UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men’s golf head coach Mark Leon has announced the addition of transfers Andres Barraza and Alex Creamean to the Nittany Lion squad ahead of the 2024-25 season. Barraza, an incoming junior, and Creamean, an incoming sophomore, both began their collegiate careers at Bucknell.
“I’m excited to announce the addition of Andres Barrazza and Alex Creamean to our program,” said Leon. “Andres and Alex are two exceptional young man that will immediately enhance our competitiveness and team culture. Both Alex and Andres are eager for a new challenge, and to prove that they are ready to play in the Big Ten. What more can you ask for as a coach?”
Andres Barraza | Jr. | Parkland, Fla. | Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School/Bucknell
A two-year mainstay in the Bucknell lineup, Barraza is coming off a sophomore season that saw him earn second-team All-Patriot League honors with the Bison. Barraza finished tied for 10th at the 2024 Patriot League Championship, led the Bison with a 72.4 stroke average during the spring season, and finished second on the team with a 73.2 mark for the full 2023-24 slate. Barraza set the low 54-hole school record with a 10-under total at Loyola’s event at Palm Valley Golf Club in Arizona during his sophomore season and totaled four top-10 finishes in the 2024 spring season. Barraza’s freshman campaign with the Bison saw him post a 73.9 stroke average during the spring season for the second-best mark on the team.
A Parkland, Fla. native, Barraza was a four-year letterman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where he helped the team to a pair of district championships and was a state championship qualifier. He was a two-time Florida Junior Tour champion and qualified for the 2021 Junior PGA Championship.
Leon on Barraza: “I have known Andres since my time at Florida Atlantic University, where he would come and train with his coach at our home course. I have watched Andres’ game develop over the past three years, and I know he’s ready to make this jump to the Big Ten. He’s continued to establish new benchmarks on his résumé this summer and he’s ready to hit the ground running.”
Alex Creamean | So. | Winnetka, Ill. | New Trier High School/Bucknell
Creamean comes to Happy Valley following an outstanding freshman season in which he was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Creamean led the Bison with a team-best 72.9 stroke average during the full 2023-24 slate. He shot a school-record 8-under, 64, at the Loyola Invitational at Palm Valley Golf Club in Arizona to highlight a spring season that saw him tally a 73.6 stroke average. Creamean finished the fall slate with a 72.1 scoring average, missing the school record average by just .01 strokes. He became the first Bucknell freshman to ever win a tournament when he won the Veterans Intercollegiate at Sebonack Golf Club on Long Island during the fall season.
Leon on Creamean: “I had the pleasure of meeting Alex earlier this summer and he has developed into a strong player over the past few years. He won the Freshman of the Year in the Patriot League last season, and I know he will come in and help set the tone.”