Baseball Ties Program Record With Five Selections In 2025 MLB Draft

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A program-record-tying five Penn State baseball players were selected on Day Two of the 2025 MLB Draft on Monday. Junior outfielder Paxton Kling was taken by the Texas Rangers in the seventh round, 205^th overall. Junior shortstop Ryan Weingartner was picked by the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth round, 240^th overall. Junior pitcher Ryan DeSanto was selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the 12^th round, 372^nd overall. Redshirt junior pitcher Chase Renner was taken by the Miami Marlins in the 13^th round, 378^th overall. Redshirt sophomore third baseman Bryce Molinaro went to the Washington Nationals in the 17^th round, 501^st overall.

 

With the selections of Kling, Weingartner, DeSanto, Renner and Molinaro, Penn State now has 84 overall selections in program history, including 19 since 2016.

 

Penn State tied a program record, in any draft, with five selections in the 2025 draft and set a program-record for selections in a 20-round draft. Penn State’s only other year with five selections was 2007 (Drew O’Neil, 8^th; Scott Gaffney, 12^th; Craig Clark, 14^th; Matt Cavagnaro, 21^st; Gary Amato, 48^th).

 

Penn State tied Oregon (5) for the most selections among Big Ten schools in the 2025 draft.

 

The Nittany Lions have seen 49 pitchers selected, 12 since 2016, and 35 position players, eight since 2016.

 

Penn State has had multiple draft picks in the Top 20 rounds on 10 occasions and owns multiple draft picks five times since 2016. The Nittany Lions have a Top 10 round pick in five of the last seven MLB Drafts.

 

Kling and Weingartner became the 17^th and 18^th Top-10 round selection in program history. PSU has had four position players selected among the Top 10 rounds in school history.

 

The five draftees in 2025 join nine former Nittany Lions in MLB organizations, including Justin Hagenman (AAA; Mets), Bailey Dees (AA; Yankees), Conor Larkin (AA; Blue Jays), Kyle Virbitsky (AA; Orioles), Matt Wood (AA; Brewers), Jay Harry (High-A; Blue Jays), C.J. Pittaro (Single-A; Athletics), David Lee (Rookie; Rockies) and Daniel Ouderkirk (Rookie; Mariners).

 

After seeing 34 draft picks in 13 years at Boston College, head coach Mike Gambino now has five selections at Penn State.

Paxton Kling · Jr. · OF · 6-2 · 210 · Roaring Spring, Pa. · Central

Seventh Round, 205^th Overall, Texas Rangers

• Tabbed ABCA All-Region second team.
• Was named to the All-Big Ten first-team and Big Ten All-Defensive team.
• Earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors.
• Ranked as the No. 143 prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft by MLB Pipeline and the No. 79 college draft prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft by D1Baseball.
• Named Perfect Game National Player of the Week (2/26).
• Tabbed Big Ten Player of the Week (2/24).
• In his collegiate career, Kling has made 174 appearances and 117 starts with a .304 average, 130 hits, 29 doubles, four triples and 18 homers. He has collected 84 RBI, 119 runs, 26 steals and 73 walks, while posting a .436 on-base percentage and a .516 slugging percentage.
• In 2025, he owned team highs in batting average (.358), hits (76), runs (63), slugging percentage (.632) and OPS (1.100), while tying for the team high in homers (13) and adding 54 RBI.
• Kling had a .353 average and 28 RBI in Big Ten play.
• Ranked fourth in the Big Ten in runs (63; 66^th nationally) and sac flies (6; 47^th), seventh in runs per game (1.13; 93^rd) and eighth in batting average (.358).
• At PSU, he ranks tied for second in a season in sacrifice flies (7), tied for third in runs (63), sixth in total bases (134), tied for seventh in homers (13), tied for eighth in hits (76) and tied for ninth in walks (37) and RBI (54).

