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MLB teams sign Penn State draftees

UNIVERSITY PARK — A pair of Penn State baseball pitchers have joined the professional ranks, as Justin Hagenman signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Taylor Lehman signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hagenman will forego his senior season with the Nittany Lions to join the Dodgers organization, which drafted him earlier in the month in the 23rd round.

“I’m very excited to continue on to the next step,” said Hagenman. “Just like everyone else who started playing baseball when they were young, it has always been my dream to play in the ‘bigs’ and this is where it starts. My experience at Penn State was awesome. It was everything I thought it would be and more. As my first few days here [at the Dodgers’ spring training facility in Phoenix] have passed, I believe my time at college prepared me as well as possible.”

Lehman signed with the Phillies as a free agent after graduating from Penn State in May and concluding a four-year career.

“In my four years at Penn State I made lifelong friends and memories that I wouldn’t trade for the world,” said Lehman. “Thank you to all of my teammates for making it such an enjoyable ride and my coaches for the opportunity to play at Penn State. I’m very excited to start my professional career with the Philadelphia Phillies organization.”

“We are so excited for Taylor Lehman to get this opportunity with the Philadelphia Phillies,” said Penn State baseball coach Rob Cooper. “He has worked extremely hard, through a lot of adversity. He deserves this opportunity.”

Penn State now has five alums active in MLB organizations — its most since 2010 — as Hagenman and Lehman will join former teammates Jack Anderson (Mariners A-Advanced), Sal Biasi (Royals A-Full) and Jim Haley (Rays A-Full). Hagenman and Lehman are still awaiting their minor league assignments.

Hockey adds recruits

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State men’s ice hockey team completed its 2018-19 recruiting efforts by signing four additional players to national letters of intent earlier this month, bringing the class total to six.

Last November the Nittany Lions inked forward Aarne Talvitie and defenseman Paul DeNaples during the early signing period and earlier Monday morning announced the addition of four more members to this year’s recruiting class. DeNaples and Talvitie will be joined by fellow freshman Oskar Autio and Max Sauve as well as Merrimack College transfers Evan Bell and Ludvig Larsson.

Lions at Juniors

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A small contingent of Nittany Lions took part in the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships, hosted by Indiana University at the Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex, June 15-17.

Madison Smith tallied a sixth-place finish in the women’s javelin throw (155-8). Also in the throws, Jack Zimmerman finished seventh in the men’s hammer throw (187-6) and took 10th in the men’s shot put (55-6.5).

On the track, Owen Wing placed fifth in the men’s 1,500-meter run (3:51.30) and Will Henderson finished 10th in the men’s 100-meter dash (10.77). Henderson also took eighth in the men’s long jump with a leap of 23-8.75.

Katie Jones tallied an 11th-place finish in the women’s pole vault with a height of 12-3.5.

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