Wake Forest Baseball Boasts Prestigious Honor Amid MLB Season

The Demon Deacons have been a baseball factory as of late, and its showing on the biggest stage.

Aug 8, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns (26) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Wake Forest Football is in the middle of a rebranding. Wake Forest Men's Basketball suffered yet another late-season collapse. Two of the university's foundational anchors need steel reinforcements, but not Wake Forest Baseball.

They have no recent championships to add to the trophy room, although they did make it to Omaha and return as third-place finishers in 2023. However, the Demon Deacons have potentially the next best thing to rings on their fingers: a lot of first-round draft picks.

Budding superstar Nick Kurtz has been grabbing all the national headlines, but he is far from the only Deac leaving his fingerprints in the major leagues.

Baseball History in Winston-Salem

In addition to Kurtz, Wake Forest has eight other first-round draftees since 2020—the most in the country. And, if you are looking for some extra dirt on any ACC foes, you can tell them that Wake's nine first-rounders are more than double that of any other ACC school.

Also, in the 2024 MLB Draft, Wake Forest saw three of its players go in the top 10. That impressive feat was also historic: Wake Forest became the first school in history with multiple first-round selections in three consecutive drafts. It was also the fifth time in MLB history that a team had two players taken in the top five picks.

Ok, enough bragging on Wake's baseball prolifics. Starting in 2020, here are the nine first-round picks that put the school atop the nation:

1. Jared Shuster

May 27, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Jared Shuster (51) throws the ball to first base for an out during the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jared Shuster was drafted by the Atlanta Braves with the 25th pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut in 2023 with Atlanta and is now playing for the Chicago White Sox.

2. Ryan Cusick

Wake Forest sophomore Ryan Cusick pitches to Clemson during the bottom of the first inning at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, Friday, April 23, 2021. Clemson vs Wake Forest Baseball | Ken Ruinard / USA TODAY Network via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Ryan Cusick was also drafted by the Atlanta Braves with the 24th pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. Cusick was part of the trade with the Athletics that sent Matt Olson to Atlanta. The former Deac was with the A's before being designated for assignment on May 27. He bounced around twice more before finding himself on the Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate.

3. Rhett Lowder

Jun 22, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons pitcher Rhett Lowder (4) throws against the LSU Tigers in the second inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Rhett Lowder was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds with the seventh pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut last season and posted a 2–2 record with a 1.17 ERA. Lowder has yet to play this season due to a pair of injuries, but the highly-regarded pitcher is expected to return next season.

4. Brock Wilken

Jun 19, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons third baseman Brock Wilken (25) drives in center fielder Tommy Hawke (24) with a base hit against the LSU Tigers in the sixth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Brock Wilken was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 18th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. In his three seasons with Wake Forest, Wilken recorded 71 home runs. Currently, the third baseman is with the Brewers' Double-A affiliate.

5. Chase Burns

May 24, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest pitcher Chase Burns (29) starts against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Chase Burns was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds with the second pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, making him the highest drafted Deac in school history. He quickly shot through the minor leagues and made his major league debut on July 11 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his five career starts, the 22-year-old struck out exactly 10 batters in every outing but one—a rained-out game.

6. Nick Kurtz

Jun 17, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons first baseman Nick Kurtz (8) celebrates after retiring Stanford Cardinal third baseman Tommy Troy (not pictured) to end the game at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Nick Kurtz was drafted by the Athletics with the fourth pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He likely doesn't need an introduction because he took the baseball world by storm last month. So far, Kurtz has won AL Player of the Week, AL Player of the Month, and AL Rookie of the Month. He is also the betting favorite to take home the AL Rookie of the Year Award. The Pennsylvania native touts a .300 batting average and 23 home runs.

7. Seaver King

May 24, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest utility Seaver King (5) sets up against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first inning during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Seaver King was drafted by the Washington Nationals with the 10th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. While it is tough to follow a write-up like Kurtz just received, Seaver is no laughing stock. He is currently playing for the Nationals' Double-A affiliate and is ranked as the seventh-best prospect in the organization.

8. Marek Houston

Wake Forest infielder Marek Houston (7) hits the ball during a NCAA regional baseball game between Cincinnati and Wake Forest at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on May 30, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Marek Houston was drafted by the Minnesota Twins with the 16th pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Through three seasons at Wake Forest, he posted a .302 batting average. Additionally, Houston found himself in the Wake record books after playing the most games as a freshman in school history (65). Currently, Houston is playing for Minnesota's Single-A affiliate, and is listed as the MLB's 15th-best prospect.

9. Ethan Conrad

Ethan Conrad was drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the 17th pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. While he only played 21 games as a Demon Deacon due to injury, his resume was already strong enough to carry him to the majors. In 2024 at Marist University, Conrad raked in an NCAA-record 4 triples in a single game. Currently, he is still rehabbing from his shoulder surgery, as the Cubs are eagerly awaiting his return.

The Baseball Factory Remains Open

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Wake Forest has found its niche in the baseball world, gaining significant popularity for its Pitching Lab. So much so, if you noticed, the Cincinnati Reds used two of their three most recent top draft picks on Wake Forest pitchers. They also recently signed Griffin Green, another Wake Forest product on the mound.

This, of course, is not to undermine the players like Nick Kurtz and Marek Houston who can be a pitcher's worst nightmare. All around, the future of Wake Forest Baseball is as bright as a Grapefruit League gameday.

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