UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Nine former Penn State baseball players are beginning their 2024 Minor League baseball seasons. Two made their season debuts on Triple-A Opening Day on March 29, while the rest are set to start on April 5.
Among the nine former Nittany Lions, two are beginning the year in Triple-A, three are in Double-A and three are in High-A.
Seven Nittany Lions appeared in MLB Spring Training games this year.
For updates on the Penn State baseball team, please check @pennstatebase on X and Instagram.
The 2024 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Photo: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox
Justin Hagenman, P, Boston Red Sox – Worcester Red Sox (AAA)
Penn State 2016-18; 23rd round, Los Angeles Dodgers (2018)
Hagenman pitched in nine games and made one start for the Red Sox in Spring Training. He recorded a 1-1 mark with a 2.70 ERA and four holds. He struck out eight batters in 10 innings and allowed a .194 opponent batting average, while posting six scoreless outings. In 2023, Hagenman went 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA in 41 appearances (five starts) with six holds and two saves. He recorded 88 punchouts in 85.1 innings. He had 25 appearances going at least one inning and not allowing a run and five appearances going three or more innings and giving up one or less run. With the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers, Hagenman was 4-0 with a. 2.78 ERA in 25 appearances (five starts) and struck out 60 in 55 innings. After being traded to the Boston Red Sox in July, Hagenman joined the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox. In 16 appearances, he went 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA, two holds and a save. Hagenman struck out 28 batters in 30.1 innings. He had a 0 ERA in seven appearances (one start) in May, a 1.29 ERA in six appearances in July and a 0.71 ERA in five appearances in September.
Photo: Philadelphia Phillies
Taylor Lehman, P, Philadelphia Phillies – Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA)
Penn State 2015-18
Lehman appeared in seven Spring Training games on the mound for the Phillies. He posted a 2.08 ERA with six strikeouts in eight innings. In 2023, Lehman went 7-0 with a 3.81 ERA in 50 appearances with six holds and a save. He recorded 49 strikeouts in 52 innings. In 13 appearances with Double-A Reading, Lehman went 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA, three holds and a save. He struck out 17 batters in 17.2 innings. After moving up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Lehman was 5-0 with a 4.19 ERA in 37 appearances. He struck out 32 batters in 34.1 innings. Overall in 2023, Lehman had 25 appearances going at least one inning and not allowing a run.
Photo: New York Yankees
Bailey Dees, P, New York Yankees – Somerset Patriots (AA)
Penn State 2018-21; 18th round, New York Yankees (2021)
Dees made one appearance in Spring Training for the Yankees. He'll start the year in Double-A Somerset after being promoted there in 2023. Throughout 2023, Dees posted a 2-2 record and a 2.60 ERA in 42 appearances with seven holds and six saves. He punched out 77 batters in 62.1 innings and had 27 appearances going at least one inning and not allowing a run. In 26 appearances at High-A Hudson Valley, Dees tallied a 1-1 mark with a 1.74 ERA, five holds and four saves. He had 59 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. After being promoted to Somerset in late July, Dees went 1-1 with a 4.29 ERA in 16 appearances. He had two holds, two saves and 18 strikeouts in 21 innings.
Photo: Morgan Weindel/Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Jim Haley, IF, Philadelphia Phillies – Reading Fightin' Phils (AA)
Penn State 2014-16; 19th round, Tampa Bay Rays (2016)
Haley appeared in seven Spring Training games for the Phillies, collecting two hits and a run. He'll begin the season with the Reading Fightin' Phils. In 2023, Haley played in 108 games for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, notching 92 hits, 17 doubles, four triples, 11 homers, 58 RBI and 62 runs. Haley has posted four-straight seasons with 11+ homers. He posted 22 multi-hit games and 17 multi-RBI games.
