Cullowhee, N.C. – Four Catamount baseball players heard their names called on Monday during the final day of the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. Right-handed pitcher
Dusty Revis and outfielder
Brayden Corn were both selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th and 15th rounds, respectively, with right-handed flame-thrower
Cannon Pickell drafted by the Miami Marlins and outfielder
Hayden Friese taken by the Atlanta Braves, both in the 20th round.
WCU's four draft picks on Monday were the most among the Southern Conference which saw nine players between six schools selected in the two-day, 20-round event that coincided with the annual All-Star game festivities in Atlanta. WCU was the only league school with multiple selections, procuring the program's most draft picks in a single year since the draft was reduced to 20 rounds. With four Catamounts drafted, it's the first time since 2019 that WCU had multiple draft picks in the same year, with the four in one draft marking the most since 2009.
Revis and Corn are the fourth and fifth Catamounts drafted by Seattle all-time, putting the Mariners fourth in WCU history behind the Yankees and Pirates with six Catamount draft picks apiece, and the Atlanta Braves with seven. WCU has seen two players wear a Mariners' jersey in the Bigs as Paul Menhart (1996) and Jerry Reed (1986-90) each advanced to the highest level.
Pickell made history on Monday, becoming WCU's first-ever draft pick by the Florida/Miami Marlins franchise. He is just the second Catamount in the Marlins' system, joining 2003 free-agent signee infielder Ryan Schade.
While Pickell entered uncharted territory with the fish, Friese became the seventh Catamount drafted by the closest MLB team to Cullowhee, the Atlanta Braves, marking WCU's most selections by any one franchise. Friese joins former Catamounts Ross Heffley (18th round, 2012), Chris Masters (11th round, 2009), Ryan Basner (7th round, 2003), Charles Thomas (19th round, 2000), Dave Piela (54th round, 1988), and Ron Huntington (39th round, 1986). Only Thomas in 2004 advanced to the Atlanta roster.
Over two seasons in a Catamount uniform,
Dusty Revis recorded 121 strikeouts against 50 walks, finishing second on the team in 2025 with 78 punchouts, including 26 looking to rank tied for fourth in the SoCon. He compiled 14 victories in 34 appearances that included 17 starts over two seasons after transferring to Cullowhee from Mars Hill ahead of the 2024 season.
Selected as the preseason SoCon Pitcher of the Year by both Perfect Game and D1Baseball, Revis posted a team-high seven victories and garnered second-team All-SoCon postseason honors after limiting foes to a .237 batting average against. He was also twice named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team.
Revis is among a line of former Marion-born Catamounts to find their way to professional baseball. Former Catamount and MLB All-Star Greg Holland was a 10th-round pick back in 2007. Most recently, Zach Franklin, who recorded 214 career strikeouts in 196.2 innings of work over five seasons in a Catamount uniform, was a 10th round pick out of Missouri where he played his final season of eligibility. Franklin is currently in Double-A with the Birmingham Barons in the Chicago White Sox organization.
Brayden Corn played one year in Cullowhee after transferring from USC Union. Another Western North Carolina product, hailing from Hendersonville, N.C., Corn started 57 games last season in centerfield. The solid-hitting, speedy outfielder batted .312 (69-of-221) , ranking fourth on the team with 69 hits, including 24 for extra bases – 13 doubles and 11 home runs, the second most for WCU last spring. He was dubbed the SoCon Player of the Week in late March after batting .533 (8-of-15) with two homers and five RBI with a .933 slugging percentage.
Corn capped the season by batting .538 (7-of-13) with a double and three home runs in earning SoCon All-Tournament team plaudits. He drove home six, while adding four walks and a HBP to bolder a .682 on-base percentage in the postseason event held at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. – a ballpark that is a near replica of Boston's Fenway Park.
Hard-throwing right-hander
Cannon Pickell has tremendous upside potential that drew the eye of many scouts. His 33 strikeouts over 16.2 innings in 2025 were impressive, as was the .246 opposing batting average he boasted. He also consistently threw in the mid-to-upper 90s. The Moyock, N.C., product only allowed 15 base hits against on the season, six going for extra bases. In two seasons for the Catamounts, Pickell – who missed 2023 coming back from injury – registered 42 strikeouts over 27 innings of work.
A two-time SoCon Academic Honor Roll recipient and twice named Spring Academic All-SoCon, Pickell was voted a team captain by his teammates ahead of the 2025 season.
