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Penn State Makes Inroads in PA Class of 2015

October 7, 2013

By Greg Williams
PA Director of Scouting

Rob Cooper and his newly appointed Penn State coaching staff got a late start on recruiting this summer, but they are certainly making up for lost time. Cooper's late summer appointment to replace former Nittany Lion skipper Robbie Wine placed the new staff at a disadvantage in attempting to piece together a group of quality recruits from the Class of 2014. Cooper also missed time in the recruiting battles shortly after his hire while coaching the USA 18U National Team to a World Championship in Japan.

Since Cooper's return from Japan, Penn State has landed three highly ranked Pennsylvania Class of 2015 prospects. Catcher Ryan Sloniger (Punxsutawney HS, No. 20) and shortstop Connor Klemann (Spring-Ford HS, No. 31) got the ball rolling by announcing their commitments in September. Dylan Cyphert, a left-handed pitcher from Cranberry HS, announced his commitment yesterday. 


Cyphert added to the list

Dylan CyphertDylan Cyphert, ranked No. 9 in PA and No. 44 in the PBR combined Class of 2015 rankings, is a quality lefty that sits 85-87 and has recently been posting some 90's on the radar gun. He had a solid summer throwing for the Evoshield Canes and was named to the WWBA 16U All-Tournament Team, a tournament that the Canes won with a record of 13-0. Cyphert followed his summer performance up by continuing to impress as a member of the Allegheny Pirates this fall.

Cyphert's commitment is the 17th announcement by a member of the PA Class of 2015 to a Division I program. Cyphert had also been considering Wake Forest, North Carolina and Virginia Tech, but decided on Penn State. When asked how he made his decision, Cyphert replied, "I love State College, it was the right fit and the coaching staff was phenomenal. I want to have an impact on their program. They have professional baseball facilities and they have a great fan base. Students get a world class degree at Penn State."

Cyphert points to two keys in his recruiting process. "I played for the Evoshield Canes 16u National team this past summer. It was a great experience and I got to face the best hitters in the country. My most memorable experience from the summer was when we went to the WWBA Perfect Game 16u National tournament in Marietta, Georgia. There were 280+ teams in the tournament and we went 13 and 0. We faced another Evoshield Canes team in the championship but came out on top. I pitched a good amount of innings down there and ended up making the All-Tournament team. Dog-piling at the end of the game and getting your ring size for your championship rings was an experience you couldn't explain with words. The Evoshield Canes is a great organization and I wouldn't be where I am right now without them." Cyphert also points to his participation in several PBR events last fall and winter as being key in the process. "My participation in Prep Baseball Report events definitely helped me in the recruiting process. Just after a couple showcases I was being requested to call several coaches. I think Prep Baseball Report does a great job of getting your name out there."

Cyphert, who carries a 3.5 GPA, will now set his sights on continuing to get better. He concluded by stating, "My goals individually are to get stronger and to increase my velocity on the mound. I will continue to work on my location and I also need to work on my complimentary pitches. I want to help lead my high school team to the state playoffs and win a state title in the next two years. We have the potential."

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