Brady Yarabinetz took what many would call a gamble on his future school. After a stellar spring with Franklin Regional, Yarabinetz made his commitment to La Salle University.

The catch for the outfielder’s commitment is La Salle currently doesn’t have a baseball program.

The school eliminated the program in 2021 in order to save money. However, the university plans to bring the sport back for the 2026 season.

“It, obviously, is a leap of faith,” he noted. “But after talking to the coaches, they are really passionate about getting the program back together. They are doing a lot of fundraising and getting the facilities up to NCAA standards.”

Yarabinetz landed on La Salle’s radar after performing well at camp.

“I like the campus a lot - big campus outside of Philly, so a lot to do,” he added. “The coaches really emphasized coming in and earning your spot to play because of the situation. I’m excited to compete for a spot right from the start.”

With La Salle checking all of the boxes, he can now get ready for the upcoming baseball season at Franklin Regional. The Panthers are coming off a season that saw them finish in a four-way tie for the section championship.

“It gave a lot of people confidence knowing that we can go into this year and do just as good, if not better,” he shared about the motivation the team has after their strong year. “We just started winter workouts for getting ready for the Florida trip in March. Everyone is super pumped for that.”

The Panthers’ winter workouts will consist of weight training twice a week and speed training once a week. After New Years, they’ll head to the indoor facilities to start the baseball work and get ready for live reps before WPIAL play begins.

Yarabinetz and the Panthers are well aware of what they are capable of accomplishing. As they gear up for the warmer months, Yarabinetz feels this can be a special year for Franklin Regional.

“Playing together is a huge part,” he remarked. “We have to get runs across the plate to win more games. I also have a ton of confidence in our pitching staff. I know they’ll put things together and make it happen.”