ATLANTA – A trio of Old Dominion baseball pitchers are headed to the pros as Dylan Brown, Ben Moore, and Blake Morgan all heard their names called on Monday during the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft.
Brown went to the Boston Red Sox with the 238th pick of the eighth round, Moore was selected by the Washington Nationals with the 351st pick of the 12th round, and Morgan was taken by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 567th pick of the 19th round.
It marks the second time in the last four years that ODU has had three Monarchs drafted. The 2022 MLB Draft saw Noah Dean go to the Red Sox in the fifth round, Matt Coutney to the Los Angeles Angels in the 10th round, and Andy Garriola to the Chicago Cubs in the 17th round.
Brown made 37 starts and 48 appearances in his three seasons as a Monarch. He finishes his collegiate career with a 10-7 record, a 4.93 ERA, and 185 strikeouts in 168 innings pitched.
For 2025, he finished as the Sun Belt leader with 11.20 strikeouts per nine innings. He was also fourth in the league with 102 strikeouts, becoming the first Monarch to top the century mark since Kyle Hald recorded 108 strikeouts in 2011. He also posted a 5-2 record, a 4.06 ERA, and held opposing batters to a .242 average through 15 starts this spring.
The Lansdale, Pennsylvania native was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Dick Howser Trophy National Pitcher of the Week on February 25 after tossing eight shutout innings at Charlotte on February 22. Brown collected his first win of the season and set a new career high with 13 strikeouts. The outing also secured him Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week honors.
In ODU’s first-round Sun Belt tournament game against Troy on May 21, the junior left hander helped the Monarchs upset the then-No. 22 Trojans, 4-2. He allowed just two runs on four hits while striking out nine in a 6.2-inning start.
Brown is the second Monarch in the past four years to be drafted by the Red Sox after they selected Dean in 2022. Dean is currently with Boston’s High-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive, alongside fellow ODU alumni John Holobetz. Holobetz was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth round of last year’s draft, but was acquired by the Red Sox in early May.
In his three seasons in Norfolk, Moore posted a 6-8 record with one save, a combined 4.45 ERA, and 122 strikeouts. The left-handed hurler led the Monarchs with a 1.88 ERA and a 2-1 record in 2023, leading to him being named a Freshman All-American by Perfect Game.
Moore went 2-6 with one save and a 6.64 ERA in 12 starts and 16 appearances in 2025. He finished third on the team with 59 strikeouts in 63.2 innings of work.
The Frederick, Maryland native picked up the win in ODU’s series opener versus Georgia State on March 21. He held the Panthers to just one run on two hits and struck out a pair in a five-inning start. His other win came at Georgia Southern on April 11 when he limited the Eagles to two runs on three hits and two walks. Moore finished that outing with five strikeouts in as many innings.
Moore is just the second Monarch to be drafted by Washington after the Nationals selected catcher Pat Nichols in the 16th round of the 2006 Draft.
Morgan finishes his collegiate career with an 18-10 record and a combined 4.21 ERA in his four years as a Monarch. He made 53 starts in 58 appearances and amassed 217 strikeouts through 252.1 innings.
In 2025, Morgan finished 5-4 with a 4.62 ERA in 15 starts. He finished second on the team with 68 strikeouts and pitched a complete game in a win over Marshall on May 4. The lefty held The Herd to two runs on seven hits, struck out seven, and issued just two walks to help the Monarchs capture the rubber match.
The Marlton, New Jersey native got off to a solid start in Norfolk in 2022. He racked up four Freshman All-American nods, was named to the ABCA Second Team All-Region, and was voted the Conference USA Freshman of the Year. That season saw him go 8-0 with a 1.69 ERA, good for sixth in the country, in 16 games and 13 starts.
Morgan is the second Monarch to be drafted by the Rays after Tampa Bay selected shortstop Zach Rutherford in the sixth round of the 2017 Draft.