Penn State Baseball’s Returnees Set For Big Seasons in 2025

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Redshirt sophomore infielder Bryce Molinaro doesn’t have a traditional mental approach. In fact, it was this unique mindset that guided him in the most pressure packed moment of his playing career and acted as the catalyst for the swing of his life.

 

Molinaro’s approach is birthed from his days as a wrestler where he went 131-34 in his career at Hazleton Area High School and captured three district titles. Molinaro said his “wrestler mentality” and his father’s message of “breathing through the high density pressure” was the guiding perspective when he blasted a 1-0 pitch over the left center field wall for an eighth inning go-ahead grand slam against Michigan in the Big Ten Quarterfinals.

 

“That mentality goes a long way for me too, the wrestler mentality,” Molinaro said, “That pitcher thinks he’s better than you and he’s gonna try and strike you out and likewise that wrestler is stepping across the mat thinking he could beat you and I know in the back of my head that I’m going to beat you and not let the pitcher beat me.”

 

Molinaro is using that moment as a stepping stone of confidence going into the 2025 campaign where he’s ranked as the No. 143 overall prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft by D1Baseball.com and the fourth-best Big Ten prospect by Perfect Game. 

 

Two of the people he embraced at home plate after his go-ahead blast were 2024 graduates Adam Cecere and Grant Norris, who finished first and second respectively, for Penn State in home runs.

 

Molinaro said Cecere and Norris taught him how to carry a professional approach at the plate and helped harness his power tool. Molinaro echoes their hitting style which consists of hunting the fastball and being on time for a changeup or breaking ball.

 

Molinaro said his growth as a hitter stems from the veteran leadership of players like Cecere, Norris and his toe tap which steadies his timing. The Drums, Pennsylvania, product used to have a high leg kick his freshman season and said he lost his timing. Molinaro has worked to cut down on his strikeout rate and chase rate which can be a challenge as a power hitter.

 

“My strikeout rate wasn’t too good last year, I had 60 K’s,” Molinaro said. “I’ve been really working on that this offseason, summer ball, going into the lab and training with the slider, curveball. We have this black box machine that helps with pitch recognition, balls off the plate, what’s a ball, what’s a strike. I’ve been honing in on that and it’s really been working out this offseason. My K’s are down, still hitting the ball for power and for contact too which is a big step in my game.”

Another mainstay returnee from the 2024 squad that won 29 games - the most in a single-season since 2012 - is toolsy senior infielder Joe Jaconski who hit .281 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs.

 

Jaconski was often the table setter for Penn State’s dynamic offense as the leadoff hitter and posted a .990 fielding percentage across first base, left field and center field. Jaconski is set to have a more permanent home at second base in 2025; a spot he played 57 games at during two summer stints.

 

“I like being able to play all different positions, be versatile and it’s just unique being able to move from position to position,” Jaconski said. “I hope to turn some double plays this year with [Ryan] Weingartner up the middle. I was usually at first base last year so I wasn’t part of that and I was always a middle infielder growing up so it’s good to be back.”

 

Jaconski played in all 53 games for the blue and white which marked a new career-high and recorded a .413 on-base percentage. Jaconski showcased his plate discipline and finished fifth in the Big Ten with 43 walks, which stands as the fourth-most in a single-season at Penn State.

 

Jaconski’s strong spring campaign gave way to a dominant summer with the Keene Swamp Bats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League where he was named the league’s most improved player and an All-NECBL First Team Selection. Jaconski said he’s learned to be comfortable with the player he is and is learning to play as a veteran.

 

“I learned that it’s a grind,” Jaconski said of playing a full season. “There’s a lot of growth to be made. You can always find ways to be better and there’s going to be the ups and downs, the struggles and you have to find the way to that even keel attitude and being the same guy every single day.”

Sophomore right-hander Mason Horwat is back as the leading returnee in innings with 55 2/3 innings thrown in 2024. Horwat was an All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection and struck out 28 over 21 appearances.

 

Horwat led all qualified Big Ten freshman pitchers in ERA and wins with four. His freshman season was one full of experiment as he navigated different arm slot changes with pitching coach Will Jauss and lowered it from a higher, overhead release to a 3/4 delivery which generates higher spin on his slider.

 

Horwat said the transformation helped generate outs quickly but said a primary focus of the offseason has been working through lineups multiple times without getting tired. “I’m more prepared and ready to go more innings in a single outing and not get gassed and be able to go deeper into games.”

 

Horwat gained 15 pounds in the offseason and said his jump in velocity is a direct result of improving his eating habits and lifting more. Horwat said the increased dedication in the weight room has also improved his spin rate and command. The Pittsburgh product is in competition for a start in the weekend rotation and will be a piece of the pitching staff with two new pitches in his arsenal; a four-seam fastball and a changeup.

 

“Last year I only had two pitches,” Horwat said. “I had a sinker and a slider and it’s hard to go through a lineup more than once when you only have two pitches because they’re sitting on those two but this year, I have four. That’ll help me be able to get through lineups more and they’ll have to look at way more pitches and I’m adjusting their eye level a lot more and throwing a lot more at them.”