Do Summer Stats Matter? A Question Regarding Penn State Baseball

INTRODUCTION

As the college baseball season winds down, I wondered about the usefulness of summer ball as part of making a better college baseball player. I was disappointed by Jacob Coffin’s absence during the 2024 season, despite playing a huge role during the 2023 summer. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised by Joe Jaconski using his summer ball numbers to transition into becoming an everyday starter in Happy Valley. Using the numbers below, I found out the answer to whether summer ball numbers influenced success for Penn State players.

2024 Bullpen

2023 SUMMER LEADERS

RHP Connor Throneberry

• 2023 Summer Team: Peninsula Pilots (Alaska Baseball League)

• 2023 Summer: 12-2 APP/GS, 26.2 IP, 30-17 K/BB, 2 SV, 1.31 WHIP (1-3, 1.69 ERA)

• 2024 Stats: 12-0 APP/GS, 12.0 IP, 9-12 K/BB, 0 SV, 1.92 WHIP (2-0, 3.75 ERA)

• Summary: Was slated to assume a bigger role, but played just the same in 2024.

LHP Jacob Coffin

• 2023 Summer Team: Holly Springs Salamanders (Coastal Plain League)

• 2023 Summer: 17-0 APP/GS, 31.1 IP, 23-14 K/BB, 1 SV, 1.40 WHIP (2-0, 2.87 ERA)

• 2024 Stats: N/A (Entered Transfer Portal)

• Summary: Was thought to take a big next step, but didn’t play at all.

LHP James Lordi

• 2023 Summer Team: New Britain Bees (Futures League)

• 2023 Summer: 8-3 APP/GS, 21.1 IP, 21-21 K/BB, 0 SV, 2.25 WHIP (2-1, 6.33 ERA)

• 2024 Stats: 9-1 APP/GS, 14.0 IP, 12-7 K/BB, 0 SV, 1.71 WHIP (0-1, 5.14 ERA) [Entered Transfer Portal]

• Summary: Took a big step in 2024 after not playing in 2023.

2024 STATS LEADERS

RHP Ben DeMell

• 2023 Summer: N/A

• 2024 Stats: 22-0 APP/GS, 25.1 IP, 21-16 K/BB, 2 SV, 2.17 WHIP (1-0, 10.66 ERA)

• Summary: Assumed a bigger role as part of the Penn State bullpen.

RHP David Lee

• 2023 Summer: N/A

• 2024 Stats: 23-0 APP/GS, 24.2 IP, 20-14 K/BB, 3 SV, 1.87 WHIP (1-1, 8.39 ERA)

• Summary: Facilitated an easier transition to full-time pitcher than expected.

LHP Anthony Steele

• 2023 Summer Team: Danbury Westerners (NECBL)

• 2023 Summer: 10-0 APP/GS, 17.2 IP, 31-6 K/BB, 5 SV, 0.79 WHIP (3-0, 1.02 ERA)

• 2024 Stats: 26-0 APP/GS, 34.2 IP, 32-27 K/BB, 1 SV, 1.56 WHIP (4-1, 5.97 ERA)

• Summary: Transitioned to full-time pitcher with the help of good summer numbers.

2024 Rotation

RHP Travis Luensmann

• 2023 Summer: N/A

• 2024 Stats: 15 GS, 81.0 IP, 74-61 K/BB, .210 OBA, 1.49 WHIP (7-2, 4.44 ERA)

• Summary: 2023 summer made no difference for him.

RHP Jaden Henline

• 2023 Summer: N/A

• 2024 Stats: 14 GS, 68.0 IP, 41-15 K/BB, .310 OBA, 1.51 WHIP (3-4, 6.09 ERA)

• Summary: 2023 summer made no difference for him.

RHP Frankie Sanchez

• 2023 Summer Team: Keene Swamp Bats (NECBL)

• 2023 Summer: 3 GS, 11.1 IP, 5-4 K/BB, .333 OBA, 1.68 WHIP (0-2, 7.94 ERA)

• 2024 Stats: 9 GS, 37.2 IP, 27-21 K/BB, .303 OBA, 1.81 WHIP (2-3, 7.65 ERA)

• Summary: Made a good transition into the Power 5 with mirrored summer stats.

2024 Infield/Catchers

3B Bryce Molinaro

• 2023 Summer Team: New Britain Bees (Futures League)

• 2023 Summer: .289/.383/.438, 36 G, 121 AB, 4 HR, 25 RBI

• 2024 Stats: .329/.409/.560, 53 G, 207 AB, 11 HR, 45 RBI

• Summary: Went from a St. John’s benchwarmer to a Penn State star player.

