Photo by CHS Pylon, Elizabeth Yoxall
By Angela Brunk
Oscar Perez is a senior at Salina Central High School and a cornerstone behind the plate for the Mustangs. As a catcher, Perez brings leadership, toughness, and a deep love for the game. What excites him most is getting one more year with his high school teammates, many of whom he has played alongside since coach pitch. This season also carries special meaning, as Perez looks forward to sharing the varsity experience with his younger brother and hopes to see him compete at the varsity level.
During the offseason, Perez committed himself to growth both physically and mentally. He placed a strong emphasis on building strength while training at The Yard, where local coaches helped refine his approach at the plate. His summer coach and dad worked closely with him on different aspects of his swing. Beyond on-field training, Perez focused heavily on nutrition and flexibility.
Defensively, Perez is always striving to elevate his catching skills. This offseason, he fine-tuned his blocking and receiving while gaining valuable experience catching several local pitchers who have gone on to compete at the college level. Those opportunities helped him adjust to higher-level pitching.
The team’s main goal this season is to win a state championship. After getting a taste of the state tournament his sophomore year, Perez and his teammates are hungry to return. Individually, Perez is aiming to repeat as a First Team All-League (AVCTL D2) catcher and push for First Team All-State honors after previously earning All-League and Sports in Kansas recognition.
Perez is committed to play baseball at Butler with dreams to continue at an even high level. Outside of baseball, he is involved in NHS, Student Council, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the SC Power Club, and also coaches a local youth baseball team, the Bullpen.
