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Get on board with Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning.
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community.
To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at [email protected]. You can also send items/story ideas to Carlos Arias via email at [email protected] or via Twitter @Los_Stuff.
Here’s our TLI for Wednesday, January 8, 2020…
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UCLA ADDS POWER-HITTING PERES
Power-hitting catcher Jenavee Peres has been added to UCLA’s roster for the 2020 season.
Peres, a graduate transfer, had one year of eligibility remaining after playing three seasons at San Diego State where she finished with a number of school records, including batting average (.409), on-base percentage (.466) and slugging percentage (.743).
She was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and was a second team NFCA All-American in 2017 and she was the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2015.
“We are excited to have Jenavee accepted into our graduate program for Principles of Effective Coaching and Teaching,” UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said in a statement. “She adds power to our lineup and great experience behind the plate, and she looks forward to pursuing her masters and competing with her teammates on the field.”
Peres was also one of the most prolific power hitters in Orange County, CA, history, which is where TLI got to know her and follow her high school career. Before joining Extra Inning Softball, TLI worked for the Orange County Register and then started the So Cal Sidelines website. TLI has been covering softball since 1996.
Back to Peres, who closed out her senior year at Garden Grove High with a monster season. She batted .623 with 14 homers, 48 RBIs and 40 runs scored.
There was one memorable weekend in 2014 at the Woodbridge Tournament at Bill Barber Park in Irvine where Peres was on fire. Peres unleashed a barrage of homers and gappers and was all-around one of the most terrifying hitters at the tournament.
Jenavee Peres with 3-run homer, RBI double and she just hit a grand slam. @ArgosSoftball leads Barstow 9-0 bot 3 #WoodbridgeSoftballClassic
— SoCal Sidelines (@socalsidelines) March 29, 2014
TLI always rolls to tournaments big with a mobile press row, complete with table, chairs and pop-up tent. If you know the outer fields at Barber Park, there is very little shade, so smart spectators will position themselves near TLI’s tent for shade.
Back then Buster, a one-eyed, 25-pound Jack Russell Terrier I picked up from the San Clemente animal shelter, was a regular companion at games. He visited every softball field, ballpark and high school from Chula Vista to Nor Cal. BTW, I was told by the animal shelter that Buster lost his left eye when a Rottweiler bit his face.
OK, so we’re sitting there witnessing Peres’ outburst and some of her family members maneuvered themselves under TLI’s shade. One of those family members happened to be former USC and Pittsburgh Steelers superstar Troy Polamalu, who is Jenavee’s uncle.
TLI surpressed every urge to expose myself as a huge Polamalu fan and even properly responded when the linebacking legend asked TLI for some stats during the game. Then Buster burst from under the table with a death lunge right at the future Hall of Famer.
Fortunately, the leash snapped Buster back before he could unleash Holy Hell on the Trojan great. Polamalu flinched, tumbling backwards, but his athletic prowess kicked in and kept him from injury.
Polamalu’s lovely hair was not harmed in this incident.
Polamalu and everyone laughed when they saw the 25-pound beast that almost took down a gridiron hero.
TLI believes Peres drilled another gapper right after all that excitement.
(Below is Buster in action with his Kong ball at Central Bark in Irvine)
— Carlos Arias & Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff; follow Brentt on Twitter @ExtraInningSB)
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