Former Regis Jesuit High School outfield standout Ethan O’Donnell went to the Cincinnati Reds Monday in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound O’Donnell — who played at the University of Virginia last season — got taken in the sixth round by Cincinnati with the 168th overall pick. The 21-year-old has a blend of power and speed that has been intriguing to scouts.
The Chicago-born O’Donnell played at Northwestern for two seasons and set the program record for doubles in a season as a sophomore (24, during a season in which he hit .320 with 10 homers and 39 RBI) before he made the move to play one season at Virginia.
In 65 starts with the Cavaliers, O’Donnell finished with a .354 batting average, while he collected 18 doubles and 13 home runs, drove in 57 runs and stole 18 bases. On top of that, O’Donnell scored 71 runs to put him seventh in the entire ACC.
At Regis Jesuit, O’Donnell hit .388 as a junior and earned All-Continental League second team honors. He hit a two-run home run and scored twice for coach Matt Darr’s team in a 8-3 game victory over Cherry Creek that secured the Class 5A state championship for the Raiders and he was selected for the 2019 Colorado Rockies Futures Game played at Coors Field.
“I’ve never been the most naturally-gifted player, but I’ve always had a work ethic that is unmatched,” O’Donnell told the Sentinel in 2020, after the coronavirus pandemic wiped out his senior season and a possible repeat for Regis Jesuit.
“I don’t see myself stopping,” added O’Donnell, whose goal at the time was to get a chance to play in the major leagues.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports