Beard Signs Five to National Letters of Intent

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Bakersfield, Calif. – CSU Bakersfield Head Baseball Coach Jeremy Beard has announced the signing of five prospective student athletes to National Letters of Intent. Pitchers Benjamin Caggianelli, Thomas Carter and Nick Perryman, catcher Brock Perreira and two-way threat Earl Johnson Jr., locked in their commitments on the opening day of the early signing period and will join the Roadrunner program in the fall of 2021.

"I would like to thank our assistant coaches, Ryan Cisterna and Quinn Hawksworth, for their assistance in rounding up this top tier recruiting class," said Beard. "We were careful to bring in student-athletes we felt could take us to another level in the classroom and on the playing field. Overall, this is an extremely talented class of recruits and and they'll have a significant impact on CSUB Baseball over the next few years."

Caggianelli, a right-handed pitcher, has played the past two seasons across town with Bakersfield College. As a freshman, he made 16 appearances, striking out 24 in 22 innings and allowing just 12 hits, while pitching to a 2.05 earned run average. During last season's abbreviated campaign, Caggianelli made seven starts and struck out 49 opponents in 32.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 12.09 hitters per nine innings over his BC career.

Caggianelli is a graduate of Ridgeview High School in Bakersfield. He earned First-Team All-Southwest Yosemite League honors in 2017 and 2018 and led the Wolves to a league title in 2016.

"At 6-4, Benji is a physical arm that is still developing his top tier tools," Beard said. "He brings great velocity and a power breaking ball to the mound. Coach Painton has done a fantastic job tapping into his abilities and we look forward to his continued development at CSUB."

Carter will pitch next season at Golden West College after spending the abbreviated 2020 season on the roster at Texas Tech University. He spent his prep career at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego. As a senior in 2019, Carter struck out 30 over 28 innings pitched, while limiting opposing hitters to a .205 batting average. In 2018, Carter tossed 17.2 innings, striking out 19 and posting a 1.60 earned run average.

Carter was ranked 28^th among all right-handed pitchers in California by Perfect Game, following his high school career.

"Thomas has pitched in competitive environments since he was in high school," Beard explained. "He has swing and miss stuff from the right side. We are happy to have him in Bakersfield and expect him to make an immediate impact."

Johnson was named as the Northern California Junior College Player of the Year in 2020, after hitting .389 with a .486 on-base percentage and a .711 slugging percentage as a shortstop at Butte College. He led the Roadrunners in extra-base hits, collecting 10 doubles, five triples and three home runs, and ranked second on the team with 23 runs batted in.

As a senior at Oroville High School, Johnson hit .333 and posted a 1.066 on-base plus slugging percentage with five doubles and three home runs. He drove in 21 runs and scored 12. He also made 10 appearances on the mound, pitching to a 2.58 earned run average and striking out 69 in 43.1 innings of work.

Johnson also played basketball for Ipakanni High School, and once scored 71 points in a 79-74 overtime win for the Hawks.

"Earl is an athletic and physical player with elite tools," said Beard. "He is a true middle of the order bat as an infielder and should also figure into a role on the mound."

Perreira, a catcher, is a senior at Kaiser High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he is a career .300 hitter, with a .412 on-base percentage and a .979 fielding percentage behind the dish. As a freshman, Perreira led the Oahu Interscholastic Association in hits and earned Second-Team All-League honors. After earning Honorable Mention All-Conference honors as a sophomore, he was invited to attend Perfect Game's World Wood Bat Association Invitational Prospect Tournament in Fort Myers, Fla.

"Brock is a physical catcher and a strong presence in the batter's box," Beard noted. "He has been compared to some of the top catchers around the country and brings a winning attitude with natural leadership skills that will impact our program right away."

A top local product, Perryman pitches for Independence High School in Bakersfield. In three seasons with the Falcons, he boasts a 2.70 career earned run average, while limiting opposing hitters to a .230 average against and striking out 167 in 129.2 innings pitched. As a junior, Perryman averaged more than 18 strikeouts per nine innings and posted a 0.33 earned run average, while allowing just eight hits in 21.1 innings of work.

Perryman was named Independence's Rookie of the Year in 2018, helping to lead the Falcons to a 2018 Southwest Yosemite League Championship. He earned First-Team All-League honors in 2019 and 2020.

His older brother, Mason Perryman, played college baseball for USC from 2015-18.

"We feel Nick is one of the top left-handed arms in the state of California and the top arm here in Kern Country," Beard said. "He's 6-5 with a fast arm and already has a feel for three pitches that can play in the Big West. He has a bright future and we look forward to assisting in his development over the next four years."

Bakersfield played just 14 games last season, before the season was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The abbreviated campaign was CSUB's last in the Western Athletic Conference; when the team takes the field in 2021, they will do so, for the first time, as members of the Big West Conference.

"We've worked to layer our classes and balance our needs heading into the Big West," Beard explained. "We're seeing a boost in the number of talented recruits showing interest in our university and this class signifies that growth."

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Beard Signs Five to National Letters of Intent