EASTON, Pa. - Jake Bloss '22 and Justin Johnson '22 of the Lafayette baseball team were selected in the third and tenth rounds of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Monday.

Bloss was selected with the 99^th pick in the third round by the Houston Astros. The Greensboro, N.C. native completed his Lafayette career amassing a 9-6 record in 23 appearances, with a 5.20 ERA and 121 strikeouts, while being named to the All-Patriot League First-Team. The Economics and Mathematics major's best season came in 2022 when he compiled a 6-3 record in 11 appearances, with a 3.57 ERA and tallying 61 strikeouts. Bloss spent the 2023 campaign as a graduate student at Georgetown. The righty appeared in 14 games, amassing an 8-4 record, with a 2.58 ERA and 96 strikeouts. After the season, Bloss was named First-Team All-Big East and Big East Pitcher of the Year, along with being selected a Second-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball News and a Third-Team All-American by Rawlings.

Johnson, who was selected with the 289^th pick in the tenth round by the Kansas City Royals, finished his Lafayette career with a .262 average, 91 hits, 24 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 33 RBIs while donning the Maroon and White. His finest year came in 2021 when the Economics and Mathematics major was named to the All-Patriot League First-Team, recording a .275 batting average, 28 hits, seven doubles, a triple and a home run, along with 13 RBIs. The Glen Gardner, N.J. native spent the 2023 season playing for Wake Forrest as a graduate student. Johnson batted .324 in 64 games, totaling 77 hits, 16 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs and 77 RBIs, along with being a First-Team All-ACC selection. During the NCAA Tournament, Johnson was named the Winston-Salem Regional Most Outstanding Player.

With the selection of Bloss and Johnson in this year's draft, the Lafayette Nine have now had 16 former Leopards selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, with the most recent selection prior to this year coming in 2016 when David Bednar '17 was selected as the 1044^th pick in the 35^th round by the San Diego Padres. Bednar is currently pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates.