Cal State L.A. Athletics

After helping a young Golden Eagle team to a 29-win season and the brink of a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Tournament last year, Sam Peraza returns for his second season as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Cal State L.A.

 

Peraza helped the Golden Eagles to a 23-12 conference record last season that left Cal State L.A. just one-half game out of a postseason spot. The Golden Eagles were 29-22 overall. Cal State L.A.’s young staff featured All-West Region and All-CCAA pitcher Isaac Morales and included six freshmen and four other first-year pitchers.

 

He came to Cal State L.A. following a one-year stint at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Oklahoma.

 

At Eastern Oklahoma, his pitching staff produced the Bi-State Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2007. It was the fourth straight year that Peraza’s staff had a conference pitcher of the year, including two All-State pitchers of the year.

 

One of the individuals Peraza coached in 2006, Bobby Laframboise, who went on to the University of New Mexico, was named to the Wallace Watch List. That award is presented to the collegiate player of the year.

 

Prior to Eastern Oklahoma, Peraza spent one season as an assistant coach at Rio Hondo Community College. Under his guidance, his pitching staff produced three players who signed Division I scholarships and one was named the California Co-Pitcher of the Year.

 

His coaching career began at El Camino College, where he had two pitchers named to the All-Conference first team, one to the second team and two others receive honorable mention.

 

Peraza has also coached in the summer in the prestigious Alaska Summer League for the Kenai Peninsula Oilers. In the summer of 2007, his team had the Baseball America top pitching and offensive prospects for the Alaskan League. That club had nine players selected in the Major League Baseball draft.

 

In 2008, he coached the Southern California Fire to a sixth-place finish in the National Baseball Congress Championship Tournament out of 64 teams. His team won the conference and he was selected to coach in the conference’s All-Star game.

 

As a player, Peraza is in the El Camino College record books for career saves and appearances. A graduate of San Diego State, Peraza pitched out of the bullpen for legendary coach Tony Gwynn.