Former Wrangler Ivan Melendez selected in Second Round of the MLB Draft

Former Odessa College Wrangler baseball player Ivan Melendez was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft on Sunday. The El Paso native was the 43rd overall pick in the 2022 Draft.

Melendez was a standout player at Odessa College from 2018-2020. He was named to the NJCAA All-American Third Team, All Region 5, and All-Conference teams as a freshman. He transferred to the University of Texas where he helped guide the Longhorns to consecutive trips to Omaha and the College World Series.

In 2021, he was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 16th round but chose to return to Texas to improve his draft stock. In 2022, Melendez hit .387 for the Longhorns and captured the Golden Spikes Award, which is college baseball's version of the Heisman Trophy. Melendez also won the Dick Howser Trophy and was named National Player of the Year by Baseball America, D1 Baseball, Collegiate Baseball, ABCA and Perfect Game. He broke the Longhorns' single season home run record, smashing 32 home runs - the most in Division I baseball since 2003.