Casa pitcher Chris Joaquim signs to attend UNLV

Chris Joaquim added his name and his fastball to the growing list of Casa Grande High School seniors who will continue their baseball careers and their education at Division 1 colleges when he signed a Letter of Intent to attend the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

“I had a good visit. I liked the campus. It has a good college feel. When they offered me a scholarship, it was hard to say no,” he said after signing in a ceremony before teammates, friends and coaches.

Joaquim brings the talent the Rebels most need. As of last week, UNLV had a 17-30 record. The Rebels were batting .299 as a team, but had a team 6.62 earned-run average.

Joaquim said it sounds like, from talking to the coaches, they are looking for immediate mound help. “It seems like I have a very good chance of getting a lot of innings next year,” he said.

After a good but not terrific start to his senior season, he threw a one-hitter in a 1-0 loss to Davis, one of the best teams in the state, in the Boras Baseball Classic.

Since then, Joaquim has been dominant. Going into this week’s play, he had a 5-2 record with a 1.89 ERA. He had struck out 48 batters and walked only 12 in 37 innings.

He said his impressive run has been the result of better mechanics and a better outlook.

“I’m pitching at a better tempo and feeling more confident,” he said. “My slider, change and off-speed pitchers are becoming more reliable. My mechanics are locked in.”

Joaquim will study business management or economics. “I’ve always been interested in the business side of sports,” he explained. He has the academic credentials to do well, carrying a 3.5 grade point average.

Joaquim is excited to reach his goal of playing D1 baseball, but at the same time he will miss his friends and the success they have enjoyed at Casa Grande.

“I’ve got a lot of friends that I’ve been with for a long time, It has been great playing with them, I will miss them,” he said.

Not only are his Casa teammates his best friends, they are also darn good baseball players.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who are going to Division 1 or the JC, but everyone plays well,” Joaquim observed. “Everyone plays well. Even the backups come through when we need them.”

The Gauchos are 17-4 on the season and have already clinched the North Bay League championship.

Now 17, Joaquim has already been playing baseball for two-thirds of his life. “I started in T-Ball and have been playing ever since,” he noted. “It’s kind of crazy.”

Joaquim his the son of Joe Joaquim. His mother passed away when he was 4. It is a certainty that both parents are proud of his accomplishments as an athlete, soon to be a high-school graduate and a Division 1 college student and baseball player.