A former stand-out pitcher and shortstop for the state champion Carlsbad Cavemen baseball team was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday during the Major League Baseball draft which ran from July 17 to July 19.
Right-handed star Nolan Perry was selected by the team for the 368th overall pick in the draft’s 12th round, per the MLB’s draft tracker.
A graduate of Carlsbad High School, Perry stands 6 feet 2 inches and weighs 196 pounds.
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During the 2021-2022 season, when the Cavemen won the New Mexico Class 5A State Championship, Perry recorded a .42 ERA with a 10-1 record notching 115 strikeouts and nine walks.
Perry allowed only 24 hits in 66 innings.
Behind the plate, Perry had .436 batting average, with 8 home runs, 37 runs and 34 runs batted in.
In June, Perry was named the Gatorade New Mexico Baseball Player of the Year for the 2021-2022 season – the sixth player ever to receive the honor from Carlsbad High School.
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The award also recognized his academic achievements, including a 3.04 GPA, and meant Perry was finalist for the National Gatorade Player of the Year award.
He previously signed a letter of intent to play for the Texas Tech in the fall, and it was yet unclear if Perry still intends to play for the Red Raiders or enter the Blue Jays’ system.
An active member of the First United Methodist Church, Perry volunteers with the Shorthorn Little League and Cavemen Baseball Summer Kids Camp.
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“Nolan is as good as they come on and off the field,” said Carlsbad High School baseball coach Cody May. “He is soft-spoken and always says yes sir and yes ma’am. He leads by example every single day. He is great in the classroom and stays level-headed at all times.”
As a student, Perry maintained a 3.04 GPA through graduation.
Perry’s selection followed another leading Cavemen pitcher Trevor Rogers who was drafted by the Miami Marlins 2017 where he’s played since, getting called up to the majors in 2020.
Rogers was chosen for the National League’s 2021 All-Star Team, and finished that year with a 2.31 ERA, with 122 strikeouts.
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Carlsbad High School’s first baseball player to go pro was third baseman Shane Andrews who was drafted in 1990 and played for the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs and Bost Red Sox.
Andrews was followed to the majors by Cody Ross drafted in 1999 by the Detroit Tigers, who went on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, then-Florida Marlins, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamond Backs and Oakland Athletics.
Ross won the World Series in 2010 with the Giants.
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, [email protected] or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.
