NCAA DIV. I COLLEGE BASEBALL DIAMOND NEWS
Rafael Ramirez III –Grambling State University
One of Nation’s Top MLB Prospects in 2019
By: Conrado Perez, Jr. – Eagle Pass Sports Central
“Your best and only source for local sports news in Eagle Pass”
Young power hitting standout first baseman/designated hitter Rafael Ramirez, III grandson of former Eagle Pass residents Rafael Ramirez and Alicia Lopez recently culminated a sensational sophomore season leading the NCAA Division I Grambling State University Tigers for head coach James Cooper out of Grambling, Louisiana.
Rafael finished the year with a lofty .353 batting average with 60 base hits in170 times at bat with 30 runs scored stroked 27 singles belted 17 doubles, and blasted a whopping total of 16 homeruns which ranked him as one of the top home run hitters in the entire country and drove in a remarkable 66 runs batted in. Ramirez’s Slugging percentage was a sensational 736 and his OBP was 440. Several times during the year he earned the Southwestern Conference Player of the Week honors.
His maternal uncle just happens to be none other than the one and only Rolando “El Pelon” Lopez of Eagle Pass, Texas who he along with the legendary Cato Hernandez followed every single baseball game of the Grambling State University Tigers on the internet supporting the grandson of their longtime childhood friend Rafael Ramirez. Grandfather Rafael Ramirez himself was a very solid young baseball pitcher during his playing days in the Eagle Pass Babe Ruth League back in the day.
The talent laden and highly competitive Southwestern Athletic Conference is comprised by Alabama State University, Jackson State University, Alabama A&M University, Mississippi Valley State University, Alcorn State University, Texas Southern University, Arkansas Pine Bluff University, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University and Grambling State University.
The young power hitting Rafael Ramirez, III was a 2016 graduate of San Antonio McCollum High School where he led the Cowboys in numerous offensive categories during a stellar high school baseball career. Several Major League Baseball scouts have already pegged the highly talented young Rafael Ramirez, III to be one of the top prospects in next year’s Major League Baseball Draft. Rafael Ramirez, III also earned a berth in the prestigious 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-America second team squad as well as a berth on the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference second team as a first baseman. Eagle Pass Sports Central congratulates the young standout Rafael Ramirez, III on a truly outstanding NCAA Division I Collegiate baseball season and wishes you continued success next season as well as in all of your future endeavors. GO TIGERS!