ALEJANDRE INKS WITH OREGON TECH
Joshua Alejandre is looking forward to donning a Hootie uniform.
But the Elliot Christian High senior is focused on the next six months.
On Monday inside Elliot’s gym, in front of family, friends, classmates, school administrators and coaches, Alejandre signed his NCAA National Letter of Intent for Oregon Institute of Technology College in Klamath Falls, Ore. He will be majoring in civil engineering, and playing baseball for the Hooties.
Alejandre said that Oregon Tech was one of three colleges he considered.
“It was a very friendly type of environment,” said Alejandre of his visit to the Oregon campus. “I was only up there for one day. That’s all it took.”
Having a chance to hang out with members of the 2019 Oregon Tech baseball team that was playing fall ball, the friendliness grew deeper for Alejandre.
“They made me feel like I was part of the team,” Alejandre said.
Life outside of the college campus in Klamath Falls is pretty special to him.
“It’s a really friendly community,” Alejandre said. “It’s just real nice for me. Everything I’ve wanted.”
The next six months will be busy ones for Alejandre. This Monday, he and the Elliot Christian High boys basketball team begin the season with a home game against East Union of Manteca. Alejandre is one of two players returning from last year’s Elliot squad that went 22-7.
Once the Eagles’ basketball season is over, Alejandre will don an Eagles uniform the final time as a member of the Elliot baseball team.
Last spring, Alejandre batted .391 for Elliot, which finished with an 11-9 overall record that included an 8-6 record in the Central California Athletic Alliance. The Eagles just missed one of the league’s three playoff berths in the Sac-Joaquin Section.
“It’s been up and down,” said Alejandre on playing Elliot baseball, “but the friendships that are made. Just the bonding between the team has been incredible. It’s something you can’t find at other schools.”
Alejandre led the Eagles in RBIs with 25. On defense, Alejandre, who usually plays first base, had a .928 fielding percentage. In 23 innings of work on bump last spring, he had a 1-0 record with 28 strikeouts and a 2.70 ERA.
“I like first base because you get to see the whole field, and I’m in the majority of the plays,” Alejandre said.
After taking many photos with family, friends, classmates, teammates and coaches, Alejandre said he was happy with the large turnout of people who showed up for his signing. He noted the support he’s received before and during the journey of the college recruiting process along the way.
Alejandre is one of six Lodi area high school seniors who have signed their NCAA National Letter of Intent letters within the last two weeks.
Four Lodi High senior student-athletes — Paige Sefried (Oregon State, track and field), Rachel Sutter (University of Louisiana, women’s soccer), Madison Liu (California Baptist University, Riverside, diving) and Madeline Woznick (University of Utah, swimming), plus Galt High’s Bella Minatre (University of Jamestown in North Dakota, women’s soccer) signed their offer sheets on the first day, which was Nov. 14.