By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
The top pitcher in District 32-5A will continue his baseball career next year.
Porter’s Jose Perez made his decision to play for Garrett College in McHenry, Md. during a signing ceremony Friday at Porter.
Perez was chosen as the district’s most valuable player after leading the Cowboys to a district title. The southpaw went 8-2 on the year with a 2.08 ERA, threw six complete games — including two shutouts — allowed 31 runs (19 earned), 52 hits, walked 34 and struck out 87 in 64 innings.
“It feels good,” Perez said. “It feels really good.”
And this happened for Perez in a very short time period.
“It was really quick,” Porter coach Barton Bickerton said. “One of the guys helping out with girls softball knew the coach up there and that seems like it always is, it’s someone that knows somebody. They called and looked at his stats and said they’ll take him.”
Perez is good with the bat, too. The Cowboys senior hit .300 with 24 hits, including four doubles and two triples, scored 14 runs and drove in nine more for Porter this season.
The Porter standout will pitch and probably play in the outfield for the Division II junior college where he will be on an athletic scholarship for the first year.
“It’s a place where he’s going to be able to step right in and compete right off the bat,” Bickerton said. “He’ll get the chance to play those two years, for him it’s perfect. I think he’ll be a star up there.”
Perez will spend the summer in California after being selected to play with a team as he gets ready for his first college season. And he is working with the college to plan a visit as well.
Bickerton thinks his left-hander will be successful at the next level because of his ability to throw a variety of pitches that move.
“Anytime you got a lefty on the mound, it’s difficult because you don’t see that many,” he said. “But he had so much movement and at any level he’s going to be trouble. You can get people out at any level with movement like that. He’s going to be competitive at any place he plays at.”
Bickerton knows Perez will be just fine wherever he plays.
“He should be able to play the field and hit,” Bickerton said. “He’s good enough to do that too.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.