Photo: Kadalena Messiano/Aberdeen Ironbirds
Kyle Virbitsky, P, Baltimore Orioles – Bowie Baysox (AA)
Penn State 2018-21; 17th round, Oakland A's (2021)
Virbitsky begins the 2024 campaign with the Double-A Bowie Baysox after making three Spring Training appearances for the Orioles. He tallied 1.1 innings without allowing a hit or run and striking out one. After being acquired in a trade last offseason by the Orioles, Virbitsky made 25 appearances (15 starts) for the High-A Aberdeen Ironbirds, notching a 6-1 record with a 3.83 ERA, two holds and one save. He worked 103.1 innings, giving up 44 earned runs, and striking out 103 batters. He posted an 0.92 ERA in four appearances (three starts) last June, tallying 22 strikeouts in 19.2 innings, and a 1.96 ERA in five starts in August. Overall, Virbitsky had nine outings where he sent four or more innings and gave up no runs.
Photo: Minnesota Twins
Jay Harry, SS, Minnesota Twins – Cedar Rapids Kernals (High-A)
Penn State 2021-23; 6th round, Minnesota Twins (2023)
Harry played in seven Spring Training games with the Twins, posting an impressive .556 average and a 1.223 OPS. He went 5-of-9 at the plate, including two hits, a double and a run against the Orioles on March 4. He will begin the 2024 season with the Cedar Rapids Kernals in High-A after hitting .339 in his first professional season. After being drafted in the sixth round, Harry played in three games with the F-Twins in rookie league, going 3-of-8 with a double, an RBI and three steals. In 27 games at Single-A Fort Myers, Harry batted .337 (34-of-101) with eight doubles, a triple, a homer, nine RBI and 11 runs, while stealing four bases. In 2023, Harry recorded 10 multi-hit games and four multi-run games.
Photo: Mark Steffens/Vancouver Canadians
Conor Larkin, P, Toronto Blue Jays – Vancouver Canadians (High-A)
Penn State 2018-21; 9th round, Toronto Blue Jays (2021)
Larkin finished his 2023 season in the prestigious Arizona Fall League, pitching for the Surprise Saguaros and making three appearances. Larkin begins the year with the High-A Vancouver Canadians. In 2023, he made 35 appearances for Vancouver, posting a 3-2 mark and a 4.30 ERA along with three saves and three holds. He recorded 57 strikeouts in 46 innings, while allowing a .199 opponent batting average. Larkin notched a 0.90 ERA over eight appearances in June and a 1.50 ERA in eight appearances in July. Overall, Larkin registered 23 appearances where he went at least one inning and allowed no runs.
Photo: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Matt Wood, C, Milwaukee Brewers – Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (High-A)
Penn State 2020-22; 4th round, Milwaukee Brewers (2022)
Wood appeared in six Spring Training games for the Brewers, collecting one hit, one RBI and one walk. He also played in the Milwaukee Brewers' Spring Breakout Game, among a roster of the Brewers' top prospects. In 2023, Wood played 25 games with the Carolina Mudcats (Single-A) before being promoted to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (High-A), where he begins the 2024 campaign. In 108 games in 2023, Wood batted .253 with 98 hits, 63 RBI and 41 runs. He tallied 15 doubles, one triple and four homers. He had 24 multi-hit games, 14 multi-RBI games and an 11-game hit streak (June 2-15). With Carolina, he hit .293 with 24 hits, seven doubles, three homers and 20 RBI. With Wisconsin, he recorded 74 hits, including eight doubles, 43 RBI and 28 runs.
Daniel Ouderkirk, P, Seattle Mariners – ACL Mariners (Injured)
Penn State 2023; 18th round, Seattle Mariners (2023)
After being selected 547th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Ouderkirk made three appearances for the ACL Mariners. He went 2-0 and allowed no runs and two hits over three innings, while recording five strikeouts. He is listed as injured to begin the 2024 season. Ouderkirk made 12 appearances, including 10 starts, in his graduate season at Penn State. The Virginia native earned two wins and tallied 57 strikeouts in 39.2 innings, while holding opponents to a .240 average. In his collegiate career, Ouderkirk pitched in 25 games and tallied 95 strikeouts in 64.2 innings.
Jay Harry, Minnesota Twins