 32-26 record last season. While Kansas State was very solid at home, tallying an 18-3 record, the team was just 7-4 on neutral sites. Penn State finished last year with a 4-2 record on neutral sites, making this matchup an even battle.
Both teams possess similar strengths as each ranked among the best hitting teams in college baseball last season. Kansas State ranked 23rd among the entire poll last year in home runs, hitting 97 in 58 games. The Nittany Lions weren’t too far behind at 47th, hitting 81 homers in 56 games.
Despite the Wildcats losing talent to the MLB, the team has been on the rise. In the last two seasons, Kansas State has reached the NCAA Tournament twice. This will be a good early test for two very even teams.
March 6-8: at Texas Tech (three-game series)
A sneaky nonconference test.
To this point, Penn State would have a decent amount of baseball under its belt. While March Madness serves as the highly coveted college sports event of this month, college baseball presents a unique show of its own.
For the blue and white, this will mark a major nonconference series ahead of Big Ten play.
The Penn state baseball team get in a group circle ahead of the game against USC at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Sunday, April 13, 2025 in University Park, Pa. The Trojans defeated the Nittany Lions 11-6.
Geraldine Cruz
In the offseason, Penn State went to the portal to snag Greg Minnick, a former highly-touted recruit, who signed with Texas Tech out of high school. That may have fueled an even better duel, yet to be seen on the diamond.
Aside from looking ahead to Penn State’s schedule, Texas Tech will start out with an SEC gauntlet. Having to face Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Arkansas, it’ll be a great identity test for the Red Raiders early on.
This will give a good indication of what to expect when Penn State opens up Big Ten play. After finishing last season with a subpar 20-33 record, the Red Raiders are receiving hype for a better upcoming season.
After reloading in the portal and on the recruiting trail, Texas Tech has balance across its roster. This seems like another evenly matched opponent for the Nittany Lions, who could be in for a surprising upset in early March.
April 24-26: at Oregon (three-game series)
Heading across the country for a quality Big Ten opponent.
All the talk of the town in 2026 college baseball has centered around the team in the West. And no, it’s not the Oregon Ducks.
The UCLA Bruins are the team to beat. Nevertheless, Penn State will not face them in the regular season. Luckily, or unluckily, the Nittany Lions will get a stab at another Big Ten foe from the West in Oregon.
Besides serving as a premier site in college baseball, PK Park presents an intimidating atmosphere, one that is hard for opposing teams to win. In recent years, the Ducks have emerged as one of the top units in the nation.
Seeking its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, Oregon is coming off a highly successful year in 2025. The Ducks tallied a 42-16 overall record and went 22-8 in Big Ten play, finishing as the Big Ten regular-season co-champion with UCLA.
Like Texas Tech, the Ducks will be tested early on in their neutral-site contests. Playing in the “Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Class,” Oregon will face the likes of Vanderbilt and UC Irvine. Following that, they will face Oregon State at home. All three of those opponents were Tournament teams last season.
In Perfect Game’s Preseason Top 25, the Ducks placed at No. 13. Given the national preseason attention and coach Mark Wasikowski’s vast winning continuity, Oregon will pose a major threat to the Nittany Lions in 2026.
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