UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team, led by head coach Rob Cooper, has added Grant Norris, a grad transfer from Duke, to its 2023 roster.
Norris, an infielder, joins graduate student Thomas Bramley, freshman Bobby Marsh and graduate student Daniel Ouderkirk as transfers beginning their Nittany Lion careers.
The Nittany Lions won 26 games in 2022. Penn State made its first Big Ten Tournament appearance since 2012, earning a 5-2 win over No. 3 seed Iowa.
Penn State won Big Ten series against Purdue, Minnesota and Michigan State, sweeping the Spartans. The Nittany Lions also earned a win in each series against Rutgers, No. 23 Maryland, Northwestern and Ohio State.
The Nittany Lions return 28 members from the 2022 squad. Including transfers, Penn State welcomes 11 newcomers.
At the plate, All-Big Ten second-team selection Josh Spiegel returns after leading the Nittany Lions with 17 doubles to go with 10 homers, 43 RBI and a .300 average. Jay Harry batted .333 with 71 hits, 40 runs and 26 RBI in 2022.
On the mound, Penn State set a program record with 503 strikeouts as six members of the pitching staff recorded at least 40 strikeouts. Travis Luensmann led the squad with 78 strikeouts in 67.2 innings. Jordan Morales tallied 60 strikeouts in 42 innings, while Jaden Henline collected 56 strikeouts.
Grant Norris
Grad. | IF | R/R | 6-1/200 | Somerset, Pa. | Somerset Area/Duke
BEFORE PSU (Duke)
Played in 32 games, making 10 starts, at Duke…Made nine starts at second base and one start at shortstop…Tallied five hits, including one homer, eight runs and four RBI. He also drew eight walks…In 2022, hit .300 with three hits, including a homer, three runs and two RBI. Maintained a .600 slugging percentage and a .364 on-base percentage…Against Bucknell (3/4-6), tallied two hits, including a homer, two runs and two RBI in the series…Collected a base hit at Pitt (5/8)…As a freshman, notched two hits, two RBI and three runs…Had scored a run, drew two walks and drove in a run on a sac fly against Army (2/15)…Had a pair of hits and an RBI against Cornell (2/21-22).
HIGH SCHOOL
Played at Somerset Area High School for head coach Steve Costea…As a junior, led Somerset to a Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference Championship…Batted .306 with a .453 slugging percentage and .390 on-base percentage as a junior…As a sophomore, recorded a 4-2 record with a 1.97 ERA on the mound…Ranked as the No. 2 shortstop and No. 30 prospect in Pennsylvania by Perfect Game…Was rated as a Top 500 national prospect by Perfect Game and earned Underclass All-American High Honorable Mention in 2017 and 2018…Is a member of the National Honor Society and was an honor student all four years in high school…Served as a member of the student council and Future Business Leaders of America…Also played basketball and was a member of the golf team in high school…Played travel ball for Flood City Elite and US Elite.
PERSONAL
Son of Frank and Carolyn Norris…Mother, Carolyn, played volleyball at West Virginia (1981-85)…Father, Frank, played baseball at Lock Haven (1974-77)….Grandfather played basketball at Lock Haven…Had an uncle and four cousins who attended Penn State…Graduated from Duke with a degree in sociology and was an environmental science minor…Pursuing a Business Management Foundations certificate.
