UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State baseball received National Letters of Intent from seven future Nittany Lions this month, head coach Rob Cooper announced Tuesday. The class will begin participation in the 2019-20 academic year.
The initial members of the Class of 2023 include seven incoming freshmen from five different states, including three from Pennsylvania. According to recruiting service Perfect Game, the Nittany Lions' class ranks No. 65 nationally and No. 5 in the Big Ten.
Penn State's PA recruits include two from central Pennsylvania - outfielders Carson Ertter (Ebensburg/Bishop Carroll Catholic) and Tayven Kelley (Boiling Springs/Boiling Springs) – and one from the Pittsburgh area - catcher Matthew Wood (Gibsonia/Pine-Richland).
A pair have ties to the Philadelphia area. Highly-touted two-way player Johnny Piacentino is from nearby Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and attended Bishop Eustace Prep, the same school that produced former Nittany Lion pitcher and 2018 MLB Draft Pick Justin Hagenman. Right-handed pitcher Braden Halladay is set to join the Nittany Lions out of Odessa, Florida, but his father, late two-time Cy Young winner Roy Halladay, played his final four Major League seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies (2010-13). Braden, who was born in Toronto, has also played for the Canadian Junior National Team.
Penn State also signed top players from other states. Shortstop Ben Kailher (Rumford/Providence Country Day) is ranked as one of the top players out of Rhode Island and Logan Evans (Saline/Saline) is one of the top pitchers out of Michigan.
The Nittany Lions will announce additional members of the Class of 2023 later in the academic year. Below are Penn State's seven early decision signees:
Carson Ertter
OF | L/L | 5-10/165 | Ebensburg, Pa. | Bishop Carroll Catholic | Flood City Elite
Highlights: Four-year letterwinner playing baseball at Bishop Carroll Catholic under head coach Bill Schenk … 2018 Perfect Preseason Underclass All-American High Honorable Mention … Perfect Game Top 500 National Rank … Played travel baseball for Flood City Elite … Also a four-year letterwinner playing basketball and helped lead team to a district championship in 2018.
On Choosing Penn State: "I chose Penn State for many reasons. The first one being academics. I know I will graduate from Penn State with a degree that will be able to provide me with a lot of job opportunities. Second would be baseball. I have dreamed about playing college baseball since I was a young kid and when I got this opportunity, I couldn't pass it up. The coaches and facilities are second to none. Lastly, it is close to home which had a huge factor on where I went.
Coach Cooper: "Carson is a guy our staff is extremely excited about. He is an athletic outfielder that hits from the left-side. He is a potential top of the lineup type bat that will look to utilize his speed out of the box and on the bases. A true outfielder by trade, he combines plus speed with good instincts to make tough plays look easy. He has above average arm strength matched with a quick catch and throw release. Being a multi-sport athlete, he has tremendous upside and a very high ceiling for continued growth and development."
Logan Evans
RHP | R/R | 6-4/225 | Saline, Mich. | Saline | Midland Tomahawks
Highlights: Three-year letterwinner for head coach Joe Welton at Saline High School … Ranked as the second best right-handed pitcher and fifth-best player overall out of Michigan … Two-time Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All American Honorable Mention … Perfect Game Top 500 National Rank … Led high school team in wins (6) and ERA (1.10) in 2018 … Helped lead team to 2017 MHSAA D1 State Championship and district championships in 2017 and 2018 … Played travel baseball for Midland Tomahawks … Also a two-year letterwinner playing football and a one-year letterwinner playing basketball … Won the NFL Punt, Pass and Kick competition for Michigan and placed fifth nationally as a 12 year old.
On Choosing Penn State: "I fell in love with the campus, the reputation of the school, academics and obviously the baseball coaching staff and facilities."
Coach Cooper: "Ranked by many as one of the top high school pitchers in the whole state of Michigan, Logan has the ability to be a big contributor right away. He uses his strong, physical frame with a ¾ arm slot to create a tough angle and downward plane that is challenging for hitters to square up. His fastball shows serious life with arm-side run with the ability to get even stronger. Our staff has seen him as high as 94 mph. He is another pitcher that will absolutely dominate the strike zone and do so with a three-pitch mix. He works with a quick tempo and has a bulldog presence about him while he competes. He has shown flashes of a swing and miss slider and will continue to develop that pitch as it has the makings of being an absolute wipeout pitch. He elevates our pitching staff and our program. We are extremely excited about Logan's ability to be an immediate impact guy."
Braden Halladay
RHP | R/R | 6-3/150 | Odessa, Fla. | Calvary Christian | Florida Burn Platinum
Highlights: Three-year letterwinner at Calvary Christian High School coached by Greg Olsen … Perfect Game 2018 Preseason Underclassman High Honorable Mention … Perfect Game Top 500 National Rank … Helped lead team to 2017 FHSAA 4A State Championship … Named to all-county team as a sophomore … Is 11-1 with a 2.11 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 69.2 innings pitched in high school … Played baseball for the Team Canada Junior National Team … Played travel baseball for Florida Burn Platinum … Earned the Win in the 2018 WWBA World Championship Game … Son of 16-year Major Leaguer and two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay.
On Choosing Penn State: "I chose Penn State because of the growing baseball program and high quality of the coaches. Also, a degree from Penn State is very respected."
