Chicago Cubs pick Artis in 7th round of MLB Draft

Liberty University Baseball outfielder D.J. Artis, who completed his junior season with the Flames this spring, was selected in the 7th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday afternoon.

Artis, a left-handed batter who reached base safely in 68 consecutive games over the past two seasons — the longest such streak in NCAA Division I baseball — was the 218th player selected overall. He is the Flames’ highest draftee since the New York Yankees chose right-handed pitcher Jason Jones with the 129th overall pick in 2004 and Liberty’s first player called in the 7th round or higher since outfielder Ian Parmley was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 235th pick in 2012.

Liberty has now had 65 players taken in the MLB Draft during the program’s 45-year history and at least one player chosen in each draft since 2000. Artis is the fourth Flames player ever drafted by the Cubs, who won their first MLB World Series in 2016, ending a 108-year drought.

A three-time All-Big South Conference (BSC) first team outfielder from Greensboro, N.C., Artis was the BSC Freshman of the Year in 2016 and BSC Player of the Year in 2017, when he was also named to the Baseball America All-America Team.

Artis is Liberty’s all-time leader with 166 walks — 71 more than any other player in school history — and finished second in the Flames’ record books for both runs scored (173) and stolen bases (72). He batted .339 with 211 hits, 38 doubles, nine triples, 12 home runs, 109 RBI and a .495 on-base percentage for his 169-game career.

Read the complete story on Liberty’s Athletics website.