By: SU Sports Information
Shippensburg University baseball alumnus
AJ Wenrich '26 has joined the State College Spikes of the MLB Draft League this summer to begin his pro career.
Wenrich started in right field and doubled in four at bats during his Spikes debut Wednesday night in a 5-4 victory against the West Virginia Black Bears at Medlar Field.
The double was a line drive that came off his bat at a 106.3 mph exit velocity.
Wenrich joined the Spikes following a historic run as a run-producing bat at Shippensburg. The outfielder's career slugging percentage (.622) is second all-time in SU history among players with at least 300 career at bats. His 23 career home runs – accomplished in just two seasons – are the sixth most by a Raider all-time.
Wenrich drove in a team-best 47 runs (9th in the PSAC) in 2026. He concluded the season fourth in the PSAC in slugging percentage (.680) and was tied for fourth in the league with 11 home runs. He produced a team-leading 27 extra-base hits and a .333 batting average.
Wenrich was a 2026 All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Second Team selection and named 2026 All-Region by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings.
The MLB Draft League is split into two halves. The first half is geared toward amateur/draft-eligible players from NCAA, NAIA, junior college as well as graduating high school seniors.
The second half – which began Wednesday – is for players who have exhausted their amateur eligibility and is the start of their professional baseball career.
Wenrich – who graduated from Shippensburg in May with a degree in supply chain management (logistics management concentration) – is the third former Raider to suit up for the Spikes in recent seasons, joining first baseman Austin Baal (2024) and pitcher Kiernan Higgins (2021).
