DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

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Ernesto  Ortiz founder and owner of Arizona Travel Ball grew up in Phoenix,  Arizona.  Ortiz attended and played baseball at Chaparral High School.   He was a 4-year letter winner in baseball and was part of the 2008  state championship team that was ranked 5th in the country.  Upon  graduation Ortiz received a Division I scholarship to play baseball at Gonzaga University where he went onto play and start in all 54 games as a  true freshman at shortstop.  He finished 3rd on the team with 15  doubles and 23 walks, while hitting .257 with three homeruns, and 23  RBI.  Produced a team best 12- game hitting streak and help lead the  program to a WCC regular season and tournament title and earning the  programs first berth to the 2009 NCAA Regional and national ranking.  Ortiz finished his playing career at Grand Canyon University, where he  earned 1st team All-Conference and All-West Region at shortstop after  hitting .340 with two homeruns, and a team leading 33 RBI.  He then went  onto play professional baseball for two seasons before committing to  coaching full time.  

His  coaching career began coaching club baseball in the valley for his  brothers’ team in 2012.  He then went on to coach two years at Apollo High School as an assistant coach on the varsity team.  In 2015, Ortiz  landed his first varsity head coaching position at Valley Vista High  School where he led his teams to a 40-24 overall record and earning two  berths to the 6A state playoffs in his two seasons at the helm.  Under  his guidance 14 players moved on to play at the collegiate level.  In  2017, Ortiz was hired to be the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Ottawa University Arizona where he helped lead the  program to the NCCAA College World Series in 2018.  Currently Ortiz is the head softball coach at Ottawa University Arizona.  In his first season he led the Spirit to a program record 34 wins.  

Ortiz  has coached and developed many players that have gone on to have  successful baseball careers at the collegiate and professional level.   He has a strong desire to work with athletes and help them reach their  full potential on and off the field.