Richmond Hill High School senior Alex Peraldo was a key reason the Wildcats won their first region baseball title in the program’s history. Now, he’ll take the talents that earned him first-team All Region 3-AAAAA honors as a centerfielder to nearby Savannah State University after he was given preferred walk-on status by the Tigers.
Keeping his playing career alive was big for the 5-foot-10, 150 pound Peraldo, who hit 344 with a .421 on-base percentage and had a .500 slugging percentage “I’d really like to play baseball as long as I can,” said Peraldo, who describes his playing style as “pretty aggressive and fast. I don’t like to let anything drop in front of me.”
Richmond Hill coach Stacy Bennett said Peraldo will be tough to replace.
“Alex was a player that bloomed later in the season mentally and physically. He was a huge factor in our young guys staying positive early and developing into good players late into the season,” Bennett said. “Our young guys really looked up to him.”
Peraldo was a leader on the field as well. In 11 region games, he scored 12 runs, stole seven bases and drove in nine runs for the Wildcats. His speed in the outfield saved several runs and included a late game double play against playoff opponent Greenbrier.
“Alex was a big part in our region championship run,” Bennett said. “He delivered clutch hits and countless defensive plays through that stretch. He was probably our hottest hitter during that stretch. We will miss his play and leadership next season.”
Peraldo was offered preferred walk on status by coaches after he attended an SSU baseball camp earlier this summer. He said he hopes to earn playing time as a