TWO FORMER NEW MEXICO PREP BASEBALL STANDOUTS SELECTED IN MLB DRAFT
Former La Cueva High School baseball player Jack Pineda and recent Carlsbad graduate Nolan Perry were both selected in this week’s Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Pineda was taken in the 12th round (355th overall) by the Kansas City Royals. 13 picks later, also in the 12th round, Perry was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays (368th overall).
Pineda helped La Cueva win a pair of state championships in 2017 and 2018. After high school, he played two seasons at the College of Southern Nevada before transferring to Baylor University. Pineda was named All-Big 12 honorable mention and started every game in his two years at Baylor.
Perry was named the 2022 Gatorade New Mexico Baseball Player of the Year after leading Carlsbad to a state championship in May. Perry posted a 10-1 record on the mound with a 0.42 ERA and 115 strikeouts. In his senior season with the Cavemen, Perry surrendered only 24 hits in 66 innings. At the plate, he had a .436 batting average, .523 OBP, and .745 slugging percentage. Perry signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Texas Tech University, but will leave this summer to start his professional career.
