Ortiz, Sosa and Henry join second team
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Led by Gold Glove pitcher Osvaldo Mendez, Kansas City Kansas Community College placed four players on the 2019 All-Jayhawk Conference second team.
Joining Mendez are designated hitter Jose Sosa, outfielder Tyler Henry and pitcher Orlando Ortiz, the lone sophomore among the quartet selected by conference coaches who could not vote for their own players.
A lefthander from Carolina, Puerto Rico, Mendez was the lone pitcher of the nine honorees earning a Gold Glove. Mendez had just two errors and 25 assists in 33 chances and picked a league-leading 15 runners off base.
The Blue Devils’ winningest pitcher at 7-3, Mendez struck out 66 and walked 34 in 63 innings, allowing 25 earned runs for a 4.26 ERA.
Ortiz, a righthander from Miami Beach, compiled a 6-2 record and led the team in complete games (4), strikeouts (80) and earned run average (3.53),
Sosa, who also saw considerable action at first base, was third in hitting at .350. From Hialeah, Florida, Sosa led the Blue Devils in hits (70) and runs batted (43) and shared the lead in extra base hits with 27.
An outfielder from Gardner-Edgerton, Henry led the Blue Devils in slugging (.613) while hitting .345. He also led in triples with eight, was second in RBI with 42 and tied for the lead in extra base hits with 27.
Region VI champion Cowley College, which won the Jayhawk East for the 13th time in the last 19 seasons, swept the top individual awards. Sophomore catcher Cody Milligan was named the Most Valuable Player, sophomore Brannon Jordan the Pitcher of the Year and Dave Burroughs Coach of the Year in his 32nd year at the Tiger helm. Johnson County pitcher Trey Ziegenbein was named Freshman of the Year.
JCCC had five first-team selections, Cowley four, Coffeyville two and Fort Scott, Highland, Labette and Allen one each. KCKCC led in second team picks with four while JCCC, Allen County, Neosho and Cowley had two selections each and Fort Scott one.