The Youngstown State baseball team will begin the 72nd season in program history on Friday when it begins a three-game series at Auburn. The Penguins and Tigers will open the new campaign on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET before proceeding to play on Saturday at 7 p.m. and on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Live video for all three of YSU's games on opening weekend will be streamed on SEC Network+ while live stats will be available through links posted on YSUsports.com. Fans can also follow @YSUBaseball on X for live updates.

Youngstown State at Auburn

Opponent	Date	Location	Video	Live Stats
	Friday Feb. 13 | 6:30 PM ET	Plainsman Park Auburn, Ala.	SEC Network+	Live Stats
	Saturday Feb. 14 | 7 PM ET	Plainsman Park Auburn, Ala.	SEC Network+	Live Stats
	Sunday Feb. 15 | 3 PM ET	Plainsman  Auburn, Ala.	SEC Network+	Live Stats

A Glimpse at the Guins

• Senior left-hander Braden Gebhardt will start on the mound in the season opener on Friday while senior right-hander Jack Messmore is slated to make his YSU debut as the probable starting pitcher on Saturday. Redshirt senior right-hander Brandon Mikos is scheduled to take the ball in the series finale on Sunday.
• Friday's season opener will mark the first meeting on the diamond between YSU and Auburn. Youngstown State last faced an opponent from the SEC when it played a pair of games at No. 11 LSU in February of 2021. YSU's last victory against an SEC foe came when the Penguins swept a doubleheader at Missouri on March 12, 2016. The Penguins are seeking their first win in a season opener since an 8-4 victory at Belmont on Feb. 16, 2018. YSU has dropped each of its last six season openers.
• Youngstown State is under the direction of second-year head coach Trevor Charpie. In Charpie's first season guiding the program in 2025, the Penguins finished with a 15-42 overall record and an 11-19 mark in Horizon League play to finish fourth in the league standings. There are 38 players on YSU's roster in 2026, and 17 of them were with the program last year. The Penguins return 15 letterwinners from last year's team and have 21 newcomers to the roster. Senior pitchers Braden Gebhardt and Brandon Mikos each return to help anchor YSU's pitching staff in 2026. Gebhardt has made 56 appearances including 14 starts for the Guins over the past three seasons while Mikos has appeared 39 times and made 24 starts since joining the program in 2022.
• Youngstown State also returns several starting position players from last year's team. Redshirt junior utility player Nathan Beckley batted .301 and slugged .468 with 15 doubles, four home runs and 42 RBIs in 2025. Senior outfielder Brayden Kuriger batted .301 and slugged .530 with 10 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 43 RBIs and a team-high 12 stolen bases last season. Beckley and Kuriger were each named to the 2025 Horizon League All-Tournament Team. Redshirt junior outfielder Brady Shannon batted .236 and slugged .461 with three doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 22 RBIs and 11 stolen bases last season while redshirt senior infielder Garrett Cutting started all 57 games at shortstop for the Penguins in 2025. Sophomore infielder Jay Wrona also returns in 2026 after earning a spot on the 2025 Horizon League All-Freshman Team.
• Freshman infielder Misael Uriepero was selected as D1Baseball.com's Preseason Horizon League Freshman of the Year as the No. 1 ranked player on the website's list of Impact Freshmen in the conference ahead of the 2026 season. The Caracas, Venezuela, native was also ranked as the website's No. 3 MLB Draft prospect in the Horizon League for 2027. D1Baseball.com picked Youngstown State to finish fourth in the Horizon League standings in 2026.

Series Preview

A Win on Friday Would…

• Be YSU's first win in a season opener since an 8-4 victory at Belmont on Feb. 16, 2018.
• Give the Penguins their seventh victory over a Power-Conference opponent in the last five seasons.
• Be YSU's first win over Auburn.
• Give the Guins their first win over an SEC opponent since sweeping a doubleheader at Missouri on March 12, 2016.
• Give Trevor Charpie his 16th career victory.

Scouting Auburn

• Auburn is a consensus top-10 team heading into the 2026 season, ranking as high as No. 5 nationally in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25. The Tigers are coming off a 2025 season in which they hosted their first-ever NCAA Super Regional.
• In the 2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll, league coaches predicted Auburn to finish fifth in the conference. The Tigers finished with a 41-20 overall record and a 17-13 mark on SEC play last season.
• Sophomore second baseman Chris Rembert was named a Perfect Game Preseason All-American and selected to the Preseason All-SEC First Team. Sophomore catcher Chase Fralick and outfielder Bub Terrell were each named to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team.

Series History

• Friday's season opener will mark the first meeting on the diamond between Youngstown State and Auburn.

Recent History vs. SEC Opponents

• Youngstown State last faced an opponent from the SEC when it played a pair of games at No. 11 LSU in February of 2021. The Tigers won a 6-2 decision on Feb. 26, 2021, before earning a walk-off 5-3 victory the following day. The Penguins also opened the 2019 season with a three-game series at No. 9 Mississippi State on Feb. 15-16, 2019.
• YSU's last victory against an SEC foe came when the Penguins swept a doubleheader at Missouri on March 12, 2016. Youngstown State picked up wins of 4-3 and 3-2 over the Tigers to claim the series victory.

