Northwestern State University of Louisana

2016 Southland Conference Commissioner’s Spring Honor Roll

2017 Season:
• Started 24 of his 35 appearances in his senior season.
• had his third career three-hit game as part of a 4-for-8 performance in a May 19 doubleheader against New Orleans.
• came off the bench to go 1-for-2 with a pair of runs scored in an 11-2 win at ULM on April 4.
• went 2-for-5 with a run scored in Northwestern State's 8-5 win against Nicholls on March 10.
• had a game-tying, two-run single in the ninth inning of an 8-6 loss to UL Lafayette on Feb. 28, part of a 2-for-4, two-walk, three-run performance.
• scored 11 runs in a seven-game stretch from Feb. 19-March 4.

2016 Season:
• Started in 39 of his 41 appearances in his first Division I season.
• ranked third on the team with a .273 batting average.
• finished the season by hitting safely in six of his final seven appearances, including a season-long, five-game hitting streak from May 7-17.
• collected seven multi-hit games, including a pair of three-hit games.
• went 3-for-4 with a double in a win at Arkansas State on May 7.
• drove in a career-best three runs, going 2-for-4 with a double in a win at New Orleans on April 15.
• went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in an April 2 win at McNeese.
• cracked his first home run at Brown-Stroud Field, a solo shot against Stephen F. Austin on March 24.
• ripped his first Division I home run off Arizona’s Cameron Ming in the second inning of NSU’s March 4 win against the eventual CWS runner-ups.

Summer 2015: 
• Played for the Brazos Valley Bombers of the Texas Collegiate League, batting .291 with four doubles, a triple and 18 RBIs.

Prior to NSU: 
• Played two seasons at Temple College in Temple, Texas.
• was an Academic All-American and posted a 3.6 GPA.
• second-team all-conference selection as a freshman and a 2014 NJCAA All-Star.

High School:  
• Lettered in baseball and football for coaches Eric Matthews and Dean Colbert.
• named an Academic All-American and graduated with a 3.7 GPA.
• named first-team all-district as an outfielder as a senior and first-team all-district as an infielder his junior season.

Personal:  
• Born Dec. 2, 1993.
• son of Lisa and John Valdez.
• two sisters – Sam and Vanessa – and one brother, Nick.
• majoring in communications.
• plans to coach or find a job in mass communication.
• life’s ambition is to be drafted and play professional baseball.