Penn State Baseball Weekly Summer Report (Week of June 23-29)

This week of summer ball saw some great news for fans with the transfer portal. The rivalry thickens with the addition of a bullpen arm. Plus, three Penn State prospects now look like key targets for this year’s MLB Draft in two weeks. For the biggest storylines of the week and player honors, read below.

Addition of Anderson Rounds Out Infield

Former Rhode Island and Arkansas first baseman Michael Anderson announced his commitment to Penn State on Tuesday for his final season of eligibility. Anderson’s slugging abilities and high-major experience could propel him to early success in Happy Valley as he hit 23 home runs for Rhode Island in his first two seasons of college. He could compete for third baseman Bryce Molinaro and right fielder Jack Porter at the cleanup spot in 2026.

Lazer Transfers In to Assist With Starting Rotation

For the first few weeks of the summer, the biggest need for the Nittany Lions has been starting pitching. So, when former West Chester right-handed pitcher Kyle Lazer committed to Penn State on Saturday, there became more stability at that spot. Lazer’s 13 starts and four complete games last season help with his longevity in games, with a low-90s sinker to boot.

Rival Mountaineers Fork Over Hudson From Bullpen

The Nittany bullpen saw a mammoth addition thanks to former West Virginia right-handed pitcher Benjamin Hudson’s commitment on Thursday. Hudson had 18 appearances with the Mountaineers last season, with one start being against the Nittany Lions in a 3-2 loss on April 22. With three more years of eligibility left, he could either help with the starting rotation or become a stalwart reliever in the future.

DeSanto, Kling, Weingartner in Top 250 MLB Draft Prospects

Left-handed pitcher Ryan DeSanto looks to be drafted early after being the Friday starter for the majority of last season. Center fielder Paxton Kling tied for the team lead in home runs with 13 and led the Nittany Lions with a .632 slugging percentage last year. Shortstop Ryan Weingartner’s 30 stolen bases broke the single-season individual program record in the spring.

Player of the Week: SS Preston Yaucher

Yaucher has been setting up well for himself before heading to Happy Valley with a fantastic summer in the Appalachian League. He had eight runs batted in and maintained a .353 batting average in 17 at-bats this week. His 18 runs batted in this summer leads the Sock Puppets and ties for fifth in the Appalachian League altogether.

Pitcher of the Week: RHP Carson Renner

Renner had the cleanest stat lines of any Nittany Lion pitcher this week with two scoreless frames in two appearances. Allowing only one hit and one walk, he struck out three batters to have a 1.00 WHIP. His earned run average now sits at 4.90 in 7.1 innings this season thanks to this week’s performances.

Question of the Week: Is it “win now” or “win later” for Gambino?

With redshirt seniors joining sophomores in the transfer class, the tussle of ‘all in’ versus investment comes to a head as Year 3 of the Mike Gambino era at Penn State is rapidly approaching. It seems like the Nittany Lions are primed for their best roster in many years for the upcoming season, but what about retention? With college baseball being such a revolving door, ‘win now’ sounds like the strategy moving forward.