UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team travels to Caguas, Puerto Rico for the PR Baseball Challenge on Feb. 14-16. The Nittany Lions begin the 2025 season on Friday against Missouri at 4 p.m. Penn State battles Stetson on Saturday at 10 a.m. PSU takes on UConn on Sunday at 8 p.m. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Penn State begins its second season under head coach Mike Gambino. The Nittany Lions went 29-24 last season, the program’s most wins under any first-year head coach.
Missouri, coached by Kerrick Jackson, went 23-32 last season, including nine wins in SEC play.
Stetson, led by Steve Trimper, was 41-22 in 2024. The Hatters won the Atlantic Sun Conference and played in the NCAA Regional in Tallahassee.
UConn, coached by Jim Penders, posted a 35-26 record last season and won the Big East. The Huskies won the NCAA Regional in Norman before falling in the Tallahassee Super Regional.
For updates on the Penn State baseball team, please check @pennstatebase on X and Instagram.
The 2025 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
FOLLOW ALONG
LEADING OFF
- Penn State opens the 2025 season at the inaugural Puerto Rico Challenge.
- The Nittany Lions are set to take on Missouri, Stetson and UConn.
- Stetson played in the 2024 NCAA Regional in Tallahassee, while UConn won the NCAA Regional in Norman to reach the Tallahassee Super Regional.
- Penn State is 0-1 all-time against Missouri, 1-3 against UConn and meets Stetson for the first time in program history.
- Redshirt sophomore Bryce Molinaro is Penn State’s leading returner in batting average (.329), slugging percentage (.560), triples (1), home runs (11), RBI (45) and steals (7).
- Molinaro was a Preseason All-Big Ten selection by Perfect Game after earning third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024.
- Penn State welcomes 24 newcomers for the 2025 campaign, including 15 transfers.
- Junior Ryan Weingartner joins the Nittany Lions from Saint Joseph’s after earning first-team All-Atlantic 10 honors last season as one of eight D1 players with 15+ homers and 18+ steals.
- On the mound, junior Ryan DeSanto, also a transfer from Saint Joseph’s, was named All-Atlantic 10 second team in 2024 after posting a 3.72 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 75 innings.
PSU ENTERS SECOND YEAR UNDER MIKE GAMBINO
- In its first season under head coach Mike Gambino, Penn State went 29-24 overall and 12-12 in Big Ten play. The 29 wins are Penn State’s most under a first-year head coach.
- Penn State posted its first winning record in the regular season since 2016 (28-27) and maintained a .500 or better mark for the entire season for the first time since 2011 (32-22).
- The Blue and White notched its best record in Big Ten play since going 12-12 in 2016.
- Penn State reached the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game for the first time since 2000 and won three-straight games to open the Big Ten Tournament.
- The Nittany Lions maintained a .500 or better record for the entire season for the first time since the 2011 season (finished 32-22).
- Penn State ranked 99th in the RPI, its highest ranking to finish a season since 2007 (66th).
- The Nittany Lions went 11-3 in weekend opening games, tying Illinois and Nebraska for the best record among Big Ten teams.
- Penn State was 6-2 in Big Ten series openers, trailing only Illinois’ 7-1 mark, and tying Nebraska and Purdue.
- Non-conference action included a series win at Stanford, a 2023 College World Series participant, and wins over Georgetown (58th in RPI) and Pitt (96th).
NITTANY LIONS LOOK TO BUILD ON STRONG YEAR AT THE PLATE
- A balanced lineup led the Nittany Lions to a strong year at the plate in 2024.
- The Nittany Lions ranked among the Top 5 in the Big Ten in batting average (.306; 2nd), slugging percentage (.491; 2nd), sacrifice flies (32; 2nd), doubles (2.08; 4th), home runs per game (1.34; 5th) and runs per game (7.6; 5th).
- Penn State had seven players with 52+ hits, five with a .409+ on-base percentage and eight with a .425+ slugging percentage.
