Penn State Baseball Sends 3 to MLB Draft Combine

Penn State baseball will send three players, including All-Big Ten outfielder Paxton Kling, to this week's Major League Baseball Draft Combine. The MLB Draft Combine runs from June 17-21 at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, for the third consecutive year. A total of 322 draft-eligible prospects will participate in on-field drills, medical testing and what MLB calls a "pro-style showcase workout."

Joining Kling at the combine are pitcher Ryan DeSanto and shortstop Ryan Weingartner. Kling had a superb season for the Nittany Lions after transferring from LSU, where he helped the Tigers to the 2023 College World Series title. Kling was named first-team All-Big Ten after leading Penn State with a .358 batting average, .632 slugging percentage and 1.100 OPS.

Kling also led the Nittany Lions in hits (76) and runs (63) and tied for the team lead in home runs (13). Kling was fourth in the Big Ten in runs scored, seventh in runs per game (1.13) and eighth in batting average. For his career, Kling slashed .304/.436/.516 with 18 home runs and 84 RBI.

The 22-year-old Kling is the 157th-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft, according to MLB Pipeline, and the No. 79 college draft prospect by D1Baseball. Kling also was named to the Big Ten all-tournament team.

DeSanto earned second-team all-region honors after going 8-2 with a 3.96 ERA last season. The left-hander struck out 72 in 72.2 innings, producing eight outings with 5 or more strikeouts. DeSanto ranked second in the Big Ten in fewest hits allowed (6.44) per nine innings and fifth in wins.

Weingartner started all 56 games for Penn State at shortstop, hitting .250 with 14 doubles, 11 home runs and 40 RBI. He set a Penn State single-season record with 30 stolen bases, leading the conference in total steals and steals per game. Weingartner was one of just eight players in Division I baseball to record 11+ home runs and 30+ steals last season.

The MLB Draft Combine begins Tuesday with on-field workouts from Chase Field. The high school prospects game will be held Tuesday. Former New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia is among those who will provide on-field instruction during the combine.

MLB Network will carry six hours of coverage from Chase Field beginning at noon ET Tuesday, with former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton joining the commentary. The 2025 MLB Draft is scheduled for July 13-14.

Penn State went 33-23 under second-year head coach Mike Gambino, recording the second-most wins in program history. In just its second 30-win season since 2011, Penn State reached the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, falling to Nebraska.