We’re officially in the Mike Gambino era, folks.

After former Penn State baseball head coach Rob Cooper stepped down at the conclusion of the 2023 season, a search for a new skipper commenced, and former Boston College head coach Mike Gambino emerged as the leader of the Nittany Lions.

Gambino spent the last 13 seasons in Massachusetts where he helped the Eagles reach the NCAA Regionals twice and appeared in the NCAA Super Regionals in 2016. He has a track record of success and turned Boston College into a perennial threat in the ACC.

After a disappointing 2023 season in which the Nittany Lions failed to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament, Gambino is aiming to return Penn State to its winning ways and turn the program into a steady talent.

Despite departures from key contributors from last season, the 2024 roster is chock full of quality veterans, an outstanding group of transfers, and up-and-coming stars.

The most notable loss from the previous year’s team is shortstop Jay Harry who was drafted in the sixth round of the MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins. Harry was an everyday starter for the Nittany Lions in his three years with the team, starting 145 of 146 games played. He was the team’s top defender, and in his three seasons in State College, Harry finished with 169 hits, 12 home runs, 109 runs scored, and a .304 career average.

Other losses on offense include Thomas Bramley and Johnny Piacentino who both graduated last spring. The pair finished first and second in team average on the team and were top-of-the-lineup batters for the Nittany Lions. Four-hole hitter Josh Spiegel transferred to Pitt during the offseason and will similarly not return to Happy Valley.

On the pitching side, the pitchers lost were Daniel Ouderkirk, who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 18th round, and 2023 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner Steven Miller.

For transfers, the biggest loss was Jordan Morales who flipped to Purdue. Morales, while up and down throughout the year, was one of the anticipated starters for Penn State moving forward. Tommy Molsky was another potential starter who departed the program for Oklahoma State, and in the bullpen, Ryan Partridge joined Spiegel at Pitt.

Despite Gambino arriving in State College and losing multiple assets from the previous team, he held onto multiple veterans within the squad for the upcoming year.

The biggest key of the offseason is outfielder Bobby Marsh. Marsh, a Bellefonte native, returned to State College after one year at Florida Atlantic. In his first year with Penn State, Marsh had a fantastic year, batting .310 with six home runs and 35 RBIs. While his position on the field is still up in the air as he was the designated hitter for a majority of games last year, his bat will be greatly needed for the season ahead.

Third-baseman Grant Norris and second-baseman Kyle Hannon, co-leaders in home runs, are both returning for another season. Norris transferred from Duke, and in his first season with Penn State, excelled at the plate. He led the Nittany Lions in RBIs, SLG%, and finished second in OPS.

Hannon was a breakout star for Penn State, manning the middle infield with Harry, and was a run-scoring machine. He stole 27 bases and was only caught seven times. On top of that, he finished second in walks, third in hits, and scored 51 runs, which led the team.

Other starters returning this year are outfielders Tayven Kelley and Billy Gerlott who both will fight for starting time with new players transferring in.

For returning pitchers, the biggest name back is Travis Luensmann. Luensmann was the leading man from last year’s team, posting a 6-5 record with a 4.35 ERA. Like the team, Luensmann struggled toward the end of the season, but he has the talent to be one of the better pitchers in the rotation. Another big name is Jaden Henline, who morphed into a full-time starter last season. He led the team in innings pitched last year with 61.1 and finished with a 4.70 ERA and a 5-3 record.

Relievers Connor Throneberry, Ben DeMell, and Anthony Steele will return to help bolster the back end of the rotation. Throneberry struggled in his first year transitioning to a full-time pitcher, as he only appeared in 13 games and gave up 19 runs. DeMell was used as a mid-week starter last season, and the young righty struggled at times but showed promise. Steele went into last season as a pitcher and batter, however, the mound seems like the place he’ll continue at in 2024.

Finally, through the portal, Gambino secured several fantastic players for this season. Some of the big names are grad students Adam Cecere, JT Marr, and Kevin Michaels.

Cecere previously played outfield and first base at Wake Forest and was a two-year full-time starter. During his four years with the Demon Deacons, Cecere recorded 32 home runs, 133 hits, and batted .282. Marr played two seasons at Charleston and two years at Florence-Darlington Technical College where he played catcher. In his two years for Charleston, he batted .298 with 119 hits, 10 home runs, and 69 RBIs. Michaels hails from St. Johns where he batted .283 with 92 hits.

Other new players include pitcher Frankie Sanchez who spent two seasons at Southern New Hampshire University. Sanchez finished his career at SNHU with an 8-1 record, a 2.97 ERA, and 83 strikeouts in 24 appearances. Another commitment was right-handed pitcher Chic DeGaetano. DeGaetano pitched at Villanova for four years and totaled 103.2 innings.

For the younger players, Matthew Morash and Will Perkowski are two of the top players Gambino recruited. Morash is a southpaw from Westford, Massachusetts, who was a two-time Westford Academy MVP and helped lead it to two conference championships. Perkowski, a pitcher and first baseman, was originally set to play for Southern New Hampshire University but flipped when Gambino pledged to Penn State.

The Nittany Lions open their season and begin the Gambino era in Cary, North Carolina, on Friday, February 16, with a matchup against the Monmouth Hawks.