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Penn State Baseball Adds Eight Recruits On National Signing Day

 

Penn State baseball added eight recruits in its Class of 2027 on National Signing Day, the program announced Wednesday.

One outfielder, two infielders, one catcher, and four pitchers will join Penn State next season. The recruits will have a chance to help the Nittany Lions improve on their disappointing 2026 campaign, when the team mustered just 16 wins in 51 games and missed the Big Ten Tournament.

Cooper Hillen

The first Nittany Lion addition is infielder Cooper Hillen out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Hillen led his high school, Lampeter-Strasburg, to three state playoff appearances during his career and put up a particularly strong 2026 season, batting to a 1.176 OPS, knocking in 22 runs, and swiping 15 stolen bases.

Hillen is the No. 4 shortstop in Pennsylvania, according to Prep Baseball Report.

Jon Saunders

Also announcing his future plans to come to Happy Valley is right-handed pitcher Jon Saunders, who hails from Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

Saunders had an especially special sophomore season. He posted a 1.30 ERA and 44 strikeouts. Recently, he earned all-conference honors for Gateway High School and is listed as the No. 5 right-handed pitcher in Pennsylvania, according to Prep Baseball Report.

Freddy Corrado

Following Saunders is fellow right-handed pitcher Freddy Corrado, who hails from Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Corrado led his high school, Hazleton Area, to a conference title and three district titles throughout his tenure.

As a junior, Corrado went undefeated at 6-0 while racking up 72 strikeouts along the way. The No. 6 right-handed pitcher in Pennsylvania chose Penn State over Miami, Oregon, and West Virginia.

Brady Helms

Next is infielder Brady Helms, who barreled in as the first non-Pennsylvania signee. Helms comes from Hartford, Wisconsin, where he had an impressive high school career.

Helms helped his high school, Hartford Union, win two conference titles while also earning all-state honors as a middle infielder for his incredible .400 batting average and .980 fielding percentage.

Helms is ranked the No. 1 second baseman in Wisconsin, according to Prep Baseball Report.

Colton Manning

The first outfielder signee in the class was Colton Manning, who grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Manning led Great Valley High School to two conference titles and posted an impressive junior season stat line, recording 23 hits, 17 RBIs, and a .515 slugging percentage.

Manning is ranked as the No. 4 outfield prospect in Pennsylvania, according to Prep Baseball Report.

Ben Sclafani

The first left-handed pitcher signee in the Class of 2027 was Ben Sclafani out of Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, Maryland.

Sclafani helped Georgetown Prep to three IAC Championships in all three of his seasons so far. He recorded a staggering 0.43 ERA as a sophomore. Sclafani is ranked as the No. 1 left-handed pitcher in Maryland, according to both Prep Baseball Report and Perfect Game.

Sclafani chose Penn State over schools such as FAU, Penn, and Georgetown.

Aiden Drotos

Following Sclafani is fellow left-handed pitcher Aiden Drotos.

Drotos comes from Irwin, Pennsylvania, where he attended Penn-Trafford High School. During his time at Penn-Trafford, Drotos was named to the Big 56 Class 5A first team, posted a 2.00 ERA and 56 strikeouts as a junior, and tied the Penn-Trafford single-game strikeout record with 15.

Drotos is ranked as the No. 4 left-handed pitcher in Pennsylvania by Prep Baseball Report.

Callen Miller

The only catcher signee in the class is Callen Miller, who grew up in Somerset, Pennsylvania, just under two hours outside of State College.

Miller most recently played for Potomac State Community College, where he earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice.

For Potomac State in 2026, Miller batted .348, slugged .719, and mustered a solid 47 hits, 11 doubles, 13 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 35 runs. He also had a spectacular .996 fielding percentage and threw out 13 runners on the base paths.

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About the Author

Emery Molnar

Emery is a first-year Journalism student with a focus on writing about all thing's sports. He's a huge Pittsburgh Sports fan and lifelong hockey player/fan. You can reach him at [email protected].

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