Penn State baseball infielder Bryce Molinaro will return to Penn State with two years of eligibility for the 2026 season, the third baseman announced Friday on X.

The announcement comes after the Pennsylvania native was drafted as the No. 501 pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2025 MLB Draft on Monday, July 14.

Let’s do it #WeAre pic.twitter.com/ScMganR8W8

— Bryce Molinaro (@BryceMolinaro) July 18, 2025

Molinaro enters his redshirt junior season after starting all 56 games at third base for the Nittany Lions this past season, and all 53 games at the corner during his redshirt freshman campaign. He currently ranks seventh all-time at Penn State in slugging percentage at .503, second all-time in RBI’s in a season with 61, seventh all-time in home runs in a season with 13, and has the potential to clinch the top program spots as he returns to Happy Valley.

In his past two seasons as a Nittany Lion, Molinaro was part of the 2024 squad that contended for a conference title in the 2024 Big Ten Tournament, before falling 2-1 to Nebraska. This year, the redshirt sophomore contributed to a program-tying record season in which the Nittany Lions clinched 33 wins for the first time since 2000.

Following these two tremendous runs, Molinaro announced on X, “We can feel the energy and enthusiasm as we keep building towards Big Ten championships and beyond”.

Upon his return, Molinaro says he’s determined to dominate, develop, and once again, be reunited with his fellow Nittany Lions at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

Molinaro is one of five Nittany Lions drafted out of this year’s MLB Draft, and is the first and only to announce their return to Happy Valley for the 2026 season.