UTICA, Mich. – Former Carson-Newman closer Raunel Perez has signed a professional contract with the Westside Woolly Mammoths of the United Shore Professional Baseball League and joined the organization's official roster for a game on July 2.
"It's been a tremendous blessing and privilege to be able to continue to play baseball especially at the professional level," Perez said. "It has been something that I've been working towards ever since I first started playing and now that I am playing professionally, I'm just trying to soak it all in and have as much fun as I possibly can. However, I am not satisfied with just being here. My ultimate goal is to sign with an affiliated team."
The right-hander did not allow an earned run while picking up a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning of work against the Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers. Perez joins Greg Jones in the USPBL as Jones signed on June 20. The catcher is 4-for-15 with three runs batted in through four games for the Utica Unicorns.
Perez joins a club that is 12-11 on the season and is in first place in the West Division of the USPBL holding a 2.5 game edge on Birmingham-Bloomfield.
A transfer from Cleveland State Community College, the Soddy Daisy, Tenn. native played two seasons for the Eagles appearing in 41 games posting a 5-3 overall record with six saves and 50 strikeouts in 57 innings of work.
As a junior, Perez was second on the team with 18 appearances going 1-2 with a 4.68 ERA and a team-leading three saves. The hurler earned his first career victory tossing 2 2/3 innings against King (Tenn.) on April 5, 2016. All three of his saves came in the final month of the season including one in a 10-9 victory over Tusculum in coach Tom Griffin's 500th career coaching win on April 24.
In his final season at Mossy Creek, the flamethrower made 23 appearances leading the team with three saves and ranking second with four wins posting a 4.50 ERA. His saves came against Northwood on Feb. 19, Saginaw Valley State on March 3 and Brevard on March 25. The righty notched a victory in three games over a two-week span against Belmont Abbey on March 22, Limestone on March 28 and at King on April 4.
The USPBL launched in 2016 and has four teams playing a 75-game schedule at Jimmy John's Field located 30 minutes north of downtown Detroit. The focus of the league according to its website is to bring in the best undrafted talent from around the country to prepare for a chance to sign with an affiliated organizations. Nine players from 2016 inked a contract with a Major League Baseball team.
The official website for the league can be found here while fans are encouraged to follow the @USPBL on Twitter for the latest updates.
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