Penn State Baseball Summer Report (End of 2025)

The Penn State summer portion of the offseason has officially come to an end. With new transfers and star-studded performances, it’s been a summer to remember outside of Happy Valley. For the biggest storylines of the year and player honors, read below.

Story of the Summer: Loading Up On Talent

Head coach Mike Gambino has been hot on the recruiting trail for three years at Penn State by now, with this summer being more important than the last two. Even though there were no standout transfers, there were plenty of above-average newcomers like West Virginia right-handed pitcher Benjamin Hudson and Tampa infielder Kevin Karstetter. Just as much, the 2027 recruiting class kicked off with plenty of impactful rising high school juniors such as Souderton right-handed pitcher Trent Lutz.

Top Transfer Pitcher: RHP Kyle Emmons, Towson

Emmons earned this award due to his upcoming role for Penn State next spring as a potential closer. Following Chase Renner’s signing with the Miami Marlins, Emmons will likely be called to step up as a late-game arm, with three saves in 19 relief appearances for the Tigers in 2025. His summer stats gave the coaches something to look at as well, notching five saves and a 2.89 earned run average with the Bristol Blues of the NECBL.

Top Transfer Player: 2B Jayden Davis, Vanderbilt

After Derek Cease left for graduation, the Nittany Lions set themselves up with a huge upgrade in the middle infield. With SEC experience and low strikeout rates, Davis looks to be the type of player to get solid contact hitting for RBIs and small ball next year. In three years, the former Samford Bulldog has driven in 80 runs with a .321 batting average.

Pitcher of the Summer: RHP Carson Renner (Bristol Blues, NECBL)

It seems as though almost every week, Renner earned Pitcher of the Week honors by simply having a clean statline. He posted eight shutout outings with five no-hit appearances in 13 games this summer. Renner tied the team lead in saves with five as he looks to grab an advantage in the race for closer in 2026.

Player of the Summer: INF Preston Yaucher (Burlington Sock Puppets, Appalachian)

The best time to make a statement is before setting foot on campus, and the rising freshman did just that. Yaucher’s 40 runs batted in led all rising freshmen on the Sock Puppets roster, and he had four in a game three times this season. Sporting a .300 batting average in 140 at-bats, he has set himself up for success early on in Happy Valley.

Question of the Summer: What should be most anticipated for the fall?

With so much roster turnover going into 2026, there are plenty of questions to be answered as the leaves turn orange and brown. The closer race, pitching rotation shakeup and outfield alignment highlight some uncertainties. Seeing how these players gel together quickly in live action will be the biggest element to look forward to as summer ends.