Day 2 of the MLB Draft saw two members of the East Carolina baseball team selected.
Below are press releases from ECU Sports Information with more information on Dixon Williams and Ethan Young.
Photo credits: Dixon Williams and Ethan Young (MLB photo illustrations)
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East Carolina junior INF Dixon Williams was taken in the fourth round (136 overall) of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft Monday by the Atlanta Braves. He represents the 29th Pirate draft pick under head coach Cliff Godwin.
Williams is the first ECU player selected in the 2025 MLB Draft from the Pirates and is the 132nd in program history. He joins a list of former Pirates that include Richard “Rooster” Narron (1966), Bobby Supel (1978) and Glenn Tucker (2003) who have been picked by the Braves organization.
The Greenville, N.C. native closed out his collegiate career starting all 62 games where he batted .299 (66-for-221) leading the team in 10 offensive categories including home runs (14), RBI (51), doubles (12), total bases (124), walks (49), sac flies (three), stolen bases (22), steal attempts (25), hit by pitches (15) and total plate appearances (291). Williams, who ranks fourth on the single-season charts in hit by pitches and fifth in walks, also stood among the Pirate Top 5 in at-bats (second), batting average (fifth), hits (second), on-base percentage (second/.451) and slugging percentage (second/.561).
He tallied 16 multi-hit games to go along with 12 multi-RBI contests and finished the 2025 season having reached base in 21 consecutive games, which began in the series opener against Tulane on April 25. Williams earned inclusion on the 2025 American Athletic All-Tournament Team after helping the Pirates to their fourth tournament title since joining the league in 2015 after batting .313 (5-for-16) with a home run, two doubles, three RBI and seven runs scored.
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East Carolina junior pitcher Ethan Young was selected in the fifth round (150 overall) of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft Monday by the St. Louis Cardinals. He represents the 30th Pirate draft pick under head coach Cliff Godwin.
Young is the second ECU player selected in the 2025 MLB Draft from the Pirates and is the 133rd in program history. He joins a list of former Pirates that include Seth Maness (2011), Evan Kruczynski (2017), Chris Holba (2018), Alec Burleson (2020), Thomas Francisco (2021) and Tyler Bradt (2023) who have been picked by the Cardinals organization.
The Harrisburg, N.C. native appeared in 23 games during his lone year with the club making one start. He posted a 5-0 record with three saves while sporting a 3.84 ERA over 70.1 innings with 92 strike outs. Young stood among the Pirate Top 5 in strikeouts (second), strikeouts looking (second), innings pitched (t2nd.70.1), saves (t2nd), wins (t2nd), ERA (third), games finished (fourth/six) and opponent batting average (t4th/.224).
Young worked three or more innings of relief on 15 occasions and notched wins against Virginia Tech, William & Mary, UNC Wilmington, UAB and South Florida, while recording saves versus Old Dominion, Memphis and South Florida. His lone start came against Tulane in a 15-5 victory where he works two innings allowing five runs on two hits. In the backend of a double header against William & Mary, the right-hander stuck out a season-best 10 where he allowed one run over 4.1 frames.
East Carolina Draft Selections Under Cliff Godwin
2015 – Reid Love, Baltimore Orioles (10th Round/Pick 313)
2015 – Luke Lowery, Arizona Diamondbacks (14th Round/Pick 406)
2015 – David Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers (20th Round/Pick 601)
2017 – Evan Kruczynski, St. Louis Cardinals (Ninth Round/Pick 274)
2018 – Dwanya Williams-Sutton, San Diego Padres (Fifth Round/Pick 141)
2018 – Chris Holba, St. Louis Cardinals (11th Round, Pick 333)
2018 – Connor Litton, Philadelphia Phillies (20th Round/Pick 587)
2019 – Jake Agnos, New York Yankees (Fourth Round/Pick 135)
2019 – Bryant Packard, Detroit Tigers (Fifth Round/Pick 142)
2019 – Spencer Brickhouse, Arizona Diamondbacks (Seventh Round/Pick 212)
2019 – Trey Benton, Cleveland Indians (15th Round/Pick 460)
2019 – Evan Voliva, New York Yankees (18th Round/Pick 555)
2019 – Turner Brown, Colorado Rockies (19th Round/Pick 579)
2019 – Jake Washer, Chicago Cubs (29th Round/Pick 882)
2020 – Alec Burleson, St. Louis Cardinals (Second Round/Pick 70)
2021 – Gavin Williams, Cleveland Indians (First Round/Pick 23)
2021 – Connor Norby, Baltimore Orioles (Second Round/Pick 41)
2021 – Thomas Francisco, St. Louis Cardinals (19th Round/Pick 571)
2022 – Carson Whisenhunt, San Francisco Giants (Second Round/Pick 66)
2022 – Zach Agnos, Colorado Rockies (10th Round/Pick 296)
2023 – Josh Grosz, New York Yankees (11th Round/Pick 342)
2023 – Tyler Brandt, St. Louis Cardinals (16th Round/Pick 485)
2024 – Trey Yesavage, Toronto Blue Jays (First Round/Pick 20)
2024 – Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, Miami Marlins (Eighth Round/Pick 244)
2024 – Ryan McCrystal, Cincinnati Reds (Ninth Round/Pick 269)
2024 – Carter Cunningham, Toronto Blue Jays (10th Round/Pick 307)
2024 – Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman, Seattle Mariners (16th Round/Pick 483)
2024 – Erik Ritcher, Philadelphia Phillies (19th Round/Pick 582)
2025 – Dixon Williams, Atlanta Braves (Fourth Round/Pick 136)
2025 – Ethan Young, St. Louis Cardinals (Fifth Round/Pick 150)