The Youngstown State baseball team's 2025 season featured various team and individual accomplishments. The Penguins played 57 games across eight different states from mid-February to late May.

YSU concluded the campaign at 15-42 overall and 11-19 in Horizon League play to finish fourth in the league standings. Highlights and key accomplishments from Trevor Charpie's first season as head coach are detailed below.

Offensive Prowess

• While incorporating a large group of 21 newcomers to the program, YSU set new single-season school records for home runs (76) and walks (306) while posting its highest marks in RBIs (348), runs scored (391) and runs per game (6.9) since 2010.
• The Penguins also set new school records for slugging percentage (.472) and extra-base hits (199) while recording their highest on-base percentage (.394) since 2001.
• During Horizon League games only, YSU set new program records for home runs (47), slugging percentage (.514), on-base percentage (.418) and walks (179). The 2025 season also marked just the second time in school history and the first time since 2010 that three different Penguins hit a least 10 home runs in the same season.

Fossum Puts Together Historic Season

• Senior outfielder and Washington transfer Kyle Fossum enjoyed one of the most prolific and productive seasons at the plate in program history in 2025 after spending the first three years of his career at Washington. The Seattle, Wash., native batted .382 with 84 hits while setting new single-season school records for home runs (23), RBIs (62), runs scored (67), slugging percentage (.777) and total bases (171).
• Fossum also recorded 18 doubles, 46 walks, a .496 on-base percentage, a 1.273 OPS and nine stolen bases while starting all 57 games. He ranked in the top 10 in the Horizon League in batting average, hits, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS, RBIs, runs scored, home runs, doubles and walks.
• Fossum became just the second player in YSU history and the first since Tom Clayton in 2010 to be named Horizon League Player of the Year. He also became the first YSU outfielder to garner first-team all-league honors since Trey Bridis in 2018.
• Fossum was named to the ABCA/Rawlings East All-Region First Team to become the first Penguin since 2021 to garner first-team all-region honors. He was also named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-America Third Team to become the first Penguin since 2001 to garner All-America recognition. Fossum became just the third player in YSU history to garner All-America honors. He is the first Penguin to collect All-American recognition since Jim Lipinski earned honorable mention honors in 2001.
• Fossum's .382 batting average was the highest mark by a Penguin since Jeremy Banks hit .385 in 2012. He posted a 1.273 OPS, which ranks as the second highest mark in program history and the highest since Chris Durkin had a school-record 1.278 OPS in 1991.
• Fossum's .423 batting average in Horizon League play ranks as the third-highest mark in school history and the highest since John Koehnlein hit .436 in 2007. The senior's 84 hits and .496 on-base percentage each rank as the third-highest single-season mark in program history while his 46 walks are tied for the second most in school history.

Gehring Earns Second-Team All-League Honors

• Senior right-hander Jacob Gehring earned Second-Team All-Horizon League honors in 2025 after being a first-team selection in 2024.
• Gehring ranked in the top 10 in the Horizon League in strikeouts (56), innings pitched (61.1), ERA (6.60) and opponent batting average (.306) over 12 starts on the mound in 2025.
• The Canfield, Ohio, native struck out a career-high nine batters over six innings against Purdue Fort Wayne on March 21. He registered seven strikeouts while matching his season high with seven innings pitched to earn his first win of the season in YSU's 4-3 victory at Oakland on April 4.

Mikos Shines as Sunday Starter

• Redshirt junior right-hander Brandon Mikos earned five wins on the mound in 2025 while recording career highs of 42 strikeouts and 58 innings pitched over 14 appearances and 11 starts. Mikos was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week on March 12, 2025.
• Mikos solidified himself as YSU's Sunday starter after winning four of his last five decisions in Horizon League play to close out the regular season. The Canfield, Ohio, native earned wins over NKU, Milwaukee, Purdue Fort Wayne and Oakland over his last five outings in the regular season.
• Mikos did not allow an earned run while matching career highs with seven strikeouts and seven innings pitched to help lead YSU to a 4-1 series-clinching victory over Oakland on May 11. He pitched a career-high seven innings and struck out five batters in YSU's 7-5 victory at Milwaukee on April 19.
• Mikos tossed five innings to earn his second win of the season in YSU's 18-8 victory over Northern Kentucky on April 13. He allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts over four innings to earn his first win of the season in YSU's 15-5 victory over Mercyhurst on March 18.
• Mikos was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week on March 12 after scattering two hits and recording a strikeout over three scoreless innings of relief at Gardner-Webb on March 8.

