Mikey Perez from Gahr. Courtesy MLB Basebal
July 22, 2021
By Loren Kopff
@LorenKopff on Twitter
Once again, a former Gahr High baseball standout has been selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, and this one is even closer to home. UCLA infielder Mikey Perez, son of longtime Gahr baseball head coach Gerardo Perez and UCLA softball head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, was selected in the 15th round (459th overall) by the Minnesota Twins on July 13.
Over a month prior to the draft, Perez had just wrapped up his junior season with the Bruins where he batted .231 and started all 57 games UCLA played, leading the team in home runs with 11, two of which came on Mar. 13 at California Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Perez joins the likes of Greg Cain, Chris Devenski, Jake Faria and Kris Medlen, among others, to have been drafted by a MLB team with Faria still in the big leagues, now a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Perez graduated from Gahr in 2018.
TRAVEL SOFTBALL
After going winless in four pool play games to begin the Triple Crown Sports World Series in San Diego, the Artesia Punishers 16-Under team, coached by Vince Gonzales, doubled up the Hawthorne Firecrackers 4-2 last Thursday morning in the first game of the double elimination playoffs, held at the Lakeside Complex. However, later in the day, the Punishers fell to the [Brentwood] Valley Stompers 12-6, then were eliminated last Friday afternoon by the [Temecula] Power Surge-Walling/Perez Ridenour 11-2. The Punishers were one of 16 teams that finished in last place in their respective pools and needed to win three straight games in the loser’s bracket in order to advance to the four-team Bronze Championship bracket.
Meanwhile, in St. George, Utah, the Athletics-Nielsen 16-Under team completely dominated the USA Preps Summer Nationals, winning all eight games played and outscoring the opposition 110-23.
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS
As of now, the 2021-2022 high school athletic season plans to begin on time with the first official practice date for teams playing a Week “0” game beginning on Aug. 2 and a week later for teams beginning with a Week 1 game. As of now, Cerritos High, Gahr High, La Mirada High and Norwalk High have Week “0” games scheduled.
The first girls volleyball contest is scheduled to be played as early as Aug. 14 with Aug. 23 slated to be the opening date for girls golf, girls tennis and boys water polo. Boys and girls cross country can have their first races on Sept. 2.
