RENTON, WASH. – Sounders FC today selected three players in the MLS SuperDraft 2025, adding midfielder Ryan Baer from West Virginia in the first round (28th overall), defender Demian Alvarez from Seattle University in the second round (58th overall) and forward Trace Terry from Bowling Green University in the third round (76th overall). All three players are currently unsigned to the First Team.
“We are excited to have selected Ryan, Demian and Trace in this year’s SuperDraft,” said General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel. “All three players have shown promise in their collegiate play, and we look forward to seeing how they could potentially fit into our organization in the future.”
Baer, 23, appeared in 92 matches (87 starts) over five seasons at West Virginia, tallying seven assists and was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team and the All-Southeast Region First Team. He appeared in 20 of West Virginia’s 22 regular-season games (19 starts) in 2024, logging 1,578 minutes and recording an assist against Georgia Southern (October 11, 2024) while helping the Mountaineers win the Sun Best Conference men’s soccer tournament in a penalty-kick shootout. He appeared in 72 additional matches (68 starts) from 2020-2023 and his 92 matches played are the most in West Virginia history.
Alvarez, 22, appeared in 73 matches (67 starts) over the course of his collegiate career, playing at Seattle Pacific University from 2021-2022 before transferring to Seattle University from 2023-2024. He started all 19 of his matches last year for the Redhawks and was named the 2024 WAC Defensive Player of the Year, as well as a member of the 2024 All-WAC First Team. The Chico, California native scored a goal in a 3-0 win over San Jose State in the WAC Tournament final where he was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He started all 19 of his matches during the 2023 season as well and was named Second Team All-WAC. While at Seattle Pacific, Alvarez appeared in 35 matches (29 starts) from 2021-2022 and scored four goals, winning the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2021 and was named to the GNAC All-Conference First Team in 2022. The defender also played for local USL League Two team Ballard FC from 2023-2024, appearing in 29 matches (22 starts) and helping the club win the USL League Two national championship in 2023.
Terry, 21, recently finished his junior season at Bowling Green University, staring all 18 of his appearances while scoring 12 goals and tallying eight assists, including a brace in back-to-back games against Bradley (September 21, 2024) and Eastern Illinois (September 24, 2024). The forward was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team as well as to the All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team. From 2022-2023, he appeared in 36 matches (21 starts) for Bowling Green, scoring six goals and amassing six assists and was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Second Team following the Falcons’ 2022 campaign.
Sounders FC begins its 2025 campaign on the road in Concacaf Champions League action at Guatemalan side Antigua GFC on Wednesday, February 19 (5:00 p.m. PT) before opening the MLS regular season against Charlotte FC on Saturday, February 22 on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV).
TRANSACTION: Seattle selects West Virginia midfielder Ryan Baer with the 28th overall pick in the first round, Seattle University defender Demian Alvarez with the 58th overall pick in the second round and Bowling Green University forward Trace Terry with the 76th overall pick in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft 2025 (all currently unsigned to the First Team roster).
Full Name: Ryan Baer
Pronunciation: Bear
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-8
Weight: 142
Hometown: Huntersville, North Carolina
Date of Birth: May 29, 2001, in Huntersville, North Carolina
Nationality: USA
Acquired: Drafted 28th overall in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft 2025 on December 20, 2024
Full Name: Demian Alvarez
Position: Defender
Height: 6-3
Weight: 178
Hometown: Chico, California
Date of Birth: March 26, in Chico, California
Nationality: USA
Acquired: Drafted 58th overall in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft 2025 on December 20, 2024
Full Name: Trace Terry
Position: Forward
Height: 6-2
Weight: 184
Hometown: Bellbrook, Ohio
Date of Birth: October 19, 2003, in Kettering, Ohio
Nationality: USA
Acquired: Drafted 81st overall in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft 2025 on December 20, 2024