- Penn State, Illinois and Indiana were the only Big Ten teams with seven players owning at least 37 RBI and PSU was one of two Big Ten teams with seven players owning 52+ hits.
- The Nittany Lions’ 71 homers in 2024 were its most since hitting 91 in 1998.
- PSU’s 46 homers in Big Ten games were tied with Illinois for most among Big Ten teams.
- With Adam Cecere (17), Grant Norris (14) and Bryce Molinaro (11), Penn State had three players with 11+ homers for the first time since 1999 (Shawn Fagan, 13; Dan Beers, 13; Chris Netwall, 12).
REVAMPED PITCHING STAFF
- Penn State brought in 11 newcomers to its pitching staff ahead of the 2025 season.
- The 11 newcomers include six transfers and five freshmen.
- Junior Ryan DeSanto joins the Nittany Lions as a transfer from Saint Joseph’s, where he made 25 starts in 28 appearances. He has an 8-3 record and a 3.84 ERA in his career, while collecting 162 strikeouts in 133.2 innings.
- He’s coming off a strong summer pitching for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod League, posted a 3.33 ERA in six starts with 20 strikeouts and four walks in 24.1 innings.
- In 2024, DeSanto went 4-2 and had two complete games in 14 starts. He recorded a 3.72 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 75 innings.
- Junior Skip Shenosky made 26 appearances (8 starts) in two seasons at Wake Forest with all eight starts coming in 2024. He owns a 5-3 record with a save and 49 strikeouts in 42.2 innings.
- Fellow junior Logan Olson picked up Region Pitcher of the Year honors and led Iowa Western C.C. to an NJCAA DI World Series appearance. In 2024, he went 9-0 with a 2.58 ERA and tallied 48 strikeouts in 38.1 innings. He pitched at Oregon in 2023, making eight appearances.
- Graduate student Will Andrews had a 2.70 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 10 appearances at Wake Forest, while junior Dimond Loosli went 2-1 with five saves in 18 outings at Orange Coast College.
- Sophomore Carson Renner joins his brother Chase Renner on the PSU pitching staff after transferring from East Stroudsburg, where he made 18 appearances (one start) with a 1-1 record, three saves and a 1.01 ERA in 26.2 innings.
- Harrison Lollin, Charles Mau, Matthew VanOstenbridge, Riley Weatherwax and Sean Williams join the Nittany Lions as true freshmen.
- Sophomore Mason Horwat looks to build on a strong first year at PSU, where he secured a 4-1 record and two saves in 21 appearances to earn a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team.
- Senior Anthony Steele appeared in 26 games last season, collecting four wins and a save, while notching 32 strikeouts.
BRINGING IN REGIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Among the 24 newcomers joining the Nittany Lions in 2025, several have experience playing in NCAA Regionals (and beyond).
- Nine members of the squad have played in at least one NCAA Regional.
- Junior outfielder Paxton Kling helped LSU to a national championship in 2023 and an NCAA Regional in 2024.
- Graduate student pitcher Will Andrews and junior pitcher Skip Shenosky were part of Wake Forest’s run to the College World Series in 2023 and an NCAA Regional appearance in 2024, while Andrews was also on Wake Forest’s 2022 Regional team.
- Senior infielder/outfielder Joe Jaconski and junior infielder/outfielder Jesse Jaconski were on North Carolina’s 2023 NCAA Regional team, while Joe was part of UNC’s Super Regional squad in 2022.
- Junior pitcher Logan Olson was a member of Oregon’s NCAA Super Regional team in 2023.
- Redshirt sophomore outfielder Cohl Mercado was a key member of Boston College’s 2023 NCAA Regional Appearance under Mike Gambino.
- Graduate student first baseman/outfielder Cole Wagner played on Georgia’s 2022 NCAA Regional team.
- Sophomore pitcher Carson Renner helped East Stroudsburg to a DII NCAA Regional appearance in 2024.