Coach Cooper: "Braden Halladay is everything you want to recruit and have in your program. Incredible makeup. He is a highly-projectable right-hander coming from one of the very best programs in the state of Florida. He has a long, loose athletic frame with very minimal effort in his delivery. He absolutely dominates the strike zone with an advanced feel for pitching. He showcases a two-plane moving fastball that shows heavy run and sink. He will command his fastball to both sides of the plate and also has the ability to throw his change-up and breaking ball for strikes at any time. His ability to control the game on the mound is special. We envision Braden being a big contributor right away."
Ben Kailher
SS | R/R | 5-8/160 | Rumford, R.I. | Providence Country Day | North East Baseball
Highlights: Three-year letterwinner at Providence Country Day under head coach Mark McLaughlin … Ranked as the top shortstop and No. 3 player in Rhode Island by Perfect Game … Perfect Game Top 500 National Rank … 2018 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All American High Honorable Mention … Named Central New England Prep School All-League as a junior … Two-time SENE All-League Team pick … Named to Providence Journal All-State Independent League team … Team captain and batted .350 with 21 hits and scored 20 runs as a junior year … Played travel ball for North East Baseball … Also earned two letters playing hockey.
On Choosing Penn State: "I chose Penn State because of the amazing coaching staff and the great community."
Coach Cooper: "Ben is a premium defender up the middle. He shows exceptional range and good arm strength across the diamond. He shows fast-twitch actions and plays with a very high motor. We look for him to utilize his speed offensively and create havoc on the bases. His energy, grittiness and winning attitude is real and authentic. Our staff foresees him competing for a middle-infield position right away. He is a blue collar baseball player."
Tayven Kelley
OF | R/R | 6-2/190 | Boiling Springs, Pa. | Boiling Springs | US Elite
Highlights: Four-year letterwinner at Boiling Springs High School under head coach Paul Vonstein … Ranked as the No. 11 outfielder in Pennsylvania … Perfect Game Top 500 National Rank … 2018 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All American Honorable Mention … First-team all-star … Has served as team captain for three years … Played travel ball for US Elite … Also a three-year letterwinner in football and two-year captain.
On Choosing Penn State: "I chose Penn State because of the outstanding atmosphere and energy the coaches had for me."
Coach Cooper: "Tayven is a talented multi-sport athlete that has tremendous power potential and plays the corner outfield position exceptionally well. He uses his speed and instincts in the outfield to track balls down with ease. His arm strength is above average as he shows solid carry on the ball from a quick release. Offensively, he has easy pop. A balanced approach in the box and can hit the ball to all fields with power. He has the potential to be an explosive middle of the lineup type hitter right away. Above all, his high motor and relentless passion for playing the game at an elite level is an absolute separator. Our staff is ecstatic to have Tayven Kelley as a part of our family – he makes all of us better, on and off the field!
Johnny Piacentino
OF/RHP | R/R | 5-11/185 | Cherry Hill, N.J. | Bishop Eustace Prep
Highlights: Four-year letterwinner at Bishop Eustace Prep under head coach Sam Tropiano … Ranked No. 211 overall and 43 among outfielders nationally, and No. 8 overall and No. 2 among outfielders in New Jersey by Perfect Game … 2018 PG Preseason Underclass All American Second Team … NJ.com Conference All-Star … Hit six home runs, drove in 37 RBIs and scored 36 runs as a junior.
On Choosing Penn State: "I chose Penn State because it is the only school I ever wanted to attend since I was a little boy. Anyone who has ever gone to college in my family has gone to Penn State. I wanted to keep the tradition alive. To have the opportunity to study at a world class university, and to play baseball for a top notch program is more than a dream come true. I am Penn State proud and look forward to representing the university and my family."
Coach Cooper: "Johnny is a highly touted two-way prospect coming out of New Jersey. He has tremendous athleticism across the board. He has the ability to hit for power with an aggressive approach that our staff loves. He projects as an explosive middle of the lineup type hitter. Off the mound, he has a chance to be a legitimate power arm right away out of the bullpen. He uses a two-pitch mix showing a heavy fastball and the makings of a wipeout slider. He simply is an exciting baseball player that we are thrilled to coach."
Matthew Wood
C | L/R | 5-10/190 | Gibsonia, Pa. | Pine-Richland | Pittsburgh Diamond Dawgs
Highlights: Four-year letterwinner at catcher under Coach Kurt Wolfe at Pine-Richland High School … Perfect Game Top 500 National Rank … Helped lead team to a WPIAL State Championship in 2017… First Team All-selection that season … Plays travel ball with the Pittsburgh Diamond Dawgs.
On Choosing Penn State: "Penn State felt like home the moment I stepped on campus. Great baseball and a world class education made it a no brainer for me."
Coach Cooper: "Matt is an elite level baseball player. He is one of the top-rated catchers in the entire 2019 class coming out of Pine-Richland High School in PA. He has good agility and quickness behind the plate matched with an advanced feel for receiving. Soft hands with smooth setup make for an easy target that breeds confidence into pitchers. Offensively, Matt is a smooth left-handed hitter that will hit for power and average. He has an advanced feel for the barrel, uses a balanced approach with good rhythm and timing throughout his swing. Above all, Matt's leadership qualities set him apart. He is a winning baseball player. We envision Matt having a great career here at Penn State and foresee him being a key contributor in our lineup right away."
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