2023 Amsterdam Mohawks shortstop Marek Houston was recently named a First Team Pre-Season All-American by
D1baseball.com. The Wake Forest product is currently projected to be a first round pick in July's MLB Draft. In 2023, Marek arrived to Amsterdam late as Wake Forest made it to the final game of the College World Series, losing to Paul Skenes and LSU. For the Mohawks, he hit .429 in 17 games, arriving after setting a Wake Forest freshman record by playing in 65 games.
D1Baseball.com recently spoke about Marek, "Marek Houston is the best defensive shortstop in America, with superb range, instincts, hands and arm strength. But he is also coming on strong offensively — he made a huge leap from freshman year to sophomore year, and Walter (Wake Forest Head Coach) said he’s made just as big a leap from sophomore year to junior year, after spending the summer with Team USA and on the Cape. Building a roster around a premier player at one of the most important up-the-middle positions is an incredible luxury."
Below is the First Team All-American List:
C Jacob Ference, Virginia
1B Jared Jones, LSU
2B Henry Godbout, Virginia
3B Daniel Cuvet, Miami
SS Marek Houston, Wake Forest
OF Drew Burress, Georgia Tech
OF Cam Cannarella, Clemson
OF Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M
DH Nolan Schubart, Oklahoma State
If selected in the first round in July, Houston will become the third former Mohawk since 2020 to be a first round pick, joining Justin Foscue of Mississippi State (2020) and Matt Shaw of Maryland (2023).
Of note, Marek is a 2nd generation Mohawk, as his dad Mark Houston played for the Mohawks in 1992 and 1993 while playing at Army. He played for then Head Coach Brian Spagnola, currently the team's President.