Xavier University lefty Nolan Hughes drafted by Washington Nationals in 16th round

Xavier baseball has now had a player selected in 10 consecutive full Major League Baseball drafts (the 2020 draft was shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic) after left-hander Nolan Hughes was selected in the 16th round (470th overall) Tuesday afternoon.

Hughes, a 6-foot-5 left-hander from Halifax, Massachusetts, went 5-3 last season for the Musketeers, posting a 4.33 ERA over a team-high 24 appearances. Hughes also led Xavier in strikeouts, punching out 65 over just 35 1/3 innings. Hughes transferred from Fordham, where he posted a 2-3 record and an 8.12 ERA with 67 strikeouts over 47 2/3 innings as a sophomore in 2023.

Hughes came up clutch for Xavier in the first round of the Big East Tournament. Top-seeded UConn had the game-winning run at third with one out before Hughes came out of the bullpen to strike out back-to-back hitters to send the game to extra innings, where Xavier would pull out a 3-2 win.

Hughes is the first Musketeer to be drafted by the Nationals since fellow southpaw Danny Rosenbaum, a Loveland High School product and teammate of current Xavier coach Billy O'Conner, went to Washington in the 22nd round in 2009.

Only two Xavier players − Ethan Bosacker (13th round to Kansas City in 2023) and Conor Grammes (5th round to Arizona in 2019) − were drafted higher than Hughes since Zac Lowther went in the second round to Baltimore in 2017.