Six from Wake Forest Baseball Selected in 2024 MLB Draft
7/16/2024 5:30:00 PM | Baseball
Left-handed pitcher Will Gervase was selected in the 16th round today by the Los Angeles Angels.
FORT WORTH, Texas – Highlighted by three Top-10 picks for the first time in school history and just the second time in the history of the MLB Draft, six members of Wake Forest baseball were selected in the 2024 MLB Draft.
In the first round, right-handed pitcher Chase Burns (second to the Cincinnati Reds) became the highest draft pick in Demon Deacon history. Teammates Nick Kurtz (fourth to the Oakland Athletics) and Seaver King (10th to the Washington Nationals) helped Wake Forest join the 2004 Rice Owls as the only programs with three student-athletes selected in the first round of the same draft.
On Day 2, Josh Hartle (83th to the Pittsburgh Pirates) and Michael Massey (114th to the Detroit Tigers) were selected.
The draft concluded on Tuesday with Will Gervase being selected by the Los Angeles Angles with the 472nd overall pick.
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED IN THE 2024 MLB DRAFT
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED ON DAY 3 OF THE 2024 MLB DRAFT
Will Gervase | LHP | Fuquay-Varina, N.C. | 16th Round, 472nd Overall | Angels
Gervase appeared in eight games out of the bullpen for Wake Forest, striking out five batters in 4.1 innings. He struck out a season high two batters in a scoreless inning against Elon (March 3), and threw a scoreless frame against North Carolina A&T (May 8).
FROM HEAD COACH TOM WALTER
"Very happy for Will Gervase. He is a young man with a ton of upside who will thrive once he makes baseball his full-time job. Will is having a great summer and has found the strike zone consistently.
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED ON DAYS 1 & 2 OF THE 2024 MLB DRAFT
Chase Burns | RHP | Hendersonville, Tenn. | First Round, 2nd Overall | Reds
Burns joins Demon Deacon legend Rhett Lowder (2022 & 2023 Honoree) as the programs only ACC Pitcher of the Year recipients.
Burns finished the regular season as the nation's leader in strikeouts (169) and had 45 more punchouts than any other pitcher in the ACC.
His 169 strikeouts ranks fifth all-time in ACC single-season history.
The Hendersonville, Tenn. native also led the league in H/9 (5.58), K/BB (6.37), K/9 (17.19) and WHIP (0.92), while ranking in the top 10 nationally in each of the categories.
With his run from March 11 to March 25 and again from May 6 to May 20, Burns is believed to be the first ACC pitcher to take home three-straight Pitcher of the Week honors since at least 2000.
Additionally, Burns joined elite company, becoming just one of two Atlantic Coast Conference pitchers to win the award six times in a season. Burns is the only six-time winner in Wake Forest baseball program history.
He was untouchable in the month of May, compiling 57 strikeouts to just five walks for a 11.40 K/BB ratio and a ridiculous 19.73 K/9 ratio to go along with a 0.34 ERA in four starts.
The righty finished his career as the active Division-I baseball strikeout leader with 408 career strikeouts, which leads fellow first-rounder in Arkansas' Hagen Smith (360 career strikeouts) by 48 strikeouts.
Nick Kurtz | 1B | Lancaster, Penn. | First Round, 4th Overall | Athletics
HKurtz ranked first nationally with 1.44 bases on balls per game, as he has earned a nation-leading 78 free passes in his final season as a Demon Deacon. He became the Wake Forest program record holder with 189 free passes throughout his career, surpassing Pat Blair (180 / 2010-13). Additionally, he also set the single-season walk record with his nation-leading 70th of the campaign, surpassing Brock Wilken's 69 bases on balls a season ago. As a junior , Kurtz has 19 multi-walk performances and eight with at least three.
He held a staggering .510 career on-base percentage over the course of his three seasons in a Wake Forest uniform. Additionally, Kurtz was the only active player in Division-I to play more than 150 career games and have a career OBP of .500 or better. This season he had a team-best .531 on-base percentage, following up his sophomore campaign where Kurtz had an eye-popping .527 OBP.
