Penn State Baseball Weekly Summer Report (Week of June 16-22)

The Nittany Lions dug into the transfer portal and found two new players that can make an instant impact. The pitching staff had some more playing time in the summer leagues this week and did not disappoint. Plus, the Player of the Week was a neck-and-neck race. For the biggest storylines of the week and player honors, read below.

Infield Adds Former SEC Gem in Vanderbilt’s Davis

Penn State had their first addition from the portal this week being a shocker as former Vanderbilt shortstop Jayden Davis announced his commitment on Monday. Davis is a rising senior and Cookeville, Tennessee native whose proven success was hampered by a 2025 campaign that saw limited action for the Commodores. As a high-average hitter, he batted a team-best .347 in 20 games in SEC play in 2024 and has struck out in only 13% of all plate appearances in his three-year college career.

Towson’s Emmons Brings Depth to Bullpen

Right-handed pitcher Kyle Emmons announced his commitment to Penn State on Thursday after two seasons at Towson. A rising junior, Emmons has been thrown into tense situations during the spring and delivered with three saves in three opportunities for the Tigers. He joins catcher Joey DeMucci and fellow right-handed pitcher Carson Renner on the Bristol Blues of the NECBL this summer.

Brown Joins 2026 Commit Class

North Hunterdon (NJ) High School right-handed pitcher Hunter Brown was the latest addition to the rising senior class on Wednesday. Brown is a strike-thrower to watch out for, as his fastball topped out at 90 miles per hour in an event last year. Just as much, he struck out 41 batters during the spring and walked only 19 in 27.1 innings for the Lions.

Nittany Lion Arms Capitalize on Limited Opportunities

Though only four pitchers made appearances this week, all of them made an impact on the mound in the NECBL. The staff tossed fifteen strikeouts to just six walks and compiled a 3.38 earned run average in 10.2 innings. Emmons and Renner both recorded saves for the Bristol Blues, and right-handed pitchers Harrison Lollin and Skip Shenosky picked up wins for the Ocean State Waves and the Keene Swamp Bats, respectively.

Player of the Week: C Joey DeMucci

After back-and-forth deliberation, DeMucci’s stats showed that he earned this week’s honors fair and square. He slashed .308/.375/.385 in 13 at-bats for the Blues, which included a go-ahead RBI double in a 5-4 loss to the Newport Gulls on Monday. DeMucci tacked on three runs batted in during the five-game stretch, looking to serve as a second option behind the plate next spring.

Pitcher of the Week: RHP Kyle Emmons

In his first week as a Nittany Lion, the former Towson Tiger was ready to go in his two appearances. Emmons struck out seven batters in 3.1 innings of work while also picking up his third save of the season and tying Renner for the Blues’ lead in that category. He kept a clean line in both games, allowing no earned runs and contributing to a 1.28 earned run average so far this summer.

Question of the Week: Should fans be worried about summer slumps?

Left fielder Jesse Jaconski has had a tough summer so far, sporting a .184 batting average and no home runs in 12 games for the North Shore Navigators of the NECBL. Could this be cause for concern? While this has been a problem as of late, it’s just a part of the game. Slumps happen, and no one is exempt from it. Plus, the grind of the NECBL could provide room for improvement for the rising senior in 2026.