Preseason Notebook

Schedule Notes

• YSU opens the 2026 season on Friday, Feb. 13, at Auburn as part of a three-game series. The Penguins will proceed to play their first 15 games of the season on the road.
• The Penguins' home opener at 717 Credit Union Field at Eastwood is March 11 against Central Michigan while the Horizon League opener is March 13 against Oakland. YSU is scheduled for 16 home games and 24 Horizon League contests as part of its 56-game slate. The Guins will also face opponents from the ACC, B1G and SEC during the nonconference portion of the schedule.

Roster Composition

• There are 38 players on YSU's roster in 2026, and 17 of them were with the program last year. The Penguins return 15 letterwinners from last year's team and have 21 newcomers to the roster.
• YSU's 2026 roster consists of 14 seniors, 11 juniors, five sophomores and eight freshmen. The group of 21 newcomers includes five freshmen and 16 transfers.
• YSU's 2026 roster includes nine players from Ohio, five from California and four from Pennsylvania. The roster features players from 15 different U.S. states and two international student-athletes.

Veteran Arms Return to Anchor Pitching Staff in 2026

• Senior pitchers Braden Gebhardt and Brandon Mikos each return to help anchor YSU's pitching staff in 2026. Gebhardt has made 56 appearances including 14 starts for the Guins over the past three seasons while Mikos has appeared 39 times and made 24 starts since joining the program in 2022.
• Gebhardt returns for his fourth season at YSU after making 18 relief appearances and one start on the mound as a junior in 2025. The Howland, Ohio, native was named to both the Horizon League AllAcademic Team and the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Baseball Team for the second straight season in 2025. Gebhardt finished with three victories, two saves and 43 strikeouts in 44.2 innings pitched last season. He has recorded 136 strikeouts in 159 innings pitched during his career.
• Mikos returns for his fifth season as a Penguin after winning five games on the mound as a redshirt junior in 2025. The right-hander ranked fifth in the Horizon League in wins (5) and ninth in innings pitched (58) while registering a career-high 42 strikeouts over 11 starts and three relief appearances last season. The Canfield, Ohio, native was also named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week on March 12, 2025.

Talented Transfers to Play Key Roles in Lineup

• Youngstown State is welcoming 21 newcomers into the program ahead of the 2026 season, several of which are expected to make an impact in their first season wearing the Red and White.
• Redshirt junior infielder Luke Rossi is expected to be a important part of YSU's lineup in 2026 after playing in 66 games over the last two seasons at the College of San Mateo. The Salinas, Calif., native played in 41 games while earning First-Team All-Coast Conference honors as a redshirt sophomore in 2025. Rossi batted .384 and slugged .616 with 58 hits, 13 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 41 RBIs while leading the Coast Conference in batting average and hits.
• Fifth-year senior outfielder Kendal Spencer is expected to be a key cog toward the top of YSU's lineup in 2026. The Tampa, Fla., native played in 85 games and made 80 starts over the past two seasons at Division II Savannah State. Spencer was a two-time First-Team All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection, and he was a two-time member of the NCBWA All-South Region Team. He played in 47 games and made 42 starts as a senior in 2025, batting .453 and slugging .665 with 73 hits, nine doubles, five triples, five home runs and 60 RBIs.
• Redshirt junior infielder/outfielder Chyran Humphries is another impact transfer who played in 70 games over the last two seasons at Lansing Community College. The Farmington Hills, Mich., native played in 49 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2025, batting .309 and slugging .638 with 47 hits, 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 46. Humphries redshirted at Eastern Michigan in 2023.
• Junior infielder/right-hander Brevin Smith is another accomplished newcomer who spent the first two years of his collegiate career as a two-way player at Division II Savannah State University. The Palm Bay, Fla., native was named Second-Team All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2024, and he was named the Savannah State MVP in 2025. Smith played in 69 games and made 56 starts over two seasons as an infielder for the Tigers while making a total of 17 starts and six relief appearances on the mound. He batted .270 and slugged .431 with nine doubles, two triples, three home runs and 43 RBIs over 45 games in 2025. Smith also made six starts and five relief appearances as a pitcher in 2025, finishing with a 6-0 record, a 2.91 ERA, 48 strikeouts and one complete game in 52.2 innings pitched.

Returning Offensive Firepower

• Youngstown State returns five starting position players from last year's team that set new single-season school records for home runs (76) and walks (306) and posted the program's 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) a year ago while recording their highest on-base percentage (.394) since 2001.
• Redshirt junior utility player Nathan Beckley batted .301 and slugged .468 with 52 hits, 15 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 42 RBIs over 52 games and 49 starts in 2025. The Aliso Viejo, Calif., native and Golden West College transfer earned a spot on the 2025 Horizon League All-Tournament Team.
• Senior outfielder Brayden Kuriger batted .301 and slugged .530 with 55 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 43 RBIs and a team-high 12 stolen bases over 50 games and 48 starts in 2025. The Gonzales, La., native and Nicholls transfer was also selected to the 2025 Horizon League All-Tournament Team.
• Sophomore infielder Jay Wrona returns in 2026 after earning a spot on the 2025 Horizon League All-Freshman Team. The New Castle, Pa., native batted .313 with 35 hits, seven doubles, one triple, 13 RBIs, 27 walks and 24 runs scored over 40 games and 33 starts last season.
• Redshirt junior outfielder Brady Shannon batted .236 and slugged .461 with 39 hits, three doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 22 RBIs and 11 stolen bases over 47 games and 43 starts last season. The Youngstown, Ohio, native returned to the diamond in 2025 for the first time since playing in 25 games and making nine starts as a true freshman at UCF in 2023.
• Redshirt senior infielder Garrett Cutting started all 57 games at shortstop for the Penguins in 2025. The Las Vegas, Nev., native batted .220 and slugged .358 with 48 hits, eight doubles, two triples, six home runs and 28 RBIs in his debut season as a Penguin after transferring in from Utah Tech.

Newcomers Expected to Make Positive Impact on Pitching Staff

• In addition to signing several accomplished position players, YSU added a number of talented pitchers through the transfer portal during the offseason who are expected to make a positive impact on the team in 2026.
• Fifth-year senior right-hander Luke Zmolik spent the last two seasons at NAIA Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Fla. The Monroe, Wash., native made 16 relief appearances and one start as a senior in 2025, finishing with a 2-2 record, two saves and 31 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched. Zmolik also registered 45 strikeouts in 44.2 innings pitched as a junior in 2024.
• Senior right-hander Jack Messmore is expected to be a key part of YSU's pitching staff in 2026 after making 11 relief appearances on the mound at New Mexico as a junior in 2025. The Niceville, Fla., native made 31 total appearances including 17 starts on the mound for Delaware State over the first two years of his collegiate career. He registered 77 strikeouts in 77.1 innings pitched over 13 starts and one relief appearance as a sophomore in 2024.
• Redshirt senior right-hander Banks Cox is expected to be an important component of YSU's bullpen in 2026. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native made 11 relief appearances on the mound at Cuyahoga Community College as a junior in 2025. He finished with a 1-1 record and a 3.38 ERA in 10.2 innings pitched while registering 17 strikeouts and 14.34 K/9.
• Junior right-hander Jordan Capuano is another transfer who made 15 appearances as a sophomore at Frederick Community College in 2025. The Bristow, Va., native made eight relief appearances and seven starts last season, posting a 6-1 record, one save and a 4.20 ERA in 40.2 innings pitched. He had 49 strikeouts while recording 10.84 K/9.
• Redshirt freshman right-hander Kale Wemer is another talented transfer who redshirted as a freshman at Purdue in 2025. The Crawfordsville, Ind., native was named the Crawfordsville Journal Review Baseball Player of the Year as well as an IHSBCA North/South All-Star while earning All-State honors as a senior at Crawfordsville High School. He registered a 1.15 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched during his senior campaign.
• Fifth-year senior right-hander Griffin Almond is another talented transfer who provides experience to YSU's pitching staff in 2026. The Thornbury, Ontario, native made 19 total appearances including three starts on the mound over the past two seasons at Division II Eastern New Mexico University. He also made 13 appearances including five starts over two seasons at Connors State in Warner, Okla.

Gehring, Marko Join Coaching Staff

• Former YSU pitcher Jacob Gehring is in his first season as a graduate assistant for his alma mater in 2026. Gehring, a native of Canfield, Ohio, played the final two seasons of his collegiate career for his hometown team after spending two years at Ohio State. The right-hander made 27 starts on the mound for the Penguins over two seasons while twice collecting All-Horizon League honors.
• Gehring earned First-Team All-Horizon League honors as a junior in 2024, and he was picked Second-Team All-Horizon League as a senior in 2025. Gehring was voted to the Horizon League All-Academic Team while earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District recognition following his senior season.
• YSU also added former collegiate student-athlete and hitting coach Nate Marko as an assistant coach prior to the 2026 season. Marko, a native of McKees Rocks, Pa., most recently served as an assistant coach at NAIA Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Fla., during the 2025 season. Serving as the team's hitting coach, he helped guide the Gyrenes to 30 total wins and an at-large bid in the NAIA National Tournament. Marko coached Ave Maria's hitters to a .277 team batting average, a .431 slugging percentage, 55 home runs, 88 doubles, 17 triples, 334 RBIs, 516 hits, 382 runs, 803 total bases, 246 walks and 109 stolen bases.
• Marko played four seasons of collegiate baseball at Bethany College, an NCAA Division III member in West Virginia. Prior to his time at Ave Maria, he worked as a hitting trainer at Driveline Baseball in Seattle, Wash.

Up Next

Youngstown State will continue its early-season road stretch with a four-game series at Oregon on Feb. 19-22.