Ryan Weingartner · Jr. · SS · 5-11 · 184 · Berlin, N.J. · St. Augustine

Eighth Round, 240^th Overall, St. Louis Cardinals

• Has played in 161 games (159 starts) in his collegiate career.
• Has tallied 190 hits with 37 doubles, four triples, 36 homers, 135 RBI, 165 runs and 65 steals. He has a career .533 slugging percentage.
• Started all 56 games at shortstop in 2025, collecting 56 hits, 14 doubles, one triple, 11 homers, 40 RBI, 52 runs, 44 walks and 30 steals. Posted a .469 slugging percentage.
• Notched 14 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI games.
• In conference games, he tallied 27 hits, nine doubles, three homers, 21 RBI, 21 runs, 20 walks, 11 steals and a .990 fielding percentage.
• Set a PSU season record with 30 steals, while ranking fourth in a season at PSU with 44 walks and tied for 10^th with 52 runs.
• Paced the Big Ten in steals (30; 38^th nationally) and steals per game (0.54; 53^rd), while ranking seventh in walks (44; 79^th) and 10^th in walks per game (0.79).
• Was one of eight D1 players with 11+ homers and 30+ steals this season.

Ryan DeSanto · Jr. · LHP · 6-4 · 218 · Tuscarora, Md. · Tuscarora

12^th Round, 372^nd Overall, Cleveland Guardians

• Tabbed ABCA All-Region second team.
• In his collegiate career, DeSanto has made 43 appearances (40 starts) with a 16-5 record and a 3.88 ERA. He has tallied 234 strikeouts in 206.1 innings, while holding hitters to a .193 average.
• DeSanto made 15 starts on the mound in 2025.
• He posted an 8-2 record with a 3.96 ERA, while collecting 72 strikeouts in 72.2 innings.
• DeSanto held opponents to 54 hits and a .202 average.
• The junior had six outings going 4+ innings and allowing no earned runs.
• He recorded 5+ strikeouts in eight outings.
• In Big Ten games, DeSanto went 5-2 in 10 starts and notched 48 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.
• He ranked second in the Big Ten in hits allowed per nine innings (6.44; 30^th nationally), fifth in wins (8; 53^rd) and games started (15; 69^th) and eighth in WHIP (1.13; 72^nd).
• At PSU, his eight wins are tied for eighth in a season.

Chase Renner · R-Jr. · RHP · 6-4 · 210 · Alburtis, Pa. · Brandywine Heights

13^th Round, 378^th overall, Miami Marlins

• Has made 31 appearances and one start on the mound in his Penn State career.
• Owns two wins, five saves and a 4.69 ERA in his career, while tallying 51 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.
• In 2025, posted a 2.91 ERA and four saves in 17 appearances.
• Recorded 30 strikeouts and just nine walks in 21.2 innings.
• Had 13 outings with 1+ inning and no runs allowed.
• Secured multiple strikeouts in 11 appearances.

Bryce Molinaro · R-So. · 3B · 6-0 · 190 · Drums, Pa. · Hazleton Area

17^th Round, 501^st Overall, Washington Nationals

• Voted third-team All-Big Ten in 2023.
• Has started 109 games in his Penn State career. Owns a .296 average with 128 hits, 21 doubles, four triples, 24 homers, 106 RBI, 92 runs and 15 steals.
• Ranks seventh all-time at Penn State with a .530 slugging percentage.
• In 2025, tallied 60 hits with eight doubles, three triples, 13 homers, 61 RBI, 46 runs and eight steals.
• Sits second in a season at Penn State with 61 RBI and ranks tied for seventh with 13 home runs.
• Had 17 multi-hit games and 20 multi-RBI games.
• In Big Ten play, collected 29 hits, nine homers and 32 RBI.

 

Penn State finished the 2025 season with a 33-23 record, posting its second-most wins in a season. PSU reached the 30-win mark for the first time since 2011.

 

The Nittany Lions made another strong run in the Big Ten Tournament, reaching the semifinals in back-to-back years for the first time since 2000-01.

 

In the Big Ten Tournament, PSU knocked off No. 5 seed Washington and No. 4 seed USC.

 

In Big Ten play, PSU won five Big Ten series in a season for the first time since 2012 and won three Big Ten road series for the first time since 2012. Its 15 Big Ten wins were its most since 2012 (not counting a Big Ten-only schedule in 2021).

 

Penn State had a .500 or better record in Big Ten games in back-to-back seasons for the sixth time in program history.

 

The Nittany Lions’ eight Big Ten road wins this season were its most since 2007 (9).

 

For updates on the Penn State baseball team, please check @pennstatebase on X and Instagram.

 

The 2025 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.