New Penn State baseball coach Mike Gambino has vision for success
Ten days into the job as Penn State baseball’s new head coach, Mike Gambino laid out his vision for the program moving forward. Meeting with the media for the first time since being hired on Tuesday afternoon, the 13-year coaching veteran from Boston College detailed just where he wants the Nittany Lions to go.
And, those aspirations are admittedly lofty.
“I want people to talk about us going to the College World Series here, I do. It’s something that I want to talk about,” Gambino said. “And it’s not just about going to Omaha for the Big Ten tournament. I understand that the Big Ten tournament is great, and it’s fun, and I would like to take a shot at winning that thing, for sure. But, we want to go to the College World Series.”
To get there would not be a first for the Nittany Lions.
Five times, in 1952, 1957, 1959, 1963, and 1973, the Penn State baseball program appeared in the College World Series. And, just once, the Nittany Lions secured a runner-up finish in the CWS in 1957.
But, without having been to the NCAA Tournament since 2000, and without a regular season conference championship since 1996, the task ahead of Gambino is significant.
Penn State baseball’s plan
To overcome those historical hurdles, though, Gambino has a plan.
Up first, coming out of a 2023 season in which the Nittany Lions went 25-25 with a 7-16 record in the Big Ten, they will turn to the transfer portal to build on the program’s core returning players.
“The number one thing that we’re gonna address is the transfer portal and growing out this roster and adding to this roster,” he said. “The thing that I’ve learned about this group, is these boys want to win, they’re hungry, they want to win, they love this place. For me to be around a young and hungry group like that, and the guys that we’re going to add, it’s really exciting.”
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On the recruiting trail, meanwhile, Gambino intends to reap from the fertile talent that already exists in Pennsylvania. Saying that the state has “great baseball” with strong high school players and programs, he intends to continue to pursue relationships that have already been on his radar as a coach in the Northeast. “We have, in the past, spent a lot of time recruiting in the Northeast and Pennsylvania, kids who are similar to who we have spent our time and energy recruiting; tough, competitive, hard-nosed kids that want to win.”
Next steps
Combined with plans that include investment in Medlar Field in the coming years, Gambino called the administrative plan for Penn State baseball moving forward a “great strategy” to include staffing and resources in addition to facilities.
Bringing those together with the intent of attracting top talent into the program, Gambino believes the Nittany Lions are poised to compete and win in the coming years.
“I want kids that want to win, I want kids that want to put the team first, I want kids that want to play in the big leagues,” he said. “But I also want kids that care about and value this degree and care about representing the alumni, the school, the logo, and representing it well.
“There is a plan starting to be put in place and I’m excited to be part of rolling that out over the next couple of years.”