Newcomers Make Major Impact

• Youngstown State entered the 2025 season with a large group of 21 newcomers to the program. The group of newcomers included 15 transfers and six freshmen, several of which made a major impact in their first season wearing the Red and White.
• Redshirt senior infielder Tommy Rover batted .328 and slugged .598 with seven doubles, two triples, 12 home runs and 40 RBIs over 47 games played for the Penguins in 2025. The Brentwood, Calif., native also recorded 46 runs scored, 30 walks, 104 total bases, a .475 on-base percentage, a 1.073 OPS and four stolen bases.
• Rover was hit by a pitch 19 times in 2025 to set a new single-season school record. He ranked in the top 10 in the Horizon League in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS and home runs. Rover became a Penguin after playing in 135 games and making 126 starts over three seasons at Division II Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, Calif.
• Senior infielder Cole Smith collected Second-Team All-Horizon League honors in 2025. The UT Martin transfer batted .291 and slugged .487 with 21 doubles, six home runs and 41 RBIs over 56 games played. Smith batted .340 and slugged .575 with 10 doubles, five home runs and 26 RBIs over 30 games played in Horizon League action.
• Redshirt senior right-hander and Kansas transfer JJ Tylicki ranked fourth in the Horizon League with a team-high 68 strikeouts in 2025. The Shawnee, Kan., native matched his season and career high with nine strikeouts while allowing just one hit over 5.1 strong innings of relief in the second game of a doubleheader against Wright State on May 2. Tylicki posted 11.85 strikeouts per nine innings, which ranks as the fifth highest mark in program history and the highest since Brad Hennessey recorded 12.79 K/9 in 2001.
• Junior outfielder and Nicholls transfer Brayden Kuriger batted .301 and slugged .530 with 10 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 43 RBIs and a team-high 12 stolen bases over 50 games played and 48 starts. The Gonzales, La., native slashed .337/.418/.533 with five doubles, two triples, three home runs and 26 RBIs over 25 games played in Horizon League action. Kuriger ended the 2025 season on a nine-game hitting streak.
• Kuriger was named to the 2025 Horizon League All-Tournament Team after slashing .500/.600/1.000 with six hits in 12 at bats over three games. He compiled one double, one triple, one home run, four RBIs, seven runs scored, three walks, one stolen base and 12 total bases while starting all three games in left field.
• Redshirt sophomore utility player Nathan Beckley provided versatility for the Guins in 2025 after playing two seasons at Golden West College in California. Beckley batted .301 and slugged .468 with 15 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 42 RBIs over 52 games played and 49 starts. The Aliso Viejo, Calif., native made 26 starts at first base, six at third base, seven in left field, three in right field and seven as the designated hitter. Beckley went 3-for-5 with a career-high six RBIs in YSU's 18-8 victory over Northern Kentucky on April 13 to become the first Penguin in more than two years to drive in six runs in a game.
• Beckley was named to the 2025 Horizon League All-Tournament Team after slashing .615/.600/1.462 with eight hits in 13 at bats over three games played. He recorded three doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBIs, three runs scored, two stolen bases and 19 total bases while starting all three games at first base.
• Redshirt junior infielder Garrett Cutting was another experienced transfer who started all 57 games at shortstop for the Penguins in 2025. The Las Vegas, Nev., native played in 80 games and made 59 starts over two seasons at Utah Tech after redshirting at Oregon in 2022. Cutting amassed eight doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs, 38 runs scored and 26 walks during his debut campaign as a Penguin.
• Youngstown State also had a pair of true freshmen who stepped into prominent roles during the 2025 season. Freshman infielder Jay Wrona was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team after batting .313 with 35 hits, seven doubles, one triple, 13 RBIs, 27 walks and 24 runs scored over 40 games played and 33 starts. The New Castle, Pa., native set a new single-game school record with five walks in YSU's 20-14 win at Milwaukee on April 18. Wrona had reached base safely in 30 consecutive games before the impressive streak came to end on May 4.
• Freshman catcher Caleb Hadley batted .265 and slugged .485 with six doubles, three home runs, 15 RBIs, 24 runs scored and 12 walks over 25 games played and 24 starts behind the plate. The Southington, Ohio, native hit a home run on the second pitch of his first career plate appearance in YSU's 8-5 victory on at Abilene Christian on Feb 23.

Shannon Returns to Diamond as Two-Sport Athlete at YSU

• Redshirt sophomore outfielder/first baseman Brady Shannon officially joined the YSU baseball program in January 2025 to become a two-sport athlete at Youngstown State. The Youngstown, Ohio, native was also a quarterback on the YSU football team during the 2024 season.
• Shannon hit multiple home runs in a game twice during the 2025 season. He went yard twice in the second game of a doubleheader at UTSA on March 1 for his first two home runs in a Penguin uniform. Shannon also hit a pair of home runs in YSU's 10-7 victory over Milwaukee on March 15. He hit a memorable walk-off, two-run blast to lift the Guins to a 13-12 victory over Oakland at Eastwood Field on May 10. Shannon batted .236 and slugged .461 with three doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 22 RBIs in 2025. He also added 25 walks, 30 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.
• Shannon played baseball at UCF as true freshman in 2023. He played in 25 games and made nine starts in the outfield for the Golden Knights, recording seven hits including two home runs, four runs scored and five RBIs. Shannon registered three RBIs in his collegiate debut against Siena on Feb. 17, 2023 while hitting home runs in back-to-back games in his first two collegiate appearances.

Gebhardt, Gehring Collect Academic Honors

• Junior left-hander Braden Gebhardt and senior right-hander Jacob Gehring were each named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team and the 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Baseball Team for their combined performance on the field and in the classroom.
• Gebhardt was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team for the second straight season to become just the third two-time honoree in program history. The Howland, Ohio, native is the first Penguin to earn Academic All-District honors multiple times since Drew Dosch in 2012-13.
• Gebhardt maintains a 3.93 GPA as a marketing major at YSU. He has also been named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team each of the last two seasons. Gebhardt finished with a 3-5 record and two saves with 43 strikeouts in 44.2 innings pitched over 18 relief appearances and one start on the mound in 2025. In Horizon League play, he recorded 30 strikeouts in 29.2 innings pitched over 10 relief appearances and one start.

For the latest news and updates on the YSU baseball program throughout the summer, follow @YSUBaseball on X and Instagram.