3 players with Southern Nevada ties selected in MLB draft

By Alex Wright Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 months ago

Texas A&M's Chris Cortez (10) pitches against Tennessee in the third inning of Game 2 of th ... — Texas A&M’s Chris Cortez (10) pitches against Tennessee in the third inning of Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Basic shortstop Ty Southisene (3) celebrates after scoring during a high school baseball game against Faith Lutheran on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Basic’s Ty Southisene smiles before batting against Bishop Gorman during a high school baseball game at Bishop Gorman High School on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt

Three baseball players with Southern Nevada ties were selected in the first two days of the 2024 MLB draft.

Former Silverado standout Chris Cortez, who pitched for Texas A&M, was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the second round with the 45th overall pick Sunday.

Basic shortstop Ty Southisene was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round with the 120th overall pick Monday. The Toronto Blue Jays drafted UNLV right-hander and Coronado graduate Austin Cates not long after in the seventh round with the 217th overall pick.

Cortez, a first-team All-Southern Nevada pitcher as a senior in 2021, posted a 10-3 record with a 2.78 ERA at Texas A&M this season as a junior. The 6-foot-1 right-hander struck out 102 batters over 64⅔ innings.

Southisene, a two-time first-team All-Southern Nevada infielder, hit .495 with 24 RBIs last season. He has committed to play college baseball at Tennessee, though he will now have to decide whether to play for the reigning College World Series champion Volunteers or turn pro.

Cates had a 6-5 record with a 4.08 ERA this season, his first with the Rebels. He was an All-Mountain West first-team selection after striking out 107 batters in 90⅓ innings. The Henderson native played two seasons at the College of Southern Nevada before joining UNLV.

The MLB draft concludes Tuesday with rounds 11-20. One local player that could still hear his name called is Bishop Gorman catcher Burke Mabeus. The Oregon commit was considered one of the draft’s top 250 prospects by ESPN and MLB.com.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.