April 14, 2008

Daytona Beach, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman junior baseball player Jose Ortiz has been named as this week's Black College Baseball Player of the Week as announced on Monday afternoon.

Ortiz, a junior outfielder from Juncos, Puerto Rico, switched to the bottom of the batting order to this week in a move made by head coach Mervyl Melendez. He continued to swing a hot bat, and then vaulted himself back to the top of the batting order with a powerful swing this week.

Ortiz went 9-for-20 at the plate, and collected his first homerun since 2006 in the first game of a three-game series with viisiting conference foe Norfolk State. He helped the Wildcats to remain perfect in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play at 9-0.

Jose Ortiz was 3-for-4 against Norfolk State in the final game of the series as he helped the Wildcats to a series sweep of the Spartans. He was also instrumental in the 'Cats trying to knock-off defending Atlantic Sun champion Jacksonville University.

This is Ortiz's first Black College Baseball Player of the Week award, and the fourth for the Wildcats this year. Shortstop Jose Lozada has earned the illustrious weekly award three times earlier this seaosn.

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