By: SU Sports Information
Shippensburg University baseball graduate starting pitcher
Jaxon Dalena was selected Monday afternoon on Day 2 of the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft – marking the first Raider selection in seven years.
Dalena was drafted in the sixth round with the 190th overall pick by the San Diego Padres, becoming SU Baseball's highest selection since Vic Hillaert (uncle of current SU lacrosse senior Kayla Hillaert) was chosen in the fifth round with the 160th overall selection in 1999.
"It is a dream come true," Dalena said of being drafted. "It is the result of a lot of hard work put in with my coaches and teammates. I loved being a Raider and playing at Shippensburg; it was the best decision I could have ever made to stay here and develop. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to wear a Shippensburg uniform and for all of the relationships that I have made along the way here at Ship."
Dalena will be flying to the Padres' Arizona spring training complex Sunday to begin his professional career.
"[Jaxon] has worked incredibly hard for this moment and deserves this opportunity," said Shippensburg University head baseball coach
Matt Jones. "I am grateful that he believed in us as a staff and a program to get him to this point. He could have gone anywhere after his junior year, but he wanted to be a Raider and continue his development here. He wanted to play another season with his teammates."
In the summer of 2024, Dalena pitched for the State College Spikes of the MLB Draft League, where he compiled a 3.65 earned run average and 21 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched.
He returned to Shippensburg for his final season of eligibility in 2025 and was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Pitcher of the Year after pitching to an 8-3 record and a 3.36 earned run average.
He paced the conference with 83.0 innings pitched and 99 strikeouts – a strikeout total that ranked 12th-best in all of NCAA Division II and fifth all-time in SU single-season history. He ranked second in the conference during the regular season in opponent batting average (.210).
Dalena authored a stretch in April of four consecutive complete game victories in conference play, two of which came against nationally-ranked opponents. He fanned six or more batters in 11 of his 14 outings.
He ranked top-five in the Atlantic Region in numerous additional categories, including complete games (2nd, five), victories (T-3rd, eight) and strikeouts per nine innings (4th, 10.73).
Dalena was named a consensus First Team All-Atlantic Region pitcher by the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), the Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings following the season.
"I can't overlook his work with our athletic trainer
Becky Fitz and her countless hours getting him ready for his starts and keeping him healthy. Same goes for [strength and conditioning coach
Dennis Kerstetter] and the work Jax did in the weight room," Jones added. "We are so excited to have another Pro Raider!"
It is the first time since 2018 that Raider baseball has had a player selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft and the seventh Raider draftee overall during Coach Jones' tenure. In 2018, pitcher Gabe Mosser and infielder Cash Gladfelter were both selected in the 27th round. Mosser went No. 801 to the Padres, while Gladfelter went just seven picks later as the No. 808 overall selection to the Seattle Mariners.
Dalena graduated from Shippensburg in December 2024 with a degree in criminal justice.
