University of Nevada Athletics

NEVADA
REDSHIRT SENIOR (2021) -- Made 32 appearances with 30 starts in his final season with the Wolf Pack … Served as Nevada’s primary catcher and made 218 putouts and 19 assists to just one error to post a fielding percentage of .996 … Batted .238 on the year with 24 hits in his 101 at-bats … Recorded eight extra base hits with four home runs and four doubles … Added 15 RBI and scored 18 runs … Posted three sacrifice flies and four sacrifice hits … Had five multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games … Recorded a season-long nine-game hitting streak and had a season-long 11-game reached base streak … Notched a season-best four-hit game against Air Force on April 3 when he went 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored … Letter winner.

SENIOR (2020 - Season shortened due to COVID-19) -- Played in 10 games, starting nine as Nevada’s primary catcher … Finished with three hits on the year, two of them going for home runs to finish second on the team with two bombs on the year … Finished with four RBI, scoring at least one run with all three hits this season … Only struck out four times in 21 at-bats … Finished with 80 putouts and 14 assists to post a perfect fielding percentage.

JUNIOR (2019) -- Played in 44 games while making 38 starts, serving as Nevada’s primary catcher during the season … Recorded 29 hits and 22 runs scored with 19 RBI … Batted .215 with seven doubles and a home run … Blasted his only homer of the year at Air Force (4/28) as Nevada plated 26 runs against the Falcons … Put together seven multi-hit games … Best game of the year came against UNLV (4/18) when he went 2-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored … Boasted a .986 fielding percentage with 305 putouts and 37 assists to only five errors … Lettered for the third time.

SOPHOMORE (2018) -- Appeared in 29 games, with 21 starts at catcher … Put up three multi-hit games, and two multi-RBI games … Hit .163 with a triple and two home runs and nine RBIs … Had his best offensive performance against No. 4 Oregon State when he tied a season-high two hits including hitting a home run … Threw out seven would-be base stealers, good for seventh place in the Mountain West … Went on a four-game reached base streak … Lettered for the second time.

FRESHMAN (2017) -- Started a team-high 32 games for the Wolf Pack at catcher and appeared in 35 games … Batted .259 in his first season with 10 RBI, three doubles, a triple and a home run … Recorded a career-high three hits against San José State (4/13) where the freshman went 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored … Recorded seven multi-hit games … Went on a career-high six game hitting streak during the season … Hit .277 in conference play with six RBI and a .325 slugging percentage … Boasted a .995 fielding percentage with 175 putouts … Picked off a team-high three runners … Recorded 28 assists, the fifth most on the team … Caught 13 runners stealing, the most of any Wolf Pack catchers … Lettered for the first time.

HIGH SCHOOL -- Lettered for two years in baseball at Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, Calif. … Was named the RUHS Most Valuable Defensive Player in 2015 and 2016 … Was first-team All-Bay League in 2015 and 2016 and first-team all-area South Bay in 2016 … School was 2015 and 2016 Bay League champions and 2015 and 2016 CIF-Southern Section champions … As a senior in 2016 had a .367 batting average with five home runs, 40 RBI and a .451 on base percentage.

PERSONAL -- Majoring in Kinesiology … Son of Ernie and Amanda Valenzuela … Enjoys youth mission trips … Mother Amanda played soccer at Colorado College … Career highlight came in his high school’s 2015 Championship game, went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI to lead the team to its first ever championship in the program’s 100th year … Sports hero is Salvador Perez.