Led by the first-round selections of Wake Forest right-hander Rhett Lowder, Virginia catcher Kyle Teel and Demon Deacon third baseman Brock Wilken, 12 Atlantic Coast Conference players heard their names called as the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft opened Sunday night in Seattle.

This marks the 32nd consecutive year that at least one ACC player has been selected in the opening round of the MLB Draft and the eighth straight year that the ACC has placed at least one draftee among the top 15 picks.

Named the 2022-23 Anthony J. McKevlin Award Winner for the conference’s top male student-athlete last week, Lowder led the country with a perfect 15-0 record and ranked fourth nationally with 143 strikeouts. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Albemarle, North Carolina, native became just the second pitcher in league history to be named ACC Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive year. Dating back to a season ago, Lowder allowed just three earned runs or less in 33 of his last 35 starts and has gone at least six innings in 32 starts.

Lowder was the first ACC player off the board at No. 7 to Cincinnati and becomes the fourth Wake Forest pitcher to be taken in the first round since 2018, the most of any school in that span.

Selected as the 2023 ACC Player of the Year, Teel was one of only two players to finish with a batting average above .400 this season (.407). Named the recipient of the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award in June, Teel posted 105 hits in 2023, the fourth-most in the country. In three seasons, Teel boasted a .343 career average, the 10th-highest in program history. His 28 career home runs are the seventh most of any Cavalier.

Taken No. 14 overall to Boston, Teel becomes Virginia’s first opening-round selection since Daniel Lynch was taken by Kansas City in 2018.

Wilken became the ACC’s career home run leader in 2023, as he wrapped up his collegiate career with 71 career homers. The Valrico, Florida, native also tied former Florida State standout J.D. Drew for the conference record in a season with 31. In Wake Forest’s Super Regional win over Alabama, Wilken finished 4-for-5 with three homers to help send the top-seeded Demon Deacons to Omaha.

The third baseman was picked at No. 18 overall to Milwaukee, as Wake Forest placed two in the first round for the first time in program history.

In the second round, six ACC standouts were selected beginning with Miami’s Yohandy Morales at pick No. 40 to Washington. Wake’s Sean Sullivan became the third Deacon off the board at No. 46 to Colorado, while LuJames Groover III of NC State was picked No. 48 to Arizona. North Carolina’s Mac Horvath was selected No. 53 overall to Baltimore, while Virginia Tech’s Drue Hackenberg (Atlanta) and Virginia’s Jake Gelof (Los Angeles Dodgers) were taken back-to-back at No. 59 and No. 60, respectively.

Three more ACC stars were drafted in Competitive Balance Round B, as Miami’s Andrew Walters goes to Cleveland at No. 62, Florida State’s Jackson Baumeister was taken by Baltimore at No. 63 and ACC Championship MVP Caden Grice was picked No. 64 overall to Arizona.

The 2023 MLB Draft continues Monday afternoon with rounds three through 10 and concludes Tuesday with rounds 11 through 20.

2023 MLB Draft Picks from the ACC
Round/Overall
1/7 — Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest, Cincinnati Reds
1/14 — Kyle Teel, C, Virginia, Boston Red Sox
1/18 – Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest, Milwaukee Brewers
2/40 – Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami, Washington Nationals
2/46 – Sean Sullivan, LHP, Wake Forest, Colorado Rockies
2/48 – LuJames Groover III, 3B, NC State, Arizona Diamondbacks
2/53 – Mac Horvath, OF, North Carolina, Baltimore Orioles
2/59 – Drue Hackenberg, RHP, Virginia Tech, Atlanta Braves
2/60 – Jake Gelof, 3B, Virginia, Los Angeles Dodgers
CB-B/62 – Andrew Walters, RHP, Miami, Cleveland Guardians
CB-B/63 – Jackson Baumeister, RHP, Florida State, Baltimore Orioles