Penn State baseball is making strides to improve on its 2021 campaign by adding four new faces, all of which will be active on the roster ahead of the team’s fall practices.

The Nittany Lions and head coach Rob Cooper are gaining some much-needed help on the defensive end by bringing in three pitchers — Jordan Morales, Travis Luensmann, Kellan Tulio — as well as infielder CJ Pittaro.

Morales, Luensmann, and Tulio should have the ability to make an immediate impact on their new squad. They’ll likely be tasked with replacing a chunk of the production voided by Kyle Virbitsky, Conor Larkin, and Bailey Dees, who were selected in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Morales is coming over to Happy Valley from La Salle and is by far the most experienced of the bunch. The lefty made 21 appearances for the Explorers over the course of his career. Most recently, in his 16 appearances and seven starts in 2021, he earned two wins and two saves as a closer.

Morales was both a starter and a reliever with the Explorers, so it’ll be worth keeping an eye on how coach Cooper decides to utilize his handy skill set.

Tulio, a junior left-hander hailing from Louisville, pitched two seasons for the Cardinals and registered eight appearances. Most recently in 2021, he made four appearances, tossing a scoreless inning against Western Kentucky and one against Cincinnati.

Luensmann, a sophomore right-hander native to Altoona, Pa., is significantly less experienced than the previous two, tossing only 2.1 innings during his time at South Carolina while striking out two.

Pittaro, the lone position player from the group, is venturing to Happy Valley from highly regarded Vanderbilt. During his time with the Commodores, the sophomore batted .333 and knocked in three RBIs in five games. He’ll provide some much-needed depth in the infield, especially on the defensive end.

Penn State concluded the 2021 season with a record of 18-24 to cap off an up-and-down year. By adding four transfers, the Nittany Lions will aim to replace the production of the departed seniors and build off of the successes they did have.