Junior Second Baseman Lands Second-Career Sunbelt Conference Accolade
The 2018 Preseason All-SBC First Team selection has started every game this year and currently ranks second in the league in fielding double plays (45) and assists (165).
NEW ORLEANS – Jonathan Ortega was named to the 2018 All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team, the league announced Monday afternoon.
The junior second baseman from Victoria, Texas, picked up All-SBC Second Team accolades for the second-straight year after a dominant 2018 campaign that built off an already stellar career.
The 2018 Preseason All-SBC First Team selection has started every game this year and currently ranks second in the league in fielding double plays (45) and assists (165).
He is also third in at-bats (223) and sacrifice flies (5), sixth in plate appearances (260) and eighth in total hits (65).
He owns a .291 batting average after finishing 65-for-223 in the regular season. He has also racked up 14 doubles, five home runs, 37 runs and 12 stolen bases.
He had just five errors for a career-high .983 fielding percentage, and also tallied a .422 slugging percentage and a .368 on-base percentage.
Ortega has already etched his name in the Bobcat baseball career record books, as he ranks fourth all-time in doubles (43), fifth in stolen bases (41), sixth in hits (218), total bases (318) and at-bats (714), 13th in runs scored (124) and 14th in games played (170).
Texas State has earned the No. 6 seed in the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Championship and will face No. 3 Troy in the quarterfinals at 4 p.m. May 23 at Russo Park in Lafayette, La.
2018 All-Sun Belt Conference First Team
Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina, Junior, SP)
Brian Eichhorn (Georgia Southern, Junior, SP)
Colten Schmidt (Louisiana, Senior, SP)
Justin Garcia (Little Rock, Senior, RP)
Nick Gatewood (Georgia State, Junior, C)
Kevin Woodall, Jr. (Coastal Carolina, Senior, 1B)
Cory Wood (Coastal Carolina, Sophomore, 2B)
Seth Lancaster (Coastal Carolina, Senior, SS)
Drew Frederic (Troy, Sophomore, 3B)
Dylan Hardy (South Alabama, Junior, OF)
Travis Swaggerty (South Alabama, Junior, OF)
Joey Denison (Troy, Senior, OF)
Jeremy Brown (Arkansas State, Senior, UTIL)
Zach Bierman (Coastal Carolina, Junior, DH)
2018 All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team
Hunter Gaddis (Georgia State, Sophomore, SP)
Tyler Carr (South Alabama, Senior, SP)
Andrew Crane (Troy, Senior, SP)
Matt Eardensohn (Coastal Carolina, Junior, RP)
Carter Perkins (South Alabama, Junior, C)
Kyle MacDonald (Arkansas State, Junior, 1B)
Jonathan Ortega (Texas State, Junior, 2B)
Matt Sanders (Troy, Senior, SS)
Brendan Donovan (South Alabama, Junior, 3B)
Parker Chavers (Coastal Carolina, Freshman, OF)
Daniel Lahare (Louisiana, Junior, OF)
Rigsby Mosley (Troy, Freshman, OF)
Kennon Fontenot (Louisiana, Senior, UTIL)
Ryan Glass (Georgia State, Freshman, DH)
Sun Belt Baseball Player of the Year
Joey Denison (Troy, Senior, OF)
Sun Belt Baseball Pitcher of the Year
Colten Schmidt (Louisiana, Senior, SP)
Sun Belt Baseball Freshman of the Year
Rigsby Mosley (Troy, Freshman, OF)
Sun Belt Baseball Newcomer of the Year
Kyle MacDonald (Arkansas State, Junior, 1B)
Sun Belt Baseball Ron Maestri Coach of the Year
Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina
