Junior (2009): Ortega earned first team All-WAC accolades as a junior, where she played in 52 games and started 48 with 36 appearances in right field and 16 as the designated player. She went 52-for-139 in the box with a .374 batting average, 14 home runs, seven doubles and one triple. She had 43 RBIs, scored 28 runs, had a .741 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .429. Ortega’s 14 home runs are the second most in a season in school history and she had the third highest slugging percentage, fourth most RBIs and the fifth most total bases (103) ever in a year. Ortega was named the WAC Hitter of the Week for her efforts against San Jose State, April 10-11, as she led NM State to its first WAC sweep of the season. In the series she belted three home runs and had 10 RBIs. In the series opener, Ortega drove in a season-high six runs and hit a pair of homers, including a grand slam to lead the Aggies to their 11th run-rule victory of the season. In the series finale she smacked a three-run bomb, had four RBIs and scored three runs. Throughout the season Ortega recorded three, three-hit games. She also registered 14 multi-hit games, eight multi-RBIs games and her longest hitting streak was eight games that lasted from March 27 to April 18.
Sophomore (2008): Ortega played in 24 games for the Aggies in 2008, making 11 starts in leftfield and 13 appearances as the designated hitter. She hit 14-for-81 on the season, scored nine runs, hit five doubles and had one home run. Against Indiana State, Feb. 23, Ortega was a perfect 2-for-2 in the box, crossed the plate three times and had an RBI. Her other flawless performance at the dish was against Louisiana Tech, April 5, when she smashed a two-run home run over the left field fence. Ortega also led the team and the league in sacrifice flies with five.
Freshman (2007): Ortega was one of only three Aggies who played in all 58 games in 2007. She made 56 starts-39 at first base, 16 in right field and one as the designated player. She hit .307 on the year with 51 hits, seven doubles, six home runs and drove in 31 runs. Ortega made the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces All-Tournament Team after she hits .571 with eight hits, three doubles and drove in three runs. She tied for the team lead in walks with 20 and had a solid .984 fielding percentage. In a 7-6 victory over North Texas on Feb. 9, she went 3-for-3 at the plate with two doubles and two RBI, the first of her career. Her first career home run came against UT-Arlington in a 7-0 win on Feb. 17, as she went 2-for-3 in that game with three RBI. Ortega drove in a career-high four runs in the second game of a doubleheader at San Jose State on March 23, when she went 3-for-4 at the plate. Ortega has 13 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games in her first campaign as an Aggies.
High School: Ortega hit 16 home runs her junior year, setting a new state record in New Mexico. She led the state her senior year with eight home runs. At Gadsen High School (N.M.), she was part of the district champion team that went to regionals and state for the first time in the programs history under coaches Fernie Valles and Alex Lopez. She has been named to the all-district team since she was in eighth grade. Ortega earned honorable mention accolades in basketball. Vanessa Valles, her high school teammate joined Ortega at NMSU.
Personal: Ortega is the daughter of Blanca and Antonio Ortega and was born in Las Cruces, N.M. She is majoring in secondary education/physical education.
