Pete Perez, a former Tarleton State University pitcher, has signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Although honored with signing a contract with the Braves, growing up, Perez and his family were fans of the Oakland A’s.

“The A’s are my favorite team, but honestly I just want to play baseball, it doesn’t matter who I play for.”

Perez is from Hagatna, Guam. He began throwing baseballs at the age of 5 but it was when he moved to California at the age of 14 when he truly began  “falling in love with the sport.”

Perez first intended on going to Abilene Christian University (ACU) but this did not follow through.

“I originally signed with ACU but there were some school issues that prevented me from playing over there,” Perez said. “A really good friend of mine is an ACU alumni who played against Tarleton and he gave head coach Bryan Conger a call and asked if he needed a pitcher. At that time, one of the pitchers had been hurt so Coach Conger said ‘yea we will take him.'”

Perez began pitching for the Texans in 2011. He went 13-5 in two seasons, recorded 136 strikeouts and a two-year 2.20 earned run average. While at Tarleton, Perez was a two-time All-Lone Star Conference selection and named an All-South Central Region selection.

He credits Tarleton’s head baseball coach Bryan Conger for developing him into the baseball player he is today.

“Coach Conger is a great guy and a great coach. I think the biggest thing I learned playing under him was just the mental part of the game,” Perez said. “Getting to compete everyday and not worrying about the overall goal and just taking it one step at a time. Those little things actually made me better at baseball just because now, mentally, I’m a lot stronger. I don’t really worry about what’s outside of my control.”

In 2012 Perez was signed on to an independent team, the Southern Illinois Miners. For the 2013 summer season, he had a 3.02 earned run average and 41 strikeouts. Little did he know, the Braves’s scouts were keeping an eye on him.

“[The Braves] called my manager at the independent team I was playing for asking if they could purchase my contract,” Perez said. “They found me over the season when I was in Chicago playing. I guess I put up numbers they liked. It was definitely unexpected, just a big shock.”

Perez will be participating in the Braves Spring training in late February.

“The fact that there [are] so many kids out there trying to make baseball their career, you have to work hard everyday because there’s someone out there trying to take your spot,” Perez said. “I have to go out there and compete to my best ability day in and day out. “

While still taking online classes through Tarleton, Perez is working to earn his business management degree. His two main goals are graduating and playing baseball, even if it isn’t for his favorite team.

“It would be awesome to play for the A’s but just the ability to play for any major league team is amazing,” Perez said.