Viera, FL-September 7, 2017- USSSA Pride rookie, Mandie Perez, was inducted into her high school Hall of Fame this week and had her #55 jersey retired. The four-year letterwinner for Whittier Christian High School posted staggering numbers throughout her four seasons with the Heralds.
Mandie was awarded the League Most Valuable Player all four years and took home two CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) championships. Her senior year she was named OC Register Player of the Year for small schools after batting .783 and having an on base percentage of .821.
“In all the years I have been an Athletic Director, Mandie is probably one of the toughest kids I have ever met. Boy or girl. And I say that as a compliment. She is one of the most competitive and hardworking people.” said Rolland Esslinger, Athletic Director at Whittier Christian High School.
She went on to play softball for the University of Arizona where she worked her way into the lead off position and starting left fielder for the Wildcats. She batted a career high of .387 in her final season as a Wildcat and posted career batting average of .344.
She was picked by the USSSA Pride 19th overall in the 2017 draft. She appeared in 26 games for her rookie season, including hitting a double in her first career at bat for the Pride.
On Sunday, September 3rd, family and friends joined to celebrate the retiring of Mandie’s jersey at the local Buffalo Wild Wings in Whittier, California. The establishment hung all three of the star’s uniforms including her Herald’s, Arizona and USSSA Pride jerseys.
About USSSA Florida Pride:
The USSSA Florida Pride is a professional franchise in the National Pro Fastpitch League that is owned and operated by USSSA. The amateur organization of USSSA has multi-sport coverage and encompasses teams and players from the United States and abroad.
About NPF:
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, TN. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.
About USSSA:
USSSA is headquartered in Brevard County, Florida. USSSA is the World’s Largest Multi-sport Athletic Organization. Founded in 1968, USSSA has grown to over 3.7 million participants, competing in 13 nationally sanctioned sports including Baseball, Fastpitch, Slow Pitch, Karate, Basketball, Soccer and more! For more information on USSSA and to register your team visit USSSA.com. Also be sure to visit USSSAToday.com for the latest USSSA.