HAMMOND, La. – Conner O'Neal and Brennan Stuprich were both selected Monday in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft by two of the most storied franchises in MLB history.
 
O'Neal was selected in the ninth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Stuprich was drafted in the 14^th round by the New York Yankees, the two participants in the 2024 World Series. The Yankees' 27 World Series titles are the most in history, while the Dodgers rank fifth with eight titles following their 2024 victory.
 
A senior from Waverly Hall, Georgia, O'Neal was the 285^th overall pick, becoming the 60^th in program history to be drafted.
 
O'Neal, one of the top power-hitting catchers in the nation, finished the season hitting .286 with six doubles, 14 home runs and 53 RBIs. He led the Southland in walks (52), ranking fourth in homers, along with eighth in both RBIs and OPS (1.030). O'Neal also ranked second in the conference with five sacrifice flies.
 
This past season, O'Neal earned both All-Southland and All-Louisiana honors.
 
He is the first Lion position player drafted since infielder Cody Grosse was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 30^th round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
 
Stuprich was the 434^th overall pick in the draft and the third SLU pitcher selected by the Yankees in the last five seasons, joining Will Warren (2021) and Andrew Landry (2023).
 
A native of Kenner, Louisiana, he compiled a 9-5 win-loss record, 109 strikeouts and a 2.90 ERA. Stuprich led the Southland Conference in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched. He also became the program's all-time leader in wins (tied), games started and innings pitched, along with finishing one strikeout shy of tying the SLU career record.
 
Stuprich previously picked up All-Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and All-America honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
 
He was also named the Southland Conference Baseball Student-Athlete of the Year and the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year, in addition to earning All-Southland and All-Louisiana honors.
 
O'Neal and Stuprich were the first two players drafted out of the Southland Conference this season.
 
DIAMOND CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the baseball program are encouraged to join the Diamond Club. Lion baseball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Diamond Club and the S Club (baseball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern baseball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or by visiting www.LionUp.com.
  
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Southeastern Baseball social media accounts (@LionUpBaseball) on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay engaged with the program.
 
The latest updates are also available at www.LionSports.net and the Lions Gameday Experience app. Available for both Android and iOS devices, the Gameday app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.