Baseball | 11/5/2025 4:42:00 PM

The 2025 Navy/Red World Series Draft is in the books and it was a doozy.  The Navy Team Captains:  Ty Johnsen and Dakoda West were victorious in the Trailblazer Trivia Challenge and chose to take the first pick in the draft. With that move they selected "Mr. No-Brainer" Ryan Kroepel. Ryan, a junior righthanded pitcher/infielder from Poway, California has had a solid fall with the bat and his right arm. Kroepel became the 3^rd player in history to be a first rounder, twice. The Red Captains:  Ryan Martinez and Andrew Pyle selected second and picked two middle infielders, "The Truth" Kyle McDaniel and "Kyle's best friend" Petey Soto Jr. McDaniel has lit it up this fall with the glove and the bat. Kyle comes off a sophomore campaign that saw him bat .367 with 15 extra base hits and 10 stolen bases in '25.  Soto Jr. was one of the top defenders in the country last year and after a shaky start to the '25 fall, he has found his glove and his bat is as good as it has ever been.  
 
With the first round completed, the Captain's had a chance to reflect on their first round picks. "Kroepel…brings an electric bat that will produce and will be able to give us some lockdown innings on the bump to help lead our team to victory," stated Ty Johnsen, Navy captain. Andrew Pyle of Red said, "Being able to add two premium middle infielders with our first picks was an easy decision. Having two veterans up the middle who can handle the bat as well made the most sense to set us up for the rest of the draft."  "Each team clearly had a plan and executed that plan. It is obvious how much each team values defense through the middle of the field with their early picks." Stated World Series commissioner Chris Pfatenhauer.
            
Navy had the chance to pick two players in the second round and cashed in with two solid picks:  sophomore outfielder Finnegan Stewart (Anaheim Hills, CA) and first baseman Miller "Roy" Durham (San Diego, CA/Las Vegas, NV/San Diego, CA/Las Vegas, NV…Nobody knows). Stewart splashed on the scene in '25 hitting .282 with 18 extra base hits and Durham has swung a hot bat this fall and really flashed the leather at 1B. Durham slugged .333 and had 51 RBI in '25 at College of Southern Nevada. Red continued to stack up position players, selecting sophomore Cooper Smith and senior Kace Naone in the second round. Smith saw limited time in 2025 but has been one of the top hitters for the Trailblazers this fall. Naone brings a wealth of experience to the Red squad with over 400 collegiate at-bats. Naone hit .261 with 27 RBI in '25 and both he and Smith can play multiple defensive positions. 
 
As the captains built their rosters through night one of the draft, it was clear that each team had their priorities. Navy went heavy on arms, drafting four pitchers in their last six picks. Johnsen and West selected Brandon Kosel (JR, RHP, Albuquerque, NM) to start the 3^rd round, Aaron Morris (JR, RHP, Washington, UT) and Dakota Gray (SR, RHP, Rancho Cucamonga, CA) in the 4^th round, and Bryce Intagliata (SO, LHP, Mesquite, NV) in the 5^th. Kosel was an All-Arizona CC guy in 2025, posting a 6-3 record with a 3.87 ERA for the Fighting Artichokes of Scottsdale CC. Morris and Gray are returners that combined for 39 appearances in 2025. Intagliata saw time as a starting pitcher at CSI in '25, posting 5 wins and 61 strikeouts for the Golden Eagles. Navy added two dynamic outfielders and cornered the market on centerfielders by adding freshman Mays Madsen (McGwire's brother) in the 3^rd round and Hudson Manwaring (JR, SLC, UT) in the 5^th. Mays was the 2024 6A Baseball Players of the year, helping lead Lehi HS to a State Championship and was also crowned the 2025 6A State Football Offensive POY. Manwaring had a breakout year at SLCC in 2025, helping lead the Bruins to an NJCAA National Championship, the SWAC's first since 2004, when Dixie State won the Natty. "We got some big bats and strong arms. The squad is stacked, the energy is right, and we are ready to roll." – West stated. 
 
Red turned their attention to the mound with three of their last four picks of night one, selecting righty Tyler Ray and lefties Brock Roundy and David Sheppard. Ray had a tremendous year in '25 and pitched in every role imaginable. Tyler finished his first year in the navy and red with three wins and a 5.02 ERA. Roundy, who hails from Southern Utah, comes off a junior campaign that saw him tally wins against in-state rivals BYU and Utah. Sheppard is a true freshman who brought some hardware with him from Goodyear, AZ. David was the Arizona 6A Pitcher of the Year and has continued that dominance this fall. Red's other night one picks were Gavin Long (SR, OF, Santa Maria, CA) in the 3^rd round and Bryan Martinez (JR, OF Huntington Beach, CA) in the 5^th. Long seems to have reinvented himself coming into his senior year and Martinez is a power bat that can really hit. Long saw some time in '25 but has really come into his own this fall, clubbing .462 while playing all three outfield positions. Martinez comes to "The Valley of the Gods" via Golden West College, where he was selected as a Rawlings ABCA All-American in 2025. "We are proud of our picks on day one and we are confident in our hitters to bang and our arms to dominate." – Martinez. 
 
            "You would have to say that Navy has a slight edge right now from a pitching standpoint, but Red did a nice job with their bats.  Depth and toughness will be the biggest and final determining factor in this Series," stated Pfatenhauer.  Game one of the World Series is Tuesday, November 11 at 4:37pm at Hurst Field.