UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State baseball, led by head coach Mike Gambino, signed Japanese pitcher Genei Sato on Monday.

Sato, a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher, is expected to enroll in Penn State classes this summer and will join the Nittany Lions in fall 2026 to compete in the 2027 spring season. Sato will be eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft.

“When Genei’s camp reached out to explore a move to college baseball, our staff used their connections to gather reports and video and it became clear to us that this is a premium arm,” said Gambino. “He’s in the conversation among best arms in Japan and was considered a top draft prospect in the Nippon league and has the potential to be a top round pick here.”

“Through the process of learning about program, the investments made into it and the Penn State community, Genei fell in love with it.”

“To bring in a talent like Genei, it took a lot of work behind the scenes from academics, admissions, compliance and the Japanese department and we’re very grateful for the work from all of those individuals in this process.”

Sato spent three years at Sendai University in Shibata, Japan.

SFU anniversary set

LORETTO — Saint Francis will honor its “Golden Era of Red Flash Women’s Basketball” with a 30th anniversary celebration on Saturday, Jan. 24.

The event will be part of the women’s basketball home game against New Haven beginning at 2 p.m.

Saint Francis women’s basketball won nine NEC Tournament titles from 1996 to 2005. Leading that were Stacy Alexander (1992-96), Mary Markey (1994-98), Jess Zinobile (1996-00) and Beth Swink (2001-05) as the four pillars of that dynasty.

Zinobile’s jersey number already hangs in the rafters at DeGol Arena. Alexander, Markey and Swink’s jerseys will join Zinobile’s as part of the celebration.

Sayles gets top honor

LATROBE — Penn State Altoona senior forward Avana Sayles was chosen as the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s Athlete of the Week in women’s basketball the league office announced Monday.

In the AMCC, Sayles ranks third in points per game with 16.4 and second in rebounds with 9.5.