Penn State Baseball Is Off to Its Best Start in 65 Years

The Nittany Lions beat FDU in their home opener and begin Big Ten play with a 9-1 record, their best since 1980.

A general view of the Penn State Nittany Lions logo. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft recently charted the Nittany Lions' list of sports successes this academic year, from the women's volleyball national championship to Penn State football's run in the College Football playoff to the wrestling team's 71-match win streak. It's early, but Kraft might add Penn State baseball to that list soon.

Under second-year coach Mike Gambino, the Nittany Lions are off to their best start in 65 years as they prepare to begin Big Ten Conference play this weekend. Penn State on Tuesday defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 7-6 in its home opener for its eighth straight win this season. The Nittany Lions are 9-1 for the first time since 1980 and are hinting at some of the confidence that Gambino showed when the team barnstormed its way to the Big Ten Championship game last spring.

Though the Nittany Lions fell to Nebraska, Gambino predicted championships and "dogpiles" in Penn State baseball's future. Gambino said that Kraft, for whom he had worked at Boston College, had shown his commitment to the program quickly and decisively.

"This will be a story about Pat Kraft, Vinnie James [Penn State's deputy AD for internal operations] and the Penn State athletic department investing in a sport they believe in," Gambino said at his press conference following the Big Ten final. "People told me before we took job, and since, how much the fan base, one, loves Penn State and Penn State athletics, which everybody knows about. But also how much they love baseball, and how much they will rally behind it. And I'll tell you, I've been blown away, and we're just getting going as a department."

One of Penn State's biggest offseason moves was to acquire outfielder Paxton Kling from the transfer portal. Kling, a Pennsylvania native, helped LSU win the 2023 College World Series. He has made a quick impact on Penn State's roster, hitting .310 with a .762 slugging percentage and team-highs in home runs (six) and RBI (13).

Cohl Mercado is hitting .440, Ryan Weingartner is slugging .610 with three home runs and Bryce Molinaro has 12 RBI in 10 games. Penn State is second in the Big Ten in slugging (.551) and third in OPS (.978). The Nittany Lions are averaging 10.4 runs per game.

Further, Penn State's first Dollar Dog Night of the season was a success. The program hosted 4,049 fans at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, an attendance record for a home-opener, and sold 5,960 hot dogs. Penn State will host Dollar Dog Nights for every Tuesday home game this season.

Up Next

Penn State hosts Indiana this weekend for its first Big Ten series of the season. Game 1 of the three-game series is set for 5:30 p.m. ET Friday, with 1 p.m. games on the weekend.