SS Grant Norris

• 2023 Summer Team: Cotuit Kettleers (Cape Cod Baseball League)

• 2023 Summer: .271/.378/.514, 18 G, 70 AB, 4 HR, 14 RBI

• 2024 Stats: .283/.343/.543, 53 G, 237 AB, 14 HR, 43 RBI

• Summary: Doubled his HRs, became a better overall player.

2B Kevin Michaels

• 2023 Summer Team: Wareham Gatemen (Cape Cod Baseball League)

• 2023 Summer: .333/.500/.667, 3 G, 9 AB, 1 HR, 1 RBI

• 2024 Stats: .276/.414/.425, 34 G, 87 AB, 3 HR, 11 RBI

• Summary: Assumed a bigger role as the 2024 season progressed.

2B/1B Kyle Hannon

• 2023 Summer Team: North Adams Steeple Cats (NECBL)

• 2023 Summer: .278/.378/.391, 33 G, 115 AB, 2 HR, 11 RBI

• 2024 Stats: .200/.319/.319, 47 G, 135 AB, 2 HR, 19 RBI

• Summary: Took a backseat role by the end of the 2024 season.

1B Joe Jaconski

• 2023 Summer Team: Woodstock River Bandits (Valley League)

• 2023 Summer: .296/.394/.493, 42 G, 142 AB, 4 HR, 35 RBI

• 2024 Stats: .281/.413/.438, 53 G, 209 AB, 7 HR, 37 RBI

• Summary: Went from a North Carolina benchwarmer to a PSU everyday starter.

C/DH J.T. Marr

• 2023 Summer: N/A

• 2024 Stats: .416/.464/.575, 53 G, 221 AB, 6 HR, 54 RBI

• Summary: Resting during 2023 summer paid dividends for him.

C/DH Matt Maloney

• 2023 Summer Team: Martha’s Vineyard Sharks (NECBL)

• 2023 Summer: .180/.276/.320, 19 G, 50 AB, 2 HR, 6 RBI

• 2024 Stats: .321/.398/.444, 48 G, 162 AB, 2 HR, 37 RBI

• Summary: Improved significantly in the 2024 season as compared to 2023.

2024 Outfield

LF Bobby Marsh

• 2023 Summer Team: Mystic Schooners (NECBL)

• 2023 Summer: .231/.333/.385, 9 G, 26 AB, 1 HR, 1 RBI

• 2024 Stats: .309/.381/.464, 53 G, 194 AB, 6 HR, 47 RBI

• Summary: Improved somewhat from 2023 to 2024.

CF Tayven Kelley

• 2023 Summer: N/A

• 2024 Stats: .260/.352/.357, 50 G, 154 AB, 2 HR, 23 RBI

• Summary: Stayed the same from 2023 to 2024.

CF Billy Gerlott

• 2023 Summer Team: Danbury Westerners (NECBL)

• 2023 Summer: .210/.333/.380, 32 G, 100 AB, 4 HR, 17 RBI

• 2024 Stats: .286/.400/.476, 20 G, 42 AB, 1 HR, 3 RBI [Entered Transfer Portal]

• Summary: Rotated with Kelley before getting injured in the middle of the 2024 season.

RF Adam Cecere

• 2023 Summer: N/A

• 2024 Stats: .324/.474/.676, 53 G, 185 AB, 17 HR, 53 RBI

• Summary: Significantly improved in the 2024 season.

MY CONCLUSION

After researching the topic and going through every 2024 starter, I believe that it depends from player to player. No two pitchers or hitters will have the same experience. It’s also important to note that the competition level is different for every summer league. The “Premier League” of summer ball is the Cape Cod League, where tons of Power 5 players come to Massachusetts every year (such as Drew Burress, Georgia Tech). An added factor is, of course, the coaching change that happened over the 2023 summer for the Nittany Lions. With a new coach comes a new philosophy, and it doesn’t come down to one single factor. Fall ball success, system fit, and numbers from previous years also influence a player’s playing time. Sometimes, summer ball helps facilitate transitions–such as those with David Lee, Anthony Steele, and Joe Jaconski–and sometimes it has the opposite effect, with the shortcomings of Jacob Coffin. Despite all this, it is beneficial for a college baseball player to get quality playing time in the summer if they don’t get much time during their season.