(May 4, 2004) — What more can a coach ask for than a well-rounded player who can play any position on the team? Whether it be a point guard switching to forward when a teammate is in foul trouble, or playing both defensive and offensive lines in football, a player that can be relied on to do well in any situation is a valuable asset to any team. A fellow Clark student that exemplifies such qualities is senior Raul Perez, Glendale High Nitros’ starting pitcher. Perez, now 17, said he has been playing baseball since he was seven years old and added, “Those 10 years of hard work has put me where I am today.” Growing up with a father who played baseball as well has influenced him to play the sport he so dearly loves. Perez has has played for little league teams throughout his childhood, but finally took the game seriously upon entering high school. “It’s different in a high school team,” said Perez. “It’s more serious, with more pride at stake.” hrough his hard work over the years, Perez has worked up his way to starting pitcher. Nitros coach Jay Chadwick also allows him to play first baseman when Perez doesn’t start. “He’s just that good, and the coach likes him,” says teammate Rohan Desei. “It doesn’t matter if he plays first baseman or pitcher, he’s like the catalyst of our team. If we’re down, he’ll pitch and make quick work of [the challenging team] and get us back to bat.” But it seems as though good just isn’t enough for Perez. Aside from playing for Glendale, he also plays with a traveling team, the Southern California Diablos, which he said is another way for him to practice and raise his stats a little more. With a fastball that Perez has humbly claimed to be around the range of 85 miles per hour, he is only considering entering the draft, although he has a sure shot at getting into a junior college with a scholarship. Perez says he doesn’t know what exactly he’s going to do, but will instead “see what happens.”