Column | Projecting Penn State baseball’s lineup in 2026 with new transfer portal additions

With many key players leaving Penn State through both a historic draft class and graduation, coach Mike Gambino faces significant gaps in the batting unit.

The situation poses an opportunity for the Nittany Lions to display their ability to recruit and produce talent, which has already begun with a plethora of infield and outfield recruits. 

With the changing of the guard for the Nittany Lions, here are my projected starters across every position. 

Designated hitter - Jack Porter

After earning All-Big Ten second team honors in his first season with Penn State and playing NCAA baseball after sitting out at UCF, Jack Porter is back for more. 

During his redshirt sophomore year, Porter introduced himself to the masses with the second-highest batting average on the team and 10 home runs, and he’ll likely look to continue raking as the starting designated hitter. 

Catcher - Nate Voss

Catcher isn’t a new role for Nate Voss, as he appeared in games behind the dish last season as well as at designated hitter. Yet with Matt Maloney, who started 29 games at catcher last season, out of eligibility, Voss is expected to get more time at the position.

Across 43 total appearances during his junior season, Voss posted a .245 batting average and had eight dingers. This summer, he’s hitting .278 with the Madison Mallards, leaving room for optimism in the Penn State faithful.

First baseman - Kevin Karstetter

With Joe Jaconski using up four years of eligibility and all signs indicating that graduate student Cole Wagner may not return despite having one year of eligibility left, first base is a position with a vacancy and many possibilities for the Nittany Lions. 

Insert Kevin Karstetter. Over his career, the State College native has played 13 games at second base, 69 games at third base and even three games at first, displaying his versatility. 

However, his fielding leaves much to be desired at times. Karstetter posted the second most errors on his unit during his senior year, and also posted the lowest fielding percentage of everyday starters with .917.

A pivot for Karsetter on the diamond and a test of his versatility might be necessary for the blue and white to unlock his full potential.

Second baseman - Jayden Davis

Penn State will look to Jayden Davis to fill its second base opening, as the Cookeville, Tennessee, native left Vanderbilt to use his final season of eligibility. 

After a freshman season with Samford where he led the Bulldogs in batting average, he left for Vanderbilt. Davis starred in his sophomore year with a .315 average in the talented SEC. 

Davis was limited in his junior season after a pitch to his face during a bunt attempt caused him to play in only 24 games and required orbital surgery. Last season, he finished with a .203 batting average, but improved his fielding stats, giving Davis an opportunity to finish his career strongly in Happy Valley.

Shortstop - Spencer Barnett

With season-long shortstop Ryan Weingartner signing with the St. Louis Cardinals, a gap opens in the most difficult spot to play defense in the infield. 

A possible solution arrives in the form of Spencer Barnett from West Virginia, who spent his time at second and third base mostly, with some reps at shortstop and first base. 

Barnett hit .278 last season, along with a strong .948 fielding average. He has an attempt in State College to retake the shortstop position, which he played coming out of North Allegheny high school.

Third baseman - Bryce Molinaro

After five total draftees, only Bryce Molinaro returned for next season.

The Drums, Pennsylvania, native showed strong power at the plate with 13 home runs, placing him in the top 30 of the Big Ten, along with 61 RBIs, which ranked in the top 10.

Molinaro started every single game at third base last season, so it’s unlikely to see him pivot from that role. 

Left fielder - Jesse Jaconski

Despite losing numerous players to the draft and graduation, Jesse Jaconski returns to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park as one of the Nittany Lions’ strongest batters. 

Jesse Jaconski started in 54 games in left field for Penn State out of 55 total appearances, and had a tremendous season with top-three figures in RBIs and home runs. 

Center fielder - Maddox McDonald

After a career season for Trinity, Maddox McDonald swaps San Antonio for Happy Valley.

The senior leaves his hometown after excelling in every regard on the diamond with a .337 batting average, 11 home runs, 62 RBIs and a perfect fielding percentage — a feat he’s accomplished twice now. 

Right fielder - Cohl Mercado

After making 38 starts last season, Cohl Mercado has an opportunity to see that number rise with Paxton Kling’s departure to the draft and subsequent signing with the Texas Rangers. 

The Ocean View, New Jersey, native slashed .230/.362/.274 with 12 RBIs across various positions in the outfield during his redshirt sophomore year last season. 

Despite hitting only a single career home run, he’s demonstrated astute baserunning with 18 steals over his college career.