Athletics

Six Penn Staters selected in Major League Baseball draft

Three Penn State baseball players, two signees and a Penn State Berks player in 2019 draft class

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A total of six Penn Staters were selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft this week.

Three players from the Penn State baseball team were among the draftees: Redshirt sophomore pitcher Dante Biasi, redshirt junior pitcher Eric Mock and senior catcher Ryan Sloniger.

Biasi was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the sixth round with the 169th overall pick. He is the highest-selected left-handed pitcher in Penn State history.

Mock was taken by the Cleveland Indians in the 25th round with the 760th overall pick.

Sloniger was drafted in the 38th round by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 1,137th pick.

The three Nittany Lions are the most Penn State baseball players drafted in a single year since 2012.

Two incoming Penn State signees also were drafted: Braden Halladay, son of the late Hall of Fame pitcher Roy Halladay, was selected in the 32nd round by the Toronto Blue Jays; and Tanner Cooper, a transfer from Finger Lakes Community College, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 37th round.

Penn State Berks senior Toby Welk was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 21st round with the 618th pick overall. Welk is the first student-athlete from Penn State Berks to be drafted by one of the major U.S. sports leagues.

Last Updated August 30, 2019