A versatile utility player that split time between left field and first base, junior
Hayden Friese started 100 of the 115 games he played over the past three years in Cullowhee, including 70 starts in the outfield, 27 at first base, and three times as the designated hitter. A .314 career hitter (119-for-379), Friese is coming off his best season that saw him bat .335 (76-for-227), with 21 extra-base hits – 11 doubles, a triple, and nine homers. The Eden, N.C., collected 47 of his career 77 RBI in 2025, with his .511 slugging percentage last spring adding to his career OPS of .893.
This summer, Friese earned an All-Star nod in the Coastal Plain League while playing for the Martinsville (Va.) Mustangs. Academically, he was twice named to the CSC Academic All-District team in 2024 and 2025.
Three of WCU's four draft picks have the option to return to Cullowhee for another season, including Corn, Friese, and Revis. Pickell is the lone WCU player that has exhausted his NCAA eligibility. MLB teams have until Monday, July 28, to sign drafted players.
ETSU infielder Cody Miller was the SoCon's top pick this year, drafted by the Braves in the third round with the 96th overall pick. Pitchers Danny Thompson Jr. (8th round) of UNCG, Cameron Keshock (12th round) of Samford, and Wofford's Carter Rasmussen (14th round) were selected by the Blue Jays, Pirates, and Red Sox, respectively. Mercer outfielder Ely Brown was picked by the Chicago White Sox in the 12th round, just seven selections ahead of Samford's Keshock.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
Additional WCU Draft Notes:
* On Monday, Western Carolina had a player selected in the Major-League Baseball First-Year Player Draft for the 37th year dating back to 1977 … WCU has had 43 draft picks inside the top 20 rounds all time;
* Monday's 11th round pick of RHP
Dusty Revis was the highest by a Catamount since Zebby Matthews (Minnesota Twins) was selected in the eighth round of the 2022 draft … Revis is the THIRD Catamount to be selected in the 11th round all-time, joining Chris Masters (Atlanta Braves, 2009) and Chris Moore (Colorado Rockies, 1999);
* WCU has had FOUR players drafted in the 15th round all-time, including
Brayden Corn (Seattle Mariners, 2025) and
Jonathan Todd (Toronto Blue Jays, 2024) in consecutive years … the two join pitchers Jeremy Null (Chicago Cubs, 2014) and Mark DiFelice (Colorado Rockies, 1998);
* WCU has had FIVE players drafted in the 20th round all-time including both
Cannon Pickell (Miami Marlins, 2024) and
Hayden Friese (Atlanta Braves, 2024) … Pascanel Ferreras (Houston Astros, 2022) … Aaron Attaway (Toronto Blue Jays, Pick No. 594 in 2014) … and Kenny Smith (Texas Rangers, Pick No. 620 in 2007);
* Western Carolina had two players drafted by the same Major League team in the same MLB Draft for just the second time in program history …
Dusty Revis and
Brayden Corn were picked by the Seattle Mariners, matching the 2007 MLB Draft that saw Jonathan Greene and Kenny Smith selected by the Texas Rangers;
* WCU did not have a player drafted in 2018, halting a streak of 12 consecutive years of hearing a Catamount name called during the event … Since 2000, WCU has had a player drafted in 21 of the 26 drafts, missing just 2001, 2004, 2005, 2018 and 2020 –
though the event was reduced to just five rounds in 2020 … During that same span without a draft pick, WCU did see RHP Chase Walter sign as a free agent with the San Diego Padres in 2020, Jared Greenwood as a free agent with the New York Yankees in 2005, and Matt Price signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2001;
* WCU has had three players taken inside the first 100 picks all-time, headlined by Rick Adair with the 53rd pick of the third round by the Seattle Mariners in the 1979 draft – WCU's highest selection all-time ... the other two are Brad Tweedie (3rd round, 92nd pick by Cincinnati Reds in 1993) and Jason Beverlin (4th round, 93rd pick by Oakland Athletics in 1994).
2025 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft
Western Carolina 2025 MLB Draft Picks
Southern Conference 2025 MLB Draft Picks
| Round |
Pick |
Name, School |
Position |
MLB Team |
| 3 |
96 |
Cody Miller, ETSU |
SS |
Atlanta Braves |
| 8 |
233 |
Danny Thompson Jr., UNCG |
RHP |
Toronto Blue Jays |
| 12 |
346 |
Ely Brown, Mercer |
OF |
Chicago White Sox |
| 12 |
353 |
Cameron Keshock, Samford |
RHP |
Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 14 |
418 |
Carter Rasmussen, Wofford |
RHP |
Boston Red Sox |
