LJ Mercurius Leads Pair of NYS Alumni Drafted

Oklahoma right-handed pitcher LJ Mercurius was one of two NYS alumni selected in the 2026 MLB Draft, along with catcher Anthony Marnell IV out of San Diego State.

With the 148th overall pick in the fifth round, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Mercurius, who is fresh off a stellar College World Series run that resulted in the Sooners becoming National Champions.

Appearing in seven NCAA Tournament games, Mercurius allowed just three earned runs across 22.2 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts. This included a dazzling performance in the championship-clinching game over North Carolina, where he allowed just one earned run over 5.2 innings of work while tallying five strikeouts.

Mercurius spent one season as a Sooner, following his brother Xander to Oklahoma after multiple seasons with UNLV. In 83.1 total innings pitched this year, the former Faith Lutheran product amassed a 4.43 ERA with a 7-7 record and a 103/27 strikeout to walk ratio.

With the 591st overall pick in the 20th round, the Athletics selected Anthony Marnell IV, who is a former Bishop Gorman product that spent a season each at San Diego State, CSN, and Oregon State. In 52 games played this year, Marnell slashed .257/.333/.389 with 4 home runs, 24 runs scored, and 30 runs batted in for the Aztecs.

Fittingly, both Mercurius and Marnell will return to the desert as they begin the next chapter of their baseball careers. We at Nevada Youth Sports congratulate LJ and Anthony on hearing their names called in the 2026 MLB Draft, and we can’t wait to watch their continued development and success at the next level.