Four Demon Deacons Drafted After Round One of the MLB Draft
The 2025 MLB Draft concluded on Monday. Six Demon Deacons heard their name called over the two-day period. Two Demon Deacons, Marek Houston and Ethan Conrad, heard their name called in the first round on Sunday. Seven top-20 picks in the past three seasons is a statistic Tom Walter will be very proud of.
With Houston on his way to Minnesota and Conrad on his way to Chicago (Wrigley, not Southside), where did the other members of Rake Forest end up?
Cam Nelson
In the fifth round, the next Diamond Deac to come off of the board was Cam Nelson as he was selected by the Colorado Rockies. This may have come as a little bit of a surprise to some as Nelson only started 19 games for the Deacs this season due to injury. However, Cam is a steady talent who has potential to grow immensely in the Rockies organization.
In 27 total games played, Cam maintained a .318 average at the plate while remaining a solid presence in the field. He is the only true two way player on the Wake Forest roster. Nelson can truly do it all whether that is pitching, fielding, or raking the ball at the plate.
Nelson played a huge role in the Deacs' series win over the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee. The Baltimore native slugged his first career home run in a huge spot against the Noles and finished the final game of the series 3-for-4 at the plate. He played a huge role in the series-clinching game in Tallahassee.
Thank you, Cam, for your hard work and dedication to the Demon Deacon baseball program! Deacon Nation will be in your corner as you make your way to Coors Field!
Joe Ariola
The next Demon Deacon off the board was the left-handed flame thrower, Joe Ariola. The Arizona Diamondbacks picked up Ariola in the seventh round of the draft.
Ariola is a three-year veteran of the Deacon baseball program. In 2023, he was part of the College World Series team. In 2025, Ariola made 21 appearances on the mound. He started two games and then moved into a more bullpen role.
In his longest outing of the year, Ariola tossed 3.2 innings against Princeton and didn't allow a hit. He also played a huge role in holding the Volunteers at a stalemate in the Knoxville Regional Final. He pitched for two innings, allowing just one run and striking out three batters. Ariola truly turned into a reliable arm out of the pen with his four-seam, cutter, split-change, and a deceptive curveball.
The Diamondbacks have to be excited about this arm that can easily work its way up to the Majors in a few short years. Congrats to Joe for a very successful career as a Demon Deacon. What a memorable ride it has been, and Deacon Nation will be behind you as you head to the desert!
Logan Lunceford
A huge part in the Diamond Deacs' season was the transfer starting pitcher from Missouri, Logan Lunceford. In Round 12, the Oklahoma native was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Deacs' Friday night starter started the year looking like an early-round draft pick. In his first five outings, he only allowed four runs while striking out 50 batters over those five appearances. Against Notre Dame, Lunce struck out a career high of 13 batters while allowing three runs.
In arguably his best outing of the year, the senior shut the Seminoles down in Tallahassee in 5.2 innings of work. He only allowed three hits and gave up no runs as the Deacons dominated the Noles and leveled up a pivotal series for Rake Forest.
The Dodgers are getting an arm that has a major league level fastball and has the potential to have the same caliber of off-speed pitches with some development. Winston-Salem is super excited to see what Lunce does with his professional career as a Dodger and will be in his corner every step of the way. Thank you for a great year in the old gold and black, Logan!
One other quick note... a devout Christian, Lunceford brought the "Jesus Won" shirt movement to Winston-Salem, leaving an impact greater than himself on the Wake Forest baseball team. Thank you for leading the team spiritually!
Jack Winnay
The final Demon Deacon drafted in the 2025 MLB Draft was the Massachusetts Masher, Jack Winnay. It was only fitting for the first baseman to return to his favorite and hometown ball club, the Boston Red Sox. In Round 13, the Sox drafted the Newton, Massachusetts native, a special moment for Winnay and his family.
The junior first baseman has been a Diamond Deac for the last three seasons, like teammates Marek Houston and Joe Ariola. In his freshman year, Winnay burst on the scene when he got his chance to shine in the College World Series against LSU. He recorded a base hit in a tight matchup against the Tigers as Winnay replaced an injured Nick Kurtz in Omaha.
This past year, Winnay showed off his power as he was tied for the season lead in home runs with 15 on the year. He helped get the Diamond Deacs to a Game 7 in the Knoxville regional as he contributed a walk-off walk in a win-or-go-home matchup for the Deacs. His best game of this past year came against Louisville, where Winnay almost hit for the cycle. He was just a triple shy and drove in two teammates that same game.
Winnay's bat has sure pop and is the most valuable asset of his game. He is a true power hitter with his 6'3 frame. The Red Sox will hope to continue to grow his bat-to-ball skills as he works his way through the minor leagues. Deacon Nation is fired up to see where your professional career takes you, Jack! All of Winston-Salem will be rooting for you!
Learn more about the new Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI site..
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Ryder is a Junior at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He is studying Accountancy but has a passion for college athletics. He serves as the Treasurer of the Old Gold and Black, Wake Forest’s Student-Run newspaper. He has also served as a play-by-play analyst for his high school’s football and basketball games.