Ortiz selected by St. Louis Cardinals in 16th round of MLB Draft

MORRISTOWN, TN – Deniel Ortiz joined a long line of MLB Draft picks from Walters State on Tuesday afternoon.

Ortiz was selected in the 16th round of the MLB Draft on Tuesday by the St. Louis Cardinals. Ortiz is the fourth Senator to be drafted by the Cardinals. Cody Poarch and Chris Costantino were selected by the Cardinals in 2011, while Mike Martin was taken by St. Louis in 1993. 

During his freshman season in 2023, Ortiz burst onto the scene. In 59 games, Ortiz hit .383 with 16 home runs and 55 RBI. He had an OBP of .538 and scored 76 runs. He was second in the conference in batting average and second in home runs.  

Ortiz was exceptional during his sophomore year in 2024, as well. Ortiz finished the season with a .391 batting average, 18 homers and 61 RBIs. Ortiz was first in the conference in home runs by six, first in runs batted in and third in batting average. Ortiz also led the conference in OBP at .532 and was second in walks with 48. He was first in the conference with 71 runs, as well. 

For his career, Ortiz hit .387 in 117 games. He hit 34 home runs and drove in 116 runs, while walking 91 times. He scored 147 runs and had a .535 OBP. 

Ortiz was named an All-TCCAA First Team member in 2023 and 2024 and an NJCAA Third Team All-American in 2024.