Penn Staters Deserve A Better Baseball Program

Here’s a fun fact for you. Fifteen percent of Google searches have never been searched before.

What that really means is 85 percent of Google searches have been Googled before. So chances are that someone else has been in the same boat as you when you Google how to properly install a lightbulb while riding a unicycle. Even for how crazy your Google search may be, in reality, someone else out there has likely, probably, already Googled it. Someone else out there on the internet has at one point in their life cared enough about it as much as you to Google it.

So what does that have to do with Penn State athletics?

Well at times, it can feel like you or I are the only people that care about Penn State’s other sports. You know sports like Penn State lacrosse, diving or – the one that holds a special place in my heart – Penn State men’s volleyball.

And chances are that you’re not the only person who will read this post about Penn State baseball – as long as I remember to share it. In fact, if you’re reading this, know that you’re not alone because I care about the future of Penn State baseball. Yes, there are people who care about Penn State baseball. Of course there are.

What we don’t know is if Penn State – and more specifically – Pat Kraft care about the future of Penn State baseball.

Kraft has an intriguing choice to make about what’s next for Penn State’s baseball team. Either continue down this path of it being just another sport at Penn State or it turning into another way for Penn State’s national footprint to grow as college baseball’s popularity continues to rise in the college athletics landscape.

And if you’re reading this, you certainly hope it’s the latter and not the former. And if you’re for some random chance Pat Kraft and are reading this, please care about Penn State baseball with your upcoming hire because it feels like an easy win you need right now.

After Penn State baseball coach Rob Cooper resigned after 10 years at the helm, Kraft has an opportunity to show what he can do with non-revenue generating sports by hiring someone who is willing to turn Penn State’s baseball team into a program. It’s an opportunity that’s available for Kraft that would and could give him some clout that he needs to win back from Penn Staters after the Micah Shrewsberry NIL debacle.

It’s one where he can find out about the beauty of the average Penn State fan who once teams return to even an above average level will hop back on the bandwagon all because their uniforms say “Nittany Lions” on them.

That’s just how it works at Penn State. Not saying Nittany Nation is fickle but look at the hype and momentum around the basketball program this March. Or consider the anger and outrage that came from all of Happy Valley when Penn State men’s lacrosse lost controversially in overtime of the national semifinals. A decent majority of Penn Staters probably didn’t know Penn State had a strong club hockey team back in the day and once they made the switch to Division I, it’s still one of the toughest tickets to come by – even 10 years after Pegula opened up its doors.

Heck, how many other schools have a women’s soccer coach or wrestling coach that are equally as famous – if not more famous – than its basketball coaches?

There’s no reason that the high level of success seen at Rec Hall, Beaver Stadium and even the BJC has to stop at the gates of Medlar Field. Penn State, with its vast resources, and national footprint should be competing at high levels in every sport, not picking and choosing which ones do and don’t.

And it’s not that Kraft’s upcoming hire has to win at the level of Cael Sanderson’s team but Penn State needs to have a better baseball program. Not the best. Just better.

And it’s one that can be done.

Pennsylvania is a state with a deep history in the sport. It’s got two professional franchises with storied histories (one of which currently at the time of writing this leads the NL Central). It’s the home of Little League baseball. It’s the home of several minor league teams that provide meaningful support to the communities they play in. It’s home to what seems like every son and plenty of daughters at some age suiting up to play.

But what about the weather, Darian?

I don’t buy that excuse. I stopped buying that excuse a long time ago.

Sure this weekend’s Super Regionals are dominated by schools from states like Texas, California and a smattering throughout the south, but there are other schools like Virginia and even Indiana State with similar climates to Happy Valley.

Again Penn State doesn’t have to be sending its team to the Super Regionals every year but it’s not like colder climate schools can’t reach the tournament. UConn has sent its program to the regionals of the NCAA Tournament every year since 2018. Even Kraft’s former employer, Boston College, sent its program to the NCAA Tournament this year.

For those that don’t care about Penn State baseball, it’s long been the excuse that weather is holding back the program. But for those that do care, they know it’s more than just weather holding back.

It’s the lack of buy-in from the athletic department to believe that this program, which hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2000, can become something – anything. That apathy has to change because believe it or not, there are people who do care about Penn State baseball.

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