Penn State Baseball Weekly Summer Report (Week of July 7-13)

The MLB Draft highlighted this week of summer ball. Some selections were surprising and others were steals. Plus, a rising freshman infielder had a feature-worthy week. For the biggest storylines of the week and player honors, read below.

Five Draft Selections Ties Program Record

After a draft that saw zero Nittany Lions get picked in 2024, it was a breath of fresh air for head coach Mike Gambino and company in Year 2 to see five players get the call. Not only did it tie a program record, but it also tied for the most selections from any Big Ten team with Oregon. With the promise of professional development beginning to be fulfilled, fans should expect more to come in the following years of the Mike Gambino era.

Kling, Weingartner, Molinaro Highlight Position Player Picks

Center fielder Paxton Kling made an early impact in Happy Valley this year, mashing 13 home runs and being selected by the Texas Rangers with the 205th pick. One round later, it was speed demon shortstop Ryan Weingartner–who had 30 stolen bases this spring–who heard his name called by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 240th pick. A slight surprise was power-hitting Bryce Molinaro–be it that he fell far in the draft–being selected by the Washington Nationals with the 501st pick.

Renner Drafted by Marlins After Successful Spring

The shocker of the draft came as right-handed pitcher Chase Renner was picked at No. 378 by the Miami Marlins. Renner was the primary closer for the Nittany Lions during the spring, sporting a fastball that ran up to 97 miles per hour. The surprise was due to his remaining eligibility–two years–but with major-league speed it makes sense for him to seek greener pastures.

Roberts Lights Up Stat Sheet in Futures League

In summer baseball news, it was infielder Chase Roberts who had himself quite a week with the Nashua Silver Knights. In two games, Roberts swiped three bags with two of which as a pinch runner on Wednesday. His best game, however, was the one on Sunday where he went 3-for-3 with two runs driven in during a 7-5 win over the New Britain Bees.

Player of the Week: 1B/LF Michael Anderson (Brewster Whitecaps, Cape Cod)

Anderson racked up an important accolade as a newcomer to Happy Valley with CodBall Player of the Day honors on Friday. He mashed a home run in that game and hit a double to boot, driving in three runs during a 3-for-4 day. The rising senior is not only showcasing his skills on offense, but his defensive versatility also plays a crucial role as he has played the outfield alongside the infield.

Pitcher of the Week: RHP Skip Shenosky (Keene Swamp Bats, NECBL)

Shenosky had the lone start of the week and did not disappoint in a 6-4 win over the Sanford Mainers on Thursday. He earned the win after pitching 5.1 innings and allowing only two earned runs. It was his longest outing of the summer up to that point, tossing 72 pitches and striking out five batters.

Question of the Week: Who’s signing and who’s staying?

With the NIL era of college baseball heating up, it’s a competition of compensation between going the farm route and staying in college. Bryce Molinaro and Ryan DeSanto would both have the option to stay in Happy Valley, and they’re the most likely out of the five selections to do so. Opportunities to go pro may come once in a lifetime, maybe twice if a player is lucky to avoid injury.