Longhorns Country

Texas Slugger Ivan Melendez Announces Return For 2022

After being selected late in the 2021 MLB Draft, Texas Longhorns Slugger Ivan Melendez is returning to the 40 Acres for next season

Matt Galatzan

Texas Slugger Ivan Melendez Announces Return For 2022
Texas Slugger Ivan Melendez Announces Return For 2022 /

The Texas Longhorns said goodbye to a handful of key players after the 2021 MLB draft this month, including star pitcher Ty Madden, who was selected in the first round by the Detroit Tigers. 

On Wednesday, however, Texas got some extremely good news on the 2022 roster front, when slugger Ivan Melendez announced his intentions return to the 40 Acres next season.

"I wanted to thank the Miami Marlins for selecting me in this year's draft, but I will be returning to Texas this fall," Melendez said via Twitter. "I also wanted to congratulate my teammates who have been selected and chosen to move on with their careers."

READ MORE: Former Longhorn PJ Tucker Is An NBA Champion

A redshirt sophomore out of Coronado high school in El Paso, Texas, Melendez was the Longhorns' most feared hitter in the lineup all season, showing an unmatched skill for power and dominance at the plate.

In 58 games with the Longhorns this season, Melendez finished with 65 hits in 204 at-bats, scoring 38 runs and hitting 51 RBI, while drawing 34 walks.

READ MORE: Texas Longhorns WR Troy Omeire Works Out With Cardinals, Former Texans Star DeAndre Hopkins In Houston 

Melendez also ended the season with a batting average of .319, hitting 13 doubles, three triples, and 13 home runs.

Melendez was huge for the Longhorns in Omaha, keeping the season alive with a clutch home run against Mississippi State in the semi-finals.

Just a sophomore with plenty of room to improve, Melendez will now have the opportunity to hone his skills as he attempts to both improve his draft stock and bring a national championship to Austin in 2022.

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.

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