Penn State Baseball Weekly Summer Report (Week of July 28-August 3)

The majority of Nittany Lions saw their summer seasons end this past week. Penn State had a headstart in their Class of 2027 recruiting. Plus, BPort Sports analyzes a feature on the newest transfer addition. For the biggest storylines of the week and player honors, read below.

Yaucher Ends 2025 Summer With a Bang

Rising freshman infielder Preston Yaucher delivered despite the Burlington Sock Puppets–his summer team–dropping a 10-6 decision to the Bluefield Ridge Runners in the Appalachian League East Divisional Championship last Thursday. Yaucher went 3-for-5 with a clutch RBI double in the lone playoff game. As summer turns over to fall, the Wisconsinite will have the fans’ attention after leading the Appalachian League rising freshmen in runs batted in with 40.

Smith Reaches Stellar On-Base Feat

Catcher Avery Smith reached base more often than all but three other Burlington Sock Puppets this summer with a whopping .479 on-base percentage during the regular season. Smith kicked off the summer with an 18-game on-base streak from June 6 to July 19. Plate discipline was the key to this, as he walked 18 times during this stretch, doing so three times in an 11-1 win over the Danville Otterbots on July 9.

Hillen, Lutz Kick Off 2027 Class

The Class of 2027 recruiting window officially began on August 1, and Penn State did not waste much time finding commitments. Two-way player Cooper Hillen from Lampeter-Strasburg, an in-state school, made his commitment official on Saturday after a sophomore season that saw him sport a 0.58 earned run average in six games. Another Keystone Stater had his commitment reported to the public by our top writer, Bryan Portney, on Monday of this week after a sophomore season with 43 strikeouts.

Dickinson Press Highlights McDonald

A news source local to Maddox McDonald’s summer team, the Badlands Big Sticks, published an article detailing the rising graduate student’s collegiate path up to this point. Writer Jacob Cheris found out from McDonald how patience has made him a better player. McDonald continues on in the article about the Big Sticks’ commitment to winning and more.

Player of the Week: OF Maddox McDonald (Badlands Big Sticks, Northwoods)

Hot hitting and patience at the plate has delivered for the newest Nittany Lion transfer addition, as he slashed .412/.583/.714 in five games last week. McDonald batted in three runs and swiped two bags during the stretch. From his aggressive baserunning to his focus, there’s a lot to love about the New Braunfels, Texas native.

Pitcher of the Week: LHP Logan Olson (Newport Gulls, NECBL)

Olson takes home back-to-back weekly honors after delivering twice out of the bullpen last week. He struck out five batters and walked only one in his two outings, tossing three shutout frames to boot. To add on, he recorded a winning decision against the Danbury Westerners last Monday to seal the deal.

Question of the Week: Who are the biggest targets for 2027?

As the 2027 commit window opens up for high schoolers, it’s important to note who would be a solid program booster for the Nittany Lions. Right-handed pitcher Will Haggerty stands out, as he’s the top New England region prospect with a fastball in the low 90s. Two-way player Cam McCormack V from Haverford (PA) would also be a player to look out for, as Penn State looks to compete with Michigan, TCU, Alabama, LSU and Florida State for him.