UNC, Wake Forest players among those with NC ties taken on Day 1 of MLB Draft
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- Seattle Mariners selected UNC catcher Luke Stevenson No. 35 in MLB Draft
- Wake Forest's Marek Houston, Ethan Conrad picked back-to-back in first round
- Four NC-tied players drafted on Day 1, highlighting state's baseball talent
Two of North Carolina baseball’s stars in 2025 heard their names called in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday.
The Seattle Mariners selected sophomore catcher Luke Stevenson No. 35 overall. The estimated slot value for that pick is listed at $2.76 million.
The Chicago Cubs selected junior center fielder Kane Kepley at No. 56 overall, with an approximate bonus of $1.68 million. He was selected significantly higher than his MLB.com ranking, which was No. 80 headed into the draft. Stevenson was listed at No. 33.
With the two selections, Stevenson and Kepley are the 18th and 19th players under head coach Scott Forbes selected in the draft. Last season, Vance Honeycutt was selected in the first round.
“He is the definition of a workhorse,” Forbes said in June when asked about Stevenson. “He’s another guy, in all reality, I know he’s a high draft prospect. I’m just enjoying being around him and watching him be so professional behind the plate.”
The catcher has played two seasons with the Tar Heels, helping North Carolina earn a spot in the 2024 Men’s College World Series and win the 2025 ACC Championship.
Stevenson finished 2025 with a team-leading 19 home runs, which ranked No. 2 in the ACC. He added 61 runs on 56 hits, 10 doubles and 58 RBI. Stevenson drew 59 walks, leading the conference and ranking No. 7 in the country.
The Wake Forest native hit a home run in 15 games this season, including four games with multiple home runs.
Stevenson struggled at the plate in the 2025 postseason, but scored 12 runs across the ACC and NCAA tournaments.
As UNC’s backstop, Stevenson finished with 521 total catches and only committed a pair of errors. He threw out 35% of attempted base stealers this season. Only two runners attempted to steal during the final 18 games of the season and one was successful.
The sophomore has a .996 fielding percentage across two seasons with the Tar Heels, while helping the team compile a 94-31 record when he’s behind the plate.
Stevenson finished the season as a Perfect Game Third Team All-American for the second time in his career, and was an All-ACC first team selection.
Before college, Stevenson racked up awards during his senior year of high school. He earned Prep Baseball Report North Carolina Player of the Year, Max Preps and Perfect Game First Team All-America and North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association 4A Player of the Year.
Kepley, meanwhile, transferred from Liberty and joined former Flames head coach Scott Jackson, who became an assistant coach for the Tar Heels this year. The junior from Salisbury, North Carolina, was a key contributor for the Tar Heels and served as the leadoff hitter in his lone season.
He finished with a .291 batting average and .451 on base percentage, while contributing 74 runs on 68 hits. Not known for his power, Kepley only hit three home runs in 2025. His speed on base and patience at the plate, however, made him a clutch at the top of Carolina’s lineup.
Kepley drew 44 walks and stole 45 bases in his junior season. He now ranks third in program history, alongside Russ Adams (2002), for the most stolen bases in a single season. Additionally, Kepley only struck out on 7% of his plate appearances.
Primarily serving in center field, Kepley finished the season without an error.
Stevenson saved 14.7 defensive runs, according to D1Baseball, and Kepley finished with 7.4 DRS.
Forbes boasted during the NCAA Tournament about Kepley and the positive impact the transfer had on the team.
“Kane Kepley is the definition of [an] old-school baseball player. He’s made himself into the player that he is,” Forbes said in June. “He really sets the tone in everything that goes on here. Honestly, even though he’s new, he never takes a day off. He’s already gotten so much stronger here. He lifts hard, he plays hard, takes care of his body off the field. Doesn’t say a lot; he doesn’t have to. But, he’s also learned to speak when he needs to speak, and our guys really, really respect him.”
Kepley attended South Rowan High School, where he was named Southern Piedmont Conference Co-Player of the Year, Salisbury Post All-County Player and the Charlotte Observer All-Area Team in 2022. The same year, he helped South Rowan win its first 3A state championship.
More NC MLB Draft picks
Wake Forest’s Marek Houston was the first player from a North Carolina school to hear his name called in the draft. The Minnesota Twins drafted Houston as the No. 16 pick. He is the sixth first-rounder for the Deacs in three seasons. According to MLB.com, the slot bonus for the pick is $4.93 million.
The shortstop finished his season with the Demon Deacons with a career-best .354 batting average, 61 runs, 86 hits and 15 home runs. He contributed 27 multi-hit games, in which Wake Forest was 21-6 when he knocked in two or more hits.
Houston’s 66 RBI ranked No. 7 in the ACC. He tied the program record for RBI in a single game with 10 in the series opener against Notre Dame. The junior from Nokomis, Florida, was an All-ACC Third Team selection.
“I couldn’t be happier for or prouder of Marek,” Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter said in a statement. “His hard work and sacrifice has paid off, and he has become the type of player a Major League team can anchor their defense around. The Twins are a great organization with a track record of development. Marek will thrive in the Twins organization and his ascent to the big leagues will be swift.”
Demon Deacons right fielder Ethan Conrad joined his teammate in becoming an MLB draft pick on the subsequent pick. The Chicago Cubs took Conrad as the No. 17 pick overall and the first outfielder taken in the draft. The estimated bonus value is $4.75 million.
The junior missed the last half of the season after sustaining an injury. He played in 21 games, contributing a .372 batting average, 30 runs, 29 hits and seven home runs. Conrad recorded multiple hits in 11 games.
Prior to transferring to Wake Forest, Conrad spent two seasons at Marist. Conrad recorded an NCAA record four triples in one game against Saint Peter’s in 2024 and earned first team All-MAAC honors the same season after tallying 88 hits and 26 extra-base hits.
“Ethan is a five-tool player, who is a gamer,” Walter said. “This is a great pick by the Chicago Cubs. Ethan will be a guy who will play in the big leagues for a long time and is a potential All Star. His bat-to-ball skills are elite, and he is just scratching the surface of his power potential.”
Last season, right-handed pitcher Chase Burns (No. 2), first baseman Nick Kurtz (No. 4) and shortstop Seaver King (No. 10) were all first-round picks. The Deacs have produced 15 first-round picks, and nine in the past five years.
Josh Hammond (Wesleyan Christian Academy), a high school senior from High Point, was selected by the Kansas City Royals at No. 29 overall. As a senior, Hammond contributed a .471 batting average, 41 runs, 40 hits and 28 RBIs in his final season. He also drew 29 walks and only struck out eight times.
MLB clubs have until Aug. 1 to sign first-year draft player selections.
This story was originally published July 13, 2025 at 9:20 PM.
