Mark William Ellis is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He has played for the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies. Ellis was born in Rapid City, South Dakota. Ellis graduated from Stevens High School in Rapid City in 1995, and is one of three players to have made it to the major leagues who played for the Rapid City Post 22 American Legion baseball program in Rapid City. As a 16-year-old, Ellis was the starting shortstop for the 1993 Rapid City Post 22 varsity "Hardhat" baseball team which had a 70–5 record and won... the national title in Roseburg, OR. He went on to earn South Dakota American Legion Player of the Year honors in back-to-back years, 1994 and 1995. He went on to play for the University of Florida Gators baseball program and was the MVP of the Gainesville regional at the 1998 College World Series. Ellis was a ninth-round selection by the Kansas City Royals in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft. He played with the Royals farm system in 1999 and 2000, where he was a Short-Season A All-Star in 1999 and a Carolina League All-Star in 2000.
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