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How Penn State Baseball Landed Japanese Pitching Star Genei Sato

Sato, considered among the top prospects in Japan, signs with the Nittany Lions.
Amanda Vogt|
The Penn State Nittany Lion mascot cheers during the third quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium.
The Penn State Nittany Lion mascot cheers during the third quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State made major college baseball news Monday, announcing the signing of Japanese star pitcher Genei Sato. He will officially enroll at Penn State next summer, join the Nittany Lions in the fall and compete for the 2027 season.

Sato, a 21-year-old right-hander, will be eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft and is considered a potential first-round pick. He is a unique prospect, with a fastball registering between 94-97 mph and topping out at 99. 

Penn State baseball coach Mike Gambino said the process took several months and cooperation from multiple university departments to complete.

“When Genei’s camp reached out to explore a move to college baseball, our staff used their connections to gather reports and video, and it became clear to us that this is a premium arm,” Gambino said in a statement. “He’s in the conversation among the best arms in Japan and was considered a top draft prospect in the Nippon League and has the potential to be a top-round pick here.”

Sato spent three years at Sendai University in Shibata, Japan. He threw 170.1 innings, posting a 2.22 ERA. Per nine innings, he averaged 10.7 strikeouts while allowing six hits and 3.3 walks. According to Baseball America, Sato shined as the closer for the Japanese Collegiate National Team this past summer.

In 4.1 innings against the U.S. Collegiate National Team, Sato struck out six and allowed one run. Top prospect Roch Cholowsky told Baseball America that Sato throws in the upper 90s with a strong splitter. “He’s real,” Cholowsky told Baseball America. 

“To bring a talent like Genei, it took a lot of work behind the scenes from academics, admissions, compliance and the Japanese department and we’re very grateful for the work from all of those individuals in this process,” Gambino said. “Through the process of learning about the program, the investments made into it and the Penn State community, Genei fell in love with it.”

According to Prep Baseball Report, Penn State’s 12-player 2026 class is full of talent, with three of Pennsylvania’s top-nine players and two of the top-seven players in New Jersey. Penn State went 33-23 last season, reaching the 30-win mark for the first time since 2011 and posting the second-most wins in program history.  

Five Nittany Lions were selected in the 2025 MLB draft, tying a program record and equaling Oregon for the most draft picks among Big Ten teams. The group included outfielder Paxton Kling, who the Texas Rangers selected in the seventh round.

The signing of Sato represents another successful recruiting venture into Japan for Penn State athletics. Wrestling coach Cael Sanderson recently signed Japanese world champion Masanosuke Ono, who won the 2024 Senior World freestyle title at 61 kg by outscoring his opponents 55-2. Ono is redshirting for the Nittany Lions this season.

“[He] has been an incredible addition, just the energy,” Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said. “He loves wrestling, he loves Penn State, he loves being here. … A lot of work on his part to make it happen. He loves folkstyle, he’s spending that time training and getting better on the mat. That’s just him being a competitor and loving the sport.”

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Amanda Vogt
AMANDA VOGT

Amanda Vogt is a senior at Penn State and has been on the Nittany Lions football beat for two years. She has previously worked for the Centre Daily Times and Daily Collegian, in addition to covering the Little League World Series and 2024 Paris Paralympics for the Associated Press. Follow her on X and Instagram @amandav_3.

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