UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The minor league baseball season is underway as multiple former Nittany Lions begin their 2022 campaign. Four former Penn State players are starting the season at the AA or AAA levels.
Three Nittany Lions appeared in MLB Spring Training games in March-April.
Infielder Jim Haley appeared in six Spring Training games for the Tampa Bay Rays. Third baseman Justin Williams, drafted in 2021, played in three games for the Houston Astros.
Pitcher Justin Hagenman pitched in three games for the Los Angeles Dodgers, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and striking out three batters.
Under head coach Rob Cooper, the Nittany Lions have 11 MLB Draft selections, including eight pitchers.
In the 2021 draft, Penn State had four players selected: pitcher Conor Larkin (9th round, Toronto Blue Jays), Williams (17th round, Houston Astros), pitcher Kyle Virbitsky (17th round, Oakland A's) and pitcher Bailey Dees (18th round, New York Yankees).
Take a look where each former Nittany Lion is beginning their 2022 season.
Dante Biasi, P, Kansas City Royals – NW Arkansas Naturals (AA)
Biasi, a Nittany Lion from 2017-18, begins the 2022 season with the NW Arkansas Naturals in AA after pitching for the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits in 2021. He went 5-2 with a 3.77 ERA and two saves in 24 appearances (six starts). Biasi struck out 84 batters in 71.2 innings.
Bailey Dees, P, New York Yankees – Unassigned
Dees was selected in the 18th round (543rd overall) in the 2021 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees. Dees appeared in three games, making one start, for the 2021 FCL Yankees. He recorded five strikeouts in 2.1 innings. He is currently unassigned to a team.
Justin Hagenman, P, Los Angeles Dodgers – Tulsa Drillers (AA)
Hagenman, a three-year letterman for the Nittany Lions, pitched in 38 games (two starts) for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers in 2021 and returns to begin the 2022 campaign. He posted a 7-4 record, a 3.45 ERA and six saves. Hagenman threw 62.2 innings and collected 77 strikeouts. The New Jersey native made 23 appearances where he allowed no earned runs. Hagenman threw 2.2 innings over three appearances with the Dodgers in Spring Training this year, allowing no earned runs and striking out three.
Jim Haley, INF, Tampa Bay Rays – Durham Bulls (AAA)
Haley, a Nittany Lion from 2014-16, played most of the 2021 season for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits before being called up to the Triple-A Durham Bulls and starts this year in AAA. Haley collected 17 doubles, three triples, 14 homers and 39 RBI during the regular season. Haley finished fifth in the Double-A South league with 18 stolen bases. Haley launched six homers in the month of July. In the postseason, Haley helped Montgomery to reach the Double-A South Championship series by hitting .333 with a double, a homer and five RBI. Haley appeared in six Spring Training games this year for the Rays.
Conor Larkin, P, Toronto Blue Jays – Dunedin (Single-A)
After being selected in the ninth round (272nd overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, Larkin did not pitch in a minor league game last season. He begins the 2022 year at Single-A Dunedin. As a Nittany Lion, Larkin made 50 appearances (23 starts) with nine wins and 191 strikeouts in 171 innings. As a senior, Larkin earned three wins and struck out 69 batters in 63.2 innings. Larkin struck out seven or more batters in six starts in 2021.
Taylor Lehman, P, Philadelphia Phillies - Unassigned
Lehman pitched in five games for the Double-A Reading Fightin' Phils before a season-ending injury in 2021. Lehman went 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA in five appearances and three starts. He struck out 20 batters in 15.1 innings.
Eric Mock, P, Cleveland Guardians – Columbus Clippers (AAA)
Mock begins this season at Triple-A Columbus after spending most of his 2021 season pitching for the High-A Lake County Captains and making five appearances for the Double-A Akron Rubberducks. On the season, Mock went 3-3 with two saves and 51 strikeouts in 48.1 innings. On the year, Mock made 14 appearances where he gave up one or less runs.
Kyle Virbitsky, P, Oakland A's – Stockton Ports (Single-A)
Virbitsky was drafted in the 17th round (518th overall) in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Oakland A's. He will start the 2022 season with the Single-A Stockton Ports after a flurry of trades by Oakland in the last few weeks. Afer the draft, Virbitsky was immediately assigned to the High-A Lansing Lugnuts. Virbitsky went 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in seven appearances (three starts) with 22 strikeouts in 16 innings. He threw two shutout innings in his first minor league start, on August 21. Virbitsky picked up a win on September 18, going 2.1 scoreless innings and striking out six.
Justin Williams, 3B, Houston Astros – Unassigned
Williams was picked in the 17th round (508th overall) in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros. Williams played for the Low-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers following the draft. Williams collected 27 hits, including seven doubles and five homers while driving in 16 runs and scoring 18. In August, Williams had 19 hits, including three homers, and 14 RBI. He appeared in three Spring Training games for the Astros, including scoring a game-tying run in a pinch-runner appearance. He is currently unassigned to a team.
Justin Hagenman (Credit: Tim Campbell/Tulsa Drillers)