ATLANTA (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference had 13 student-athletes, including six first-round picks, hear their names called on Sunday evening as the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft opened in Atlanta, Georgia.
This marks the 34th consecutive year that at least one ACC player has been selected in the opening round of the MLB Draft and the 10th straight year that the ACC has placed at least one draftee among the top 15 picks. The ACC has also had multiple student-athletes drafted in the first round for each of the last 23 drafts, with three or more first round picks in 10 of the last 11 draft classes.
For the second consecutive year, the Athletics opened the draft by selecting an ACC student-athlete, taking Florida State left-handed pitcher Jamie Arnold with the No. 11 overall pick. Arnold, a consensus All-American and First-Team All-ACC honoree, was the fourth college player to be selected in the 2025 Draft. The Seminole standout recorded 119 strikeouts over 84.2 innings of work this season, posting an 8-2 record with a 2.98 ERA.
Wake Forest shortstop Marek Houston was selected with the No. 16 overall pick by the Minnesota Twins. Houston, a two-time All-ACC selection, hit .354 in 2025 with 15 home runs, 14 doubles, 66 runs batted in, while adding 19 stolen bases.
With the following pick, the Chicago Cubs selected Houston’s Wake Forest teammate, Ethan Conrad, with the No. 17 overall pick. The Demon Deacons’ outfielder hit .372 in 21 games played with seven home runs, eight doubles and 18 runs batted in before a season-ending injury sidelined Conrad.
It marks the third straight season in which at least Demon Deacon were taken with first round picks, making Wake Forest the first school to ever accomplish the feat. Houston and Burns join Chase Burns, Nick Kurtz and Seaver King in 2024, and Chase Burns and Brock Wilken in 2022.
After helping lead Louisville to the Men’s College World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Patrick Forbes with the No. 29 overall pick. Forbes becomes the highest Cardinal taken in the MLB Draft since Henry Davis was selected No. 1 overall in 2021. The right-hander finished second in the ACC with 117 strikeouts with a strikeouts-per-nine-innings total of 14.76, ranking third in Division I baseball.
The Seattle Mariners selected North Carolina catcher Luke Stevenson with the No. 35 overall pick in Competitive Balance Round A. Stevenson, the Most Valuable Player of the 2025 ACC Baseball Championship, launched 19 home runs this season – the most by a Tar Heel catcher this century. The backstop threw out 35 percent of attempted base stealers this season and was a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award.
With the final pick of Competitive Balance Round A, the Miami Marlins selected Clemson’s Cam Cannarella. The two-time All-American and three-time All-ACC selection hit .353 this season with 22 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 52 runs batted in.
North Carolina’s Kane Kepley was the first ACC standout selected in the second round, going No. 56 to the Chicago Cubs. Florida State shortstop Alex Lodise, the 2025 ACC Baseball Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, was selected No. 60 overall by the Atlanta Braves. The Seminoles also saw right-handed pitcher Cam Leiter selected No. 65 overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers, before the Boston Red Sox closed the second round by selecting Virginia shortstop Henry Godbout with the No. 75 pick.
The Chicago White Sox opened the third round by selecting Georgia Tech shortstop Kyle Lodise with the No. 76 pick before the Miami Marlins took Florida State outfielder Max Williams two picks later at No. 78. Miami right-handed pitcher Griffin Hugus was the final student-athlete from the ACC to have his name called on Sunday, going No. 91 overall to the Seattle Mariners.
The 2025 MLB Draft will conclude on Monday, July 13, with rounds three through 20. The selections will resume at 11:30 a.m. ET with every pick being streamed on MLB.com.
2025 MLB Draft Picks from the ACC
Day One Selections (Rounds 1-3)
Round/Overall
1/11 - Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State, Athletics
1/16 - Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest, Minnesota Twins
1/17 - Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest, Chicago Cubs
1C/29 - Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville, Arizona Diamondbacks
CB-A/35 - Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina, Seattle Mariners
CB-A/43 - Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson, Miami Marlins
2/56 - Kane Kepley, OF, North Carolina, Chicago Cubs
2/60 - Alex Lodise, SS, Florida State, Atlanta Braves
2/65 - Cam Leiter, P, Florida State, Los Angeles Dodgers
2C/75 - Henry Godbout, SS, Virginia, Boston Red Sox
3/76 - Kyle Lodise, SS, Georgia Tech, Chicago White Sox
3/78 - Max Williams, OF, Florida State, Miami Marlins
3/91 - Griffin Hugus, P, Miami, Seattle Mariners