Longhorns slugger, former Coronado standout Ivan Melendez by Miami Marlins in 16th Round
EL PASO, Texas -- Ivan Melendez has officially been drafted by an MLB franchise, but now the wait begins to see if he will sign his professional contract.
Melendez, the El Paso native and Texas Longhorns star infielder, was selected Wednesday by the Miami Marlins in the 16th round (#479 overall) of the MLB Draft.
An alum of Coronado High School, Melendez hit .319 with 13 home runs in his first year with the Longhorns after transferring in from Odessa Junior College.
Despite Melendez's selection, he may opt to return to college for another season with Texas and aim to improve his stock for next year's draft. Melendez has until August 1st to sign with the Marlins, or decide to go back to school.
The team leader in home runs for the Longshorns, Melendez had a streak in which he went six straight games with a home run to put himself on the national map.
A late-season slump saw Melendez's average drop slightly, but he came through with one of the most memorable hits of this year's College World Series. With his team facing elimination, Melendez hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the 9th inning to seal a victory over eventual National Champion Mississippi State.
Melendez told ABC-7's Nate Ryan that he had surgery on his hand following the College World Series, but the recovery time is about 6-8 weeks.
Regardless, Melendez becomes the first El Pasoan to be selected in the MLB Draft since Americas High School shortstop Darrell Hernaiz went in the 5th round in 2019.
