David Pereira has had to prove himself his entire baseball career.
During his senior year, he batted .297 and led Miami Killian Senior High School to the regional semi-finals as a third baseman.
But after high school, he did not have a baseball scholarship offer.
So when he heard about open tryouts at Miami Dade College, he jumped at the opportunity.
“I always have to prove myself to people,” Pereira said. “So I [knew] this [was] a chance to just go out there and show people how I play and the way that I play and how I go about things.”
Pereira impressed. He made the 2019-20 MDC baseball team as a walk-on, posting a .313 batting average while learning a new position—catcher—during 17 games of action in a COVID-shortened season.
Now, the Sharks are looking for their next David Pereira. The team is hosting open tryouts on Saturday, July 3 at 10 a.m. at the Kendall Campus, 11011 S.W. 104 St., baseball field.
“[We’re] looking for a player who’s going to either push and compete against somebody else for [a] job, or somebody that is deserving of a scholarship,” said Sharks’ Head Baseball Coach Adrian Morales.
The tryouts are free. Prospective players must bring a physical exam that has been taken within the past year and proof of insurance. They will also have to sign a waiver on the day of the tryouts.
Players will run the 60-yard dash, field ground balls or fly balls and take batting practice—all for a chance to impress like Pereira did two years ago. After walking-on to the team as a freshman, Pereira was offered a scholarship the following season. This past season he posted a .267 batting average, added 19 RBI and three home runs while switching to left field.
“He did such a good job for us that he deserved the scholarship, and this year, he helped us win a state championship,” Morales said.
For more information about the tryouts, contact Morales at amorale8@mdc.edu
