OKLAHOMA CITY (June 5, 2019) – After working out for the Philadelphia Phillies two weeks ago, Hunter Markwardt was asked to attend another workout for the Major League Baseball team, this one in Philadelphia.

That was his first clue about the Phillies' level of interest in the Oklahoma Christian outfielder, and they showed it in a more emphatic way on Wednesday, selecting Markwardt in the 13th round (No. 390 overall) in the annual MLB Draft.

Markwardt, from Argyle, Texas, is only the ninth OC player ever chosen in the draft and the first since 2013, when the New York Yankees took Cale Coshow in the 13th round (No. 404 overall) and the Phillies picked Chris Burgess in the 26th round.

"I'm really excited," Markwardt said. "It's a childhood dream come true. They saw potential in me and I'm really appreciative of that."

Markwardt's journey from high school to MLB draftee wasn't without its bumps. As a senior at Argyle High School, he led his team to a 30-7 record and the Texas Class 4A state title, hitting .361, scoring 34 runs and breaking the school record for stolen bases. Markwardt was named to the Texas Sports Writers Association's 4A All-State second-team list as well as a 4A area offensive player of the year. He also finished second in the Class 4A state track meet in the 200 meters with a time of 21.69 seconds.

He first signed with Abilene Christian – then in the process of moving into NCAA Division I – and was an everyday starter for ACU as a freshman in 2016, making 49 starts in 53 appearances while hitting .213 with seven RBIs. He played only three games for ACU in 2017, though, hitting .167, and ended up taking a redshirt season.

He found out late that summer that he wouldn't be back at ACU, so he quickly searched for another school and baseball program. His high school coach had connections with OC and called OC coach Lonny Cobble, who quickly brought Markwardt on board.

At the Division II level, Markwardt was a star in the leadoff spot and in center field. In 2018, Markwardt made the Heartland Conference's second-team honor list – the only OC player to make the All-Heartland squads.

He ranked fifth in the Heartland in hitting with a .351 average and was eighth in runs scored (37), fourth in stolen bases (15) and third in sacrifice bunts (seven) despite missing 12 games due to injury. He had a .440 slugging percentage and a .412 on-base percentage and added 11 RBIs and one home run. He committed only two errors and had a .974 fielding percentage.

This season, he started all 48 games for OC and earned All-Heartland first-team recognition and second-team All-South Central Region honors from both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the American Baseball Coaches Association.

He hit .372 with three home runs and 23 RBIs for the Eagles, adding 18 doubles and four triples for a .551 slugging percentage. He led the Heartland in stolen bases with 21 (in 24 attempts) and set what is believed to be a school and conference record with a 28-game hitting streak.

"We are very excited for Hunter," Cobble said. "It's a big day for him and the Oklahoma Christian baseball program. Hunter, like Cale Coshow and Chris Burgess, is a testament that you can play at the Division II level and get drafted."

Markwardt will forego his final season of college eligibility. He said he will travel to Clearwater, Fla., on Saturday, where he'll probably sign with the Phillies and undergo a standard physical exam. Where he will begin his professional career is unclear, but the most likely possibilities would be with the Gulf Coast League Phillies, a rookie-league team, or the Williamsport Crosscutters, the Phillies' short-season Class A team. Burgess played for Williamsport when he signed with the Phillies in 2013.

"Being from a little school, I feel like you get looked at a little differently (by others), but it gives you a chip on your shoulder," Markwardt said. "It was exciting to go to workouts and represent OC and it will be the same way when I get (to Florida). It makes it more fun."

Markwardt was the sixth Oklahoma-based player selected in this year's MLB Draft and the first from a non-Division I four-year college. He was the second Heartland Conference player chosen, after Lubbock Christian (Texas) catcher Andrew Pratt, who went in the 10th round to the Washington Nationals.

Markwardt said Coshow, who's now with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees' minor-league system and has maintained close ties to the OC program, reached out to congratulate him soon after Markwardt's pick was announced.

Besides Markwardt, Burgess and Coshow, OC's other draft picks through the years have included Wayne Johnson (1990, California Angels, 16th round); David Leonhart (1994, New York Mets, 64th round); Clint Vaughn (1998, Cincinnati Reds, eighth round); Rafael Erazo (1999, Cincinnati Reds, 15th round); Edwin Maldonado (2000, San Francisco Giants, ninth round); and Nick Aiello (2001, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 50th round).