Former Youngstown State pitcher Jacob Gehring will be in his second season as a graduate assistant on the YSU baseball coaching staff in 2026-27.
Gehring, a native of nearby 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 helped senior left-hander Braden Gebhardt earn Horizon League Pitcher of the Year and First-Team All-Horizon League honors in 2026. Gebhardt finished the 2026 season with a 5-4 record, a 3.19 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 87.1 innings while matching the single-season school record with 15 starts on the mound. He was selected as the Horizon League's Pitcher of the Week a record six times in 2026, and he was named as one of 43 semifinalists for the 2026 College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award. Following the season, Gebhardt was selected to the 2026 ABCA/Rawlings East All-Region Second Team.
Gehring also helped coach senior right-hander Jack Messmore to Second-Team All-Horizon League honors in 2026. Messmore ranked in the top 10 in the Horizon League in innings pitched (72.1), ERA (5.85) and strikeouts (46) over 14 starts on the mound in his debut season as a Penguin. Under Gehring’s guidance, freshman left-hander Bryce Palms was selected to the 2026 Horizon League All-Freshman Team. Palms finished his debut collegiate campaign with a 1-1 record, one save and a 3.31 ERA in 12 appearances out of the bullpen. He posted 15 strikeouts and a .196 opponent batting average over 16.1 innings pitched.
As a senior in 2025, Gehring was voted to the All-Horizon League Second Team and the Horizon League All-Academic Team while also earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® recognition. He registered 56 strikeouts in a team-high 61.1 innings pitched over 12 starts while ranking in the top 10 in the Horizon League in strikeouts, innings pitched, ERA and opponent batting average.
Gehring was named to the All-Horizon League First Team as a junior in 2024 after matching the single-season school record with 15 games started on the mound. He finished with four victories and two complete games while leading the Penguins with 57 strikeouts and 79.1 innings pitched. Gehring was twice named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week during the 2024 campaign.
Gehring played the first two seasons of his career at Ohio State. He made five relief appearances and four starts for the Buckeyes as a freshman in 2022, finishing with 16 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched. Gehring allowed one run and struck out five batters in a three-inning start vs. YSU in Columbus on April 5, 2022. He made 20 relief appearances and one start as a sophomore in 2023, finishing with one win and 21 strikeouts in 19.2 innings pitched.
Gehring was a standout pitcher at South Range High School, posting a career ERA of 0.98 with 191 career strikeouts, a 16-2 career record and one perfect game during his high school career. He helped lead the Raiders to the Ohio Division III state championship in 2018, and he was named the 2019 NE8 Player of the Year. Gehring helped lead South Range to a school record 24 wins in 2019, finishing an 8-0 record on the mound and setting a new single-season school record with 100 strikeouts.
Gehring graduated from Youngstown State with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2025. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling.
