UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The State College Spikes celebrated the 20th anniversary of their first game at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in style on Saturday night, welcoming the Pirate Parrot and Pittsburgh Pierogies to the ballpark for BuccoMania Night fun while capturing a 5-2 victory over the Trenton Thunder to run their winning streak to six games.
The Spikes (10-7), who fell to the Williamsport Crosscutters, 5-3, in the franchise’s opener on June 20, 2006, made sure history did not repeat itself thanks to a strong effort on offense and defense.
CJ Richmond crushed a 409-foot, two-run homer off of the uplights on the light pole in right-center field in the fourth to put State College ahead.
In the sixth, Justin Journette cued a soft roller to the left side of the infield with the bases loaded that, combined with a Holden Hering throwing error as he tried to come off the mound to make the play, cleared the bases to give State College an unreachable lead.
Camden Ross went 3-for-3 with a double and also reached base on a hit by pitch to aid the Spikes’ offense.
Spikes pitchers, meanwhile, racked up 12 strikeouts on the night. Starter Chase Meyer retired all six batters he faced, three by strikeout, followed by four whiffs for winning pitcher Kyle Emmons (1-0), two for Garrett Shearer, and three for Cale Willson (5) in a five-out save.
Willson’s five saves lead the MLB Draft League, and the Spikes’ team total marked their seventh straight game with double-digit strikeouts.
Trenton (12-4) starter Noah Sundquist (1-1) took the loss after giving up the two runs on Richmond’s homer, along with a total of three hits and four walks. Sundquist notched one strikeout.
The 20th Anniversary Celebration fun also included a wide variety of nods to the earlier years of the franchise, including walkup music from the 2006-08 Spikes, videos that entertained crowds throughout the past, and a variety of specialty items from the archives given away to Spikes fans as they entered and exited the ballpark.
Plus, the night was capped off by a fantastic FIREWORKS show that lit up the skies over Happy Valley.
The game was delayed one hour, 15 minutes at the outset by rain showers that passed through the State College area.
Sunday, the Spikes look to complete an undefeated six-game homestand as they take on the Thunder at 6:35 p.m. Right-hander Carson Lane (0-0), who pitched one scoreless inning for State College on Thursday in his debut with the club, gets the start for the Spikes on Sunday night. Trenton is scheduled to go with left-hander Garrett Mirel (0-0) on the mound.
The Spikes finish the homestand with a Sunday Funday presented by Big Froggy 101 on Father’s Day Sunday, June 21, featuring a Pre-Game Catch on the Field from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.
The first 250 kids 12 and under also eat for free, with a voucher for a free hot dog, chips and soda available at the entrance gates.
Plus, fans of age can enjoy Half-Price Hard Seltzers, Sun Cruiser Iced Tea Vodka, and Dogfish Head Blood Orange & Mango Vodka Crush from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
It’s also an Ike’s Kids Club FREE Game, with free admission to the game for kids 12 and under who are members of Ike’s Kids Club. For more information on how to join Ike’s Kids Club, visit StateCollegeSpikes.com.
After the game, wrap up the weekend with Kids Run the Bases presented by Mount Nittany Health.
Tickets for Sunday’s game, along with every remaining home game on the 20th Anniversary Season schedule, are available by calling 814-271-1711 or by visiting the Spikes Ticket Office from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with hours during home game days of 10 a.m. to the end of the game Monday through Friday and 12 p.m. to the end of the game on Saturday and Sunday.
Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets, and view the 2026 promotional schedule, by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.
Catch all the action of the Spikes’ game against the Thunder on Sunday via the Spikes Radio Network presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics with Steve Jones and Joe Putnam on the call. The broadcast starts with Spikes Live! presented by Mount Nittany Health on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park starting at approximately 6:05 p.m.
Audio streaming of every Spikes game, home and away, is available on StateCollegeSpikes.com.
