Cardinal Pitcher Gets Next Level Opportunity

PERONA SIGNS WITH UNIVERSITY OF OZARKS

FARMINGTON — In mid-July Farmington 2018 graduate Derek Perona opted to take a baseball scholarship to continue his career at the University of the Ozarks at Clarksville.

Perona’s dream is to try and last in baseball and see how far he can go with the sport.

“This summer I was really trying to find a place to play,” Perona said. “I got several offers from different schools. This was the best fit for me so I decided to commit.”

Perona will major in either Business or Physical Therapy. He hasn’t settled on a career choice yet. Perona wants to thank those, who have invested in him, his parents, Mike and Sharon Perona, of Farmington; his grandparents; and Farmington coaches.

Perona will always remember a highlight of his senior season when he recorded 16 strike-outs while going the distance in a critical league 2-0 win against Harrison on the road. The Cardinals had to wait for about an hour while Harrison competed against Siloam Springs in the first game of a double-header the Goblins hosted April 5. They began warming up about half an

Perona appeared in 24 games. His bat produced 17 hits in 60 at-bats with 72 plate appearances with 3 doubles, 8 RBIs and 11 runs scored although he was frequently subbed out for a courtesy runner. Perona was hit by a pitch 3 times, reached on an error 3 times and hit into a fielder’s choice twice while drawing 8 walks and striking out 12 times. His batting average was .283 with a .394 on-base percentage and a .333 slugging percentage.

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Farmington 2018 graduate Derek Perona has received a baseball scholarship to attend the University of the Ozarks at Clarksville. As a senior Perona went 7-2 on the mound and led the Cardinals to a third place finish in the 5A West Conference tournament and a state tournament appearance.