The pop matches his patience, as Kurtz ranked tied for seventh among active Division-I players with 61 home runs, and moved into second all-time in program history, as he paced the team with 22 homers on the year.
Seaver King | UTL | Athens, Ga. | First Round, 10th Overall | Nationals
King was one of three Demon Deacons to start all 60 games and led the Demon Deacons in hits (78) and ranked second on the team in RBIs (64) and runs (59).
The junior notched 16 home runs and finished the season with a .308/.377/.577 slash line. King recorded a hit in 48 games and 24 multi-hit performances, while also adding 21 games with multiple RBIs and eight games with three or more RBIs.
King successfully reached base in 31 straight games (April 2-May 25) while also posting an 11-game hit streak (April 6-23) and 16-game hit streak (April 27-May 24).
FIRST ROUND DEACS
Josh Hartle | LHP | King, N.C. | Third Round, 83th Overall | Pirates
Hartle is the 11th Demon Deacon drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and first since Will Craig's first round selection in 2016. Named a team captain prior to the season, Hartle recorded 81 strikeouts across 74.2 innings of work to finish the season with a 6-3 record.
Hartle scattered four hits across 5.2 scoreless innings against Boston College (April 13) with a then season-high eight strikeouts. He closed his time at The Couch with a season-high nine strikeouts to pick up his sixth win of the season to help the Deacs sweep then No. 2 Clemson.
The local finished tied for eighth in program history in career wins (24) and sixth in career strikeouts (275).
Michael Massey | RHP | Suwanee, Ga. | Fourth Round, 114th Overall | Tigers
Massey is the eighth Demon Deacon drafted by the Detroit Tigers and reunites with former catcher Bennett Lee in the organization.
Massey made 13 appearances with 10 starts, recording 51 strikeouts across 34.0 innings of work to finish the season with a 4-2 record. The righty recorded nine punchouts in back-to-back games to secure a win against Dayton (Feb. 25) and a shutout win in his longest start of the year (5.2 innings) against Elon (March 3).
Massey returned from a back injury to pitch scoreless innings out of the bullpen in back-to-back games at the ACC Tournament against Pitt (May 22) and North Carolina (May 24).
WAKE FOREST ATTENDEES DRAFTED BY EACH TEAM
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In the first round, right-handed pitcher Chase Burns (second to the Cincinnati Reds) became the highest draft pick in Demon Deacon history. Teammates Nick Kurtz (fourth to the Oakland Athletics) and Seaver King (10th to the Washington Nationals) helped Wake Forest join the 2004 Rice Owls as the only programs with three student-athletes selected in the first round of the same draft.
On Day 2, Josh Hartle (83th to the Pittsburgh Pirates) and Michael Massey (114th to the Detroit Tigers) were selected.
The draft concluded on Tuesday with Will Gervase being selected by the Los Angeles Angles with the 472nd overall pick.
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED IN THE 2024 MLB DRAFT
| Name | Round (Pick) | Team |
| Chase Burns | 1 (2) | Cincinnati Reds |
| Nick Kurtz | 1 (4) | Oakland Athletics |
| Seaver King | 1 (10) | Washington Nationals |
| Josh Hartle | 3 (83) | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Michael Massey | 4 (114) | Detroit Tigers |
| Will Gervase | 16 (472) | Los Angeles Angels |
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED ON DAY 3 OF THE 2024 MLB DRAFT
Will Gervase | LHP | Fuquay-Varina, N.C. | 16th Round, 472nd Overall | Angels
Gervase appeared in eight games out of the bullpen for Wake Forest, striking out five batters in 4.1 innings. He struck out a season high two batters in a scoreless inning against Elon (March 3), and threw a scoreless frame against North Carolina A&T (May 8).
FROM HEAD COACH TOM WALTER
"Very happy for Will Gervase. He is a young man with a ton of upside who will thrive once he makes baseball his full-time job. Will is having a great summer and has found the strike zone consistently.
DEMON DEACONS SELECTED ON DAYS 1 & 2 OF THE 2024 MLB DRAFT
Chase Burns | RHP | Hendersonville, Tenn. | First Round, 2nd Overall | Reds
Burns joins Demon Deacon legend Rhett Lowder (2022 & 2023 Honoree) as the programs only ACC Pitcher of the Year recipients.
Burns finished the regular season as the nation's leader in strikeouts (169) and had 45 more punchouts than any other pitcher in the ACC.
His 169 strikeouts ranks fifth all-time in ACC single-season history.
| Ranking | Player | School | Year | Strikeouts |
| 1. | Brian Barnes | Clemson | 1989 | 208 |
| 2. | Chris Benson | Clemson | 1996 | 204 |
| 3. | Brad Rigby | Georgia Tech | 1994 | 184 |
| 4. | Carlos Rodon | NC State | 2013 | 184 |
| 5. | Chase Burns | Wake Forest | 2024 | 169 |
The Hendersonville, Tenn. native also led the league in H/9 (5.58), K/BB (6.37), K/9 (17.19) and WHIP (0.92), while ranking in the top 10 nationally in each of the categories.
With his run from March 11 to March 25 and again from May 6 to May 20, Burns is believed to be the first ACC pitcher to take home three-straight Pitcher of the Week honors since at least 2000.
Additionally, Burns joined elite company, becoming just one of two Atlantic Coast Conference pitchers to win the award six times in a season. Burns is the only six-time winner in Wake Forest baseball program history.
He was untouchable in the month of May, compiling 57 strikeouts to just five walks for a 11.40 K/BB ratio and a ridiculous 19.73 K/9 ratio to go along with a 0.34 ERA in four starts.
The righty finished his career as the active Division-I baseball strikeout leader with 408 career strikeouts, which leads fellow first-rounder in Arkansas' Hagen Smith (360 career strikeouts) by 48 strikeouts.
Nick Kurtz | 1B | Lancaster, Penn. | First Round, 4th Overall | Athletics
HKurtz ranked first nationally with 1.44 bases on balls per game, as he has earned a nation-leading 78 free passes in his final season as a Demon Deacon. He became the Wake Forest program record holder with 189 free passes throughout his career, surpassing Pat Blair (180 / 2010-13). Additionally, he also set the single-season walk record with his nation-leading 70th of the campaign, surpassing Brock Wilken's 69 bases on balls a season ago. As a junior , Kurtz has 19 multi-walk performances and eight with at least three.
He held a staggering .510 career on-base percentage over the course of his three seasons in a Wake Forest uniform. Additionally, Kurtz was the only active player in Division-I to play more than 150 career games and have a career OBP of .500 or better. This season he had a team-best .531 on-base percentage, following up his sophomore campaign where Kurtz had an eye-popping .527 OBP.
The pop matches his patience, as Kurtz ranked tied for seventh among active Division-I players with 61 home runs, and moved into second all-time in program history, as he paced the team with 22 homers on the year.
Seaver King | UTL | Athens, Ga. | First Round, 10th Overall | Nationals
King was one of three Demon Deacons to start all 60 games and led the Demon Deacons in hits (78) and ranked second on the team in RBIs (64) and runs (59).
The junior notched 16 home runs and finished the season with a .308/.377/.577 slash line. King recorded a hit in 48 games and 24 multi-hit performances, while also adding 21 games with multiple RBIs and eight games with three or more RBIs.
King successfully reached base in 31 straight games (April 2-May 25) while also posting an 11-game hit streak (April 6-23) and 16-game hit streak (April 27-May 24).
FIRST ROUND DEACS
| Name (Year) | Pick | Team |
| Chase Burns (2024) | 2 | Cincinnati Reds |
| Nick Kurtz (2024) | 4 | Oakland Athletics |
| Seaver King | 10 | Washington Nationals |
| Rhett Lowder (2023) | 7 | Cincinnati Reds |
| Brock Wilken (2023) | 18 | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Ryan Cusick (2021) | 24 | Atlanta Braves |
| Jared Shuster (2020) | 25 | Atlanta Braves |
| Will Craig (2016) | 22 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Allan Dykstra (2008) | 23 | San Diego Padres |
| Matt Antonelli (2006) | 17 | San Diego Padres |
| Kyle Sleeth (2003) | 3 | Detroit Tigers |
| Mike MacDougal (1999) | 25 | Kansas City Royals |
| Bret Wagner (1994) | 19 | St. Louis Cardinals |
Josh Hartle | LHP | King, N.C. | Third Round, 83th Overall | Pirates
Hartle is the 11th Demon Deacon drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and first since Will Craig's first round selection in 2016. Named a team captain prior to the season, Hartle recorded 81 strikeouts across 74.2 innings of work to finish the season with a 6-3 record.
Hartle scattered four hits across 5.2 scoreless innings against Boston College (April 13) with a then season-high eight strikeouts. He closed his time at The Couch with a season-high nine strikeouts to pick up his sixth win of the season to help the Deacs sweep then No. 2 Clemson.
The local finished tied for eighth in program history in career wins (24) and sixth in career strikeouts (275).
Michael Massey | RHP | Suwanee, Ga. | Fourth Round, 114th Overall | Tigers
Massey is the eighth Demon Deacon drafted by the Detroit Tigers and reunites with former catcher Bennett Lee in the organization.
Massey made 13 appearances with 10 starts, recording 51 strikeouts across 34.0 innings of work to finish the season with a 4-2 record. The righty recorded nine punchouts in back-to-back games to secure a win against Dayton (Feb. 25) and a shutout win in his longest start of the year (5.2 innings) against Elon (March 3).
Massey returned from a back injury to pitch scoreless innings out of the bullpen in back-to-back games at the ACC Tournament against Pitt (May 22) and North Carolina (May 24).
WAKE FOREST ATTENDEES DRAFTED BY EACH TEAM
| Team | # | Most Recent | Highest Overall Pick |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 11 | 2024 | 22 (2016) |
| New York Yankees | 10 | 2008 | 68 (2000) |
| Atlanta Braves | 9 | 2021 | 24 (2021) |
| Baltimore Orioles | 8 | 2019 | 111 (1996) |
| Washington Nationals | 8 | 2024 | 10 (2024) |
| Detroit Tigers | 8 | 2024 | 3 (2003) |
| Chicago White Sox | 7 | 2023 | 49 (2017) |
| Cleveland Guardians | 7 | 2023 | 188 (2023) |
| Cincinnati Reds | 6 | 2023 | 7 (2023) |
| Seattle Mariners | 6 | 2023 | 36 (1986) |
| San Francisco Giants | 6 | 2019 | 115 (2012) |
| Boston Red Sox | 6 | 2011 | 219 (1993) |
| Oakland Athletics | 6 | 2024 | 4 (2024) |
| Los Angeles Angels | 6 | 2024 | 51 (1983) |
| Colorado Rockies | 5 | 2023 | 46 (2023) |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 5 | 2022 | 55 (2002) |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 5 | 2021 | 66 (2003) |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 5 | 2022 | 55 (2002) |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | 2018 | 19 (1994) |
| San Diego Padres | 5 | 2017 | 17 (2006) |
| Chicago Cubs | 5 | 2016 | 289 (2001) |
| Houston Astros | 5 | 2012 | 399 (2012) |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 4 | 2023 | 18 (2023) |
| Kansas City Royals | 4 | 2023 | 25 (1999) |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 4 | 2023 | 245 (1970) |
| Minnesota Twins | 4 | 2017 | 856 (2017) |
| New York Mets | 4 | 2017 | 99 (2007) |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 3 | 2021 | 101 (2021) |
| Miami Marlins | 2 | 2002 | 1163 (2002) |
| Texas Rangers | 1 | 2003 | 166 (2003) |
| Total | 161 | 2024 | 2 (2024) |
2025 SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS ON SALE NOW!
See the stars of tomorrow at David F. Couch Ballpark! For just $50 per seat, you can reserve your spot to see the next era of Pro Deacs in 2025. Place your deposit now by clicking here!
Follow The Deacs:
GoDeacs.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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