By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
NATCHITOCHES – Dylan Marionneaux’s career arc is complete.
Marionneaux’s stairstep run at Northwestern State culminated Saturday with him becoming the Demons’ first Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft selection in three seasons when the Chicago Cubs selected him with their fourth-round pick.
A 6-foot-3, 165-pound right-handed pitcher from Zachary, Marionneaux became the fifth Demon to be drafted by the Cubs and the highest draft pick from Northwestern since Mason Melotakis went to the Minnesota Twins in the second round of the 2012 draft.
“It was surreal,” Marionneaux said. “You think, leading up to it, about what the phone call will be like. Then it happens, and all that you thought about goes out the window. It’s like, ‘Wow, this is actually happening.’”
Marionneaux’s fourth-round position – the 126th pick overall — makes him the fourth-highest draft pick in program history, following Bobby Hrapman (Cardinals, 1974), Brandon Emanuel (Angels, 1998) and Melotakis, all of whom were second-round picks.
Marionneaux was a first-team All-Southland Conference selection after a season in which he went 4-2 with a 3.51 ERA while leading the conference in regular-season innings pitched (84 2-3) and in conference games (69.0). He finished the season third in the league in strikeouts (81) and in opponent’s batting average (.233).
Marionneaux was a three-time Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week during the 2026 season and earned another weekly award after throwing a complete-game shutout at New Orleans during the 2025 season.
Marionneaux tossed three complete games across the past two seasons and worked nine scoreless innings at McNeese in his final regular-season start of the 2026 season. That was one of six starts in which Marionneaux worked at least seven innings during his junior year.
After shuttling between the starting rotation and the bullpen in each of his first two seasons, Marionneaux emerged as Northwestern’s most consistent and reliable starting pitcher as a junior. He made a team- and career-high 14 starts and set additional career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts.
“It’s a true testament to the work I put in leading up to this,” Marionneaux said. “I feel the best baseball I have is ahead of me. Now, this is the start of the journey. There’s no reason to settle down. My best baseball’s in front of me. That’s the mindset I have. There’s still so much work to do to be in the position I want to be in.”
Marionneaux is the first Demon draftee since Alex Makarewich was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 13th round of the 2023 draft. He joins Kevin Needham (22nd round, 1996), Terry Joseph (13th round, 1995), Rolando Fernandez (45th round, 1990) and Vaughn Williams (18th round, 1987) as Demons who have been drafted by the Cubs.
The relationship between the Cubs and Marionneaux began in the fall with the team maintaining interest and contact throughout Marionneaux’s breakout season.
“They were honestly probably the first team that talked to me,” Marionneaux said. “It’s neat to see that they were the ones who followed me throughout the whole year, and it worked out the way it did.”