Ortiz Headlines 18 WAC Players Taken in 2019 MLB Draft
DENVER - NM State shortstop and WAC Player of the Year Joey Ortiz became the first WAC player taken in the 2019 MLB First Player Draft after the Baltimore Orioles took the junior with the first pick of the fourth round on Tuesday. In total, four players from the WAC were taken on Tuesday in rounds three through 10 and 14 more players were taken on Wednesday for the largest draft class since 2013.
Ortiz was taken with the 108th overall pick to become the highest ever pick in NM State baseball history. He is the third Aggie in the last four years to be picked in the top five rounds, joing Kyle Bradish (Rd. 4-Pick 121, Los Angeles Angels, 2018) and Daniel Johnson (Rd. 5-Pick 154, Washington Nationals, 2016).
CSU Bakersfield's Darius Vines was the second player taken as the Atlanta Braves took the right-handed pitcher in the seventh round with the 217th overall pick. Grand Canyon's Quin Cotton went in the eighth round as the Cincinnati Reds selected the outfield with the 234th pick. Sacramento State pitcher Austin Roberts went later in the eighth round, selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 244th pick.
Utah Valley right-hander Paxton Schultz was the first WAC player taken on Wednesday, going to the Milwaukee Brewers in the 14th round with the 433rd pick. The New York Yankees made CSU Bakersfield the first WAC school to have multiple players drafted, selecting Edgar Barclay in the 15th round with the 465th pick. GCU quickly became the second WAC school with multiple picks as Kona Quiggle went to the Detroit Tigers in the 16th round.
California Baptist earned its first draft pick as a Division I school in the 16th round as WAC Pitcher of the Year Logan Rinehart was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the 486th pick. Tournament champion Sacramento State was the third team from the WAC to get another pic as right-hander Tanner Dalton went to the Chicago Cubs in the 17th round.
Outfielder Preston Pavlica made Grand Canyon the first WAC school to get three players drafted after the Houston Astros took him in the 24th round. Sacramento State was the second team to get a third player drafted as Parker Brahms went to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 27th round. CSU Bakersfield's Jake Ortega was the first WAC catcher taken, going to the New York Mets in the 28th round.
CBU had its second player drafted in the 30th-round as two-way player Andrew Bash was selected as a pitcher by the Los Angeles Angels. The Baltimore Orioles became the first MLB club to draft two WAC players, taking Seattle U left-hander Jake Prizina with the first pick of the 31st round.
Two more players went in the 31st round as Grand Canyon third baseman Tyler Wyatt was selected by the San Francisco Giants with the 926th pick and NM State left-hander Andrew Edwards was selected by the New York Mets with the 928th pick.
UT Rio Grande Valley was the final of the regular season co-champions to see a player drafted as second baseman Anthony Gomez was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 34th round. GCU's Kade Mechals become the fifth Lope taken, going in the 40th round to the Miami Marlins.
| Round-Pick |
|
Team |
Player |
Pos. |
School |
| 4-108 |
|
Baltimore |
Joey Ortiz |
SS |
NM State |
| 7-217 |
|
Atlanta |
Darius Vines |
RHP |
CSU Bakersfield |
| 8-234 |
|
Cincinnati |
Quin Cotton |
OF |
Grand Canyon |
| 8-244 |
|
Pittsburgh |
Austin Roberts |
RHP |
Sacramento State |
| 14-433 |
|
Milwaukee |
Paxton Schultz |
RHP |
Utah Valley |
| 15-465 |
|
New York (AL) |
Edgar Barclay |
LHP |
CSU Bakersfield |
| 16-472 |
|
Detroit |
Kona Quiggle |
1B |
Grand Canyon |
| 16-486 |
|
Seattle |
Logan Rinehart |
RHP |
California Baptist |
| 17-522 |
|
Chicago (NL) |
Tanner Dalton |
RHP |
Sacramento State |
| 24-736 |
|
Houston |
Preston Pavlica |
OF |
Grand Canyon |
| 27-821 |
|
Los Angeles (NL) |
Parker Brahms |
RHP |
Sacramento State |
| 28-838 |
|
New York (NL) |
Jake Ortega |
C |
CSU Bakersfield |
| 30-901 |
|
Los Angeles (AL) |
Andrew Bash |
RHP |
California Baptist |
| 31-918 |
|
Baltimore |
Jake Prizina |
LHP |
Seattle U |
| 31-926 |
|
San Francisco |
Tyler Wyatt |
3B |
Grand Canyon |
| 31-928 |
|
New York (NL) |
Andrew Edwards |
LHP |
NM State |
| 34-1023 |
|
Washington |
Anthony Gomez |
2B |
UT Rio Grande Valley |
| 40-1191 |
|
Miami |
Kade Mechals |
RHP |
Grand Canyon |
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