Fourteen framed photos of his former players who later signed Major League Baseball contracts hang on the walls of Penn baseball coach John Yurkow’s office. During recruiting visits, Yurkow assigns them to show young players where Penn’s program can take them.

The next time a recruit comes to campus, Yurkow can point to a Penn alum who pitched in the World Series.

Jake Cousins, who graduated from Penn in 2017 and is third in career wins, has become a crucial part of the New York Yankees’ bullpen. The 30-year-old right-hander will likely become the first Penn alum in 112 years to play in a World Series when the Yankees take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 on Friday.

» READ MORE: Starting in 2022: Former Penn pitcher Jake Cousins ​​returns to Philadelphia as key part of Brewers bullpen

The last Quaker to play in the World Series was Stephen Yerkes, a Red Sox infielder who scored the winning run in Game 8 (a game called through the darkness forced an extra game in the series) to beat Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson and beat the New York. Giants in the 1912 series.

“(Cousins) was very, very successful at Penn when he was here,” Yurkow said. “He won a lot of games for us. He was a great competitor and he played a big role in where we are today.”

Cousins ​​posted a 2.37 ERA in 37 games and struck out 53 in 38 innings this season. He retired four of the five batters he faced in Game 5 of the ALCS and helped the Yankees finish off the Guardians with a 5-2 victory on Saturday.

“We’re definitely excited,” said Penn senior pitcher Marshall Mott. “It’s also really inspiring to know that a guy from Penn who played on our team is in that situation.”

Cousins, whose cousin is Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, was picked in the 20th round of the 2017 draft by the Washington Nationals, but his time with the Nats was plagued by injuries. He was released by the Nationals during spring training in 2019.

Cousins ​​signed with the Schaumburg Boomers of the independent Frontier League. Cousins ​​found life with the Illinois-based team, posting a 0.47 ERA over 19⅔ innings – which caught the attention of the Milwaukee Brewers, who signed him in July 2019.

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The Brewers called up Cousins ​​from triple-A Nashville in June 2021, and he didn’t allow a run in his first 17 appearances. After being waived by the Brewers in July 2023, Cousins ​​moved from the Astros to the White Sox organizations before Chicago traded him to the Yankees for a cash deal in March.

It looks like Cousins ​​has finally found a home in New York.

Yurkow attributes Cousins’ resilience in the professional ranks to the strong will he showed with the Quakers.

“The thing about Jake is he’s extremely stubborn,” Yurkow said. “One of the things I’ve discovered is that stubborn kids tend to be the tough kids. The problem is trying to balance some of that stubbornness and get points going to them. I think Jake would tell you that, like a lot of kids, he had to learn some things early in his career.

Yurkow’s wall of former players grew by four frames this season, with Cole Zaffiro, Eli Tropp, Jackson Appel and Ryan Dromboski signing professional contracts.

Dromboski, the 2023 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, will forego his senior year at Penn to coach in Clearwater, Florida, after signing with the Phillies as an undrafted free agent.

Dromboski follows Cousins’ career as he looks to emulate his success in the major leagues.

“I feel like me and (Cousins) have a similar one-two combo mix. I’m also a slider and fast sinker guy,” Dromboski said. “He’s a Penn guy. How could you not advocate for yourself, for a former man who played for your college? Just to be able to see his story, and how he was able to bounce around from team to team, but ultimately made it to a World Series roster and actually performed.

“He’s doing well, throwing that bad slider… It’s heartwarming to see all his hard work pay off to get to a World Series.”