Waxahachie, TX | April 9, 2026 — Excellence isn't just measured between the lines for Nelson University baseball standout Andrew "Drew" Ortiz, it's built in the classroom, earned through discipline, and finished at the top. Ortiz has been named the recipient of the Criminal Justice Program Award for Consistent Academic Excellence for the 2025–2026 academic year, presented by Nelson University's Behavioral Sciences & Community Services department.
This isn't just another honor, it's the top academic award in the Criminal Justice program, recognizing the student with the highest GPA and overall performance across all majors in the department.
Let that sink in. Among every Criminal Justice student on campus, Drew Ortiz stood alone.
Elite on the Field. Elite in the Classroom. Known across campus as "Drippy Drew" for his smooth game and clutch moments in the batter's box, Ortiz has now proven that his excellence runs deeper than baseball.
This award reflects:
- Consistency at the highest academic level
- Relentless discipline and time management
- A commitment to mastering his craft beyond athletics
Balancing the demands of collegiate baseball and a rigorous academic workload is no small feat. Great players show up on game day. Great student-athletes show up every day. Ortiz's recognition speaks volumes about who he is: A competitor in every arena and a leader by example.
Drew is a standard-setter for what it means to be a Nelson Lion in which the mission is bigger than wins and losses. It's about developing individuals who excel in life, leadership, and purpose. Drew Ortiz embodies that mission and he will continue proving that success isn't one-dimensional.
Nelson University (formerly SA GU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.
