UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Nov. 13, 2014 - Penn State baseball received National Letters of Intent from 11 signees, head coach Rob Cooper announced Thursday. The class, which will begin participation in the 2015-16 academic year, includes five pitchers, three infielders, two outfielders and a catcher. The class is ranked No. 44 nationally by Perfect Game.
Name | Pos. | Ht./Wt. | Hometown | High School |
Willie Burger | 3B/2B | 6-0/195 | Lancaster, Pa. | Lancaster Catholic |
Brian George | LHP | 6-3/195 | Petersburg, W. Va. | Petersburg High school |
Justin Hagenman | RHP | 6-3/180 | Voorhees, N.J. | Bishop Eustace |
Blake Hodgens | LHP | 6-1/180 | Tampa, Fla. | Gaither High School |
Conlin Hughes | MIF | 5-10/175 | Holly Springs, N.C. | Holly Springs High School |
Connor Klemann | MIF | 5-10/185 | Royersford, Pa. | Spring-Ford High School |
Keith Leavitt | OF | 6-0/195 | Manchester, Mass. | St. John's Prep |
Eric Mock | RHP | 6-2/195 | Shillington, Pa. | Governor Mifflin |
Eli Nabholz | RHP | 6-6/230 | Pottsville, Pa. | Pottsville Area High School |
Austin Riggins | OF | 6-0/170 | Greer, S.C. | Riverside High School |
Ryan Sloniger | C | 5-11/187 | Punxsutawney, Pa. | Punxsutawney Area High School |
WILLIE BURGER Achievements: Coach Cooper: "Willie is a tough, blue-collar player with tremendous offensive upside. He has the ability to play third base and catcher, while possibly being a middle of the order type hitter." | |
| BRIAN GEORGE Height/Weight: 6-3/195Bat/Throw: R/L Position: LHP Hometown/High School: Petersburg, W. Va./Petersburg Achievements: Coach Cooper: "Brian is a young man with a bright future ahead of him. He has great feel for three pitches and a tremendous competitive spirit. He has desire to learn and become great." | |
| JUSTIN HAGENMAN Height/Weight: 6-3/ 180Bat/Throw: R/RPosition: RHPHometown/High School: Voorhees, N.J./Bishop Eustace Achievements: Coach Cooper: "Justin has the chance to make an immediate impact in our program. We feel he has the desire and tools to become a frontline starter for us." | |
| BLAKE HODGENS Height/Weight: 6-1/180Bat/Throw: L/LPosition: LHPHometown/High School: Tampa, Fla./Gaither Achievements: Coach Cooper: "Blake is another LHP who has the ability to make an immediate impact in our program. His ability to pound the strike zone will allow him to pitch in numerous roles for us." | |
| CONLIN HUGHES Height/Weight: 5-10/175 Bat/Throw: R/R Position: MIF Hometown/High School: Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs Achievements: Coach Cooper: "Conlin is an extremely athletic infielder who loves to play. He has the ability to hit at the top of our lineup and cause problems on the bases for opposing teams. We love his hardnosed mindset." | |
| CONNOR KLEMANN Height/Weight: 5-10/185 Bat/Throw: R/R Position: MIF Hometown/High School: Royersford, Pa./Spring Ford Achievements: Coach Cooper: "Definition of a baseball player. Connor loves to play, compete and is an extremely smart player. He is an advanced hitter and we believe he can be an impact guy as a freshman." | |
| KEITH LEAVITT Height/Weight: 6-0/195 Bat/Throw: L/R Position: Outfield Hometown/High School: Manchester, Mass./St. John's Prep Achievements: Coach Cooper: "Keith is considered one of the best high school hitters in the New England area. He plays extremely hard and has above average skills in the outfield. We feel he can make an immediate impact as a freshman." | |
ERIC MOCK Achievements: Coach Cooper: "Eric is a young man who we feel can be a weekend type starter for us. He is super competitive and has the ability to repeat numerous pitches for strikes. We are excited to see this young man develop." | |
| ELI NABHOLZ Height/Weight: 6-6/230 Bat/Throw: R/R Position: RHP Hometown/High School: Pottsville, Pennsylvania/Pottsville Achievements: Coach Cooper: ""Eli is a quality young man, who happens to be a really good pitcher. He is extremely competitive and hard working. We believe he can make an immediate impact as a true freshman." | |
| AUSTIN RIGGINS Height/Weight: 6-0/170 Bat/Throw: R/R Position: Outfield Hometown/High School: Greer, S.C./Riverside Achievements: Coach Cooper: "Austin is a young man who can make an immediate impact in our outfield as a true freshman. He has great offensive upside and the ability to help us win games defensively as well." | |
| RYAN SLONIGER Height/Weight: 5-11/187 Bat/Throw: L/R Position: Catcher Hometown/High School: Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney Achievements: Coach Cooper: "Ryan plays the game with great toughness and passion. He is a great defensive player and is an advanced offensive player. He plays the game with a "throwback" mentality. He has a chance to be an impact guy immediately." |