BEAUMONT, Texas — On the final day of the Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday, Lamar University pitcher Travis Lutz was selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the 17th round with the 513th overall pick.

Lutz earned Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year honors and was named second-team All-Southland.

He became the first Lamar player to receive the conference's Newcomer of the Year award since Sam Bumpers in 2013.

In his lone season at Lamar, Lutz went 4-3 with a 3.26 ERA, 68 strikeouts, two saves and a 1.10 WHIP in 16 appearances, including nine starts. He logged 60.2 innings on the mound.

Lutz was dominant during the Southland Conference tournament, posting a 2.57 ERA over two starts while pitching 14 innings and striking out 17 batters.

In Game 1 of the championship series against McNeese, he struck out 10 over seven innings, allowing one walk, to earn All-Tournament team honors.

A transfer from Bradley University, Lutz spent three seasons with the Braves after beginning his collegiate career at Illinois Central College.

During his time at Bradley, he recorded 161 strikeouts across 29 starts and 42 appearances.

A two-way player in 2024, Lutz also saw action as a designated hitter, collecting 12 hits, including four doubles and one home run, while driving in 10 runs in 54 at-bats.

Lutz also excelled in summer ball, compiling a 4-0 record with a 2.63 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 41 innings over 10 starts with the Wausau Woodchucks of the Northwoods League during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Before transferring to Bradley, Lutz helped Illinois Central College finish third at the 2022 Region XXIV tournament.

He appeared in 12 games, posting a 4-3 record with one save and 57 strikeouts in 65 innings. At the plate, he batted .313 with six home runs, four doubles and 16 RBIs.

Lutz became the 93rd player in program history to be selected in the MLB Draft and extended Lamar's streak of having at least one player drafted to four consecutive years dating back to 2023.

He also became the 59th pitcher drafted in program history. Four of Lamar's last five draft selections have been pitchers.

Lutz is the first Cardinal drafted by the Cleveland organization since William Delage in 2006 and the fifth Lamar player selected by the franchise overall.

He was one of five Southland Conference players selected in this year's MLB Draft.

Other Southland players drafted:

• Northwestern State pitcher Dylan Marrionneaux (4-2 record with a 3.51 ERA and 81 strikeouts) (Fourth round, 126th overall | Chicago Cubs)
• McNeese pitcher Eric Nachtsheim (8-4 record with a 3.39 ERA and 129 strikeouts) (Sixth round, 179th overall | San Francisco Giants)
• Nicholls pitcher Dalton Hill (One save with a 1.35 ERA and 19 strikeouts) (13th round, 389th overall | Kansas City Royals)
• Houston Christian catcher Luke Bard (.345 average in 36 starts with 48 hits, 10 doubles and 22 RBIs | Los Angeles Dodgers)

FAMILIAR NAME: Former Lamar University outfielder Damian Ruiz, the 2025 Southland Conference Hitter of the Year, was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth round of the MLB Draft with the 272nd overall pick … A first-team All-Southland selection, Ruiz batted .388 during his lone season with the Cardinals, recording 83 hits, 22 doubles, seven home runs, 46 RBIs and 76 runs scored … Ruiz rewrote the Lamar record book in 2025, setting single-season program records for longest hitting streak (32 games), longest on-base streak (49 games) and runs scored … Following his season at Lamar, Ruiz transferred to Arkansas, where he hit .309 in 2026 with 60 hits, five home runs and 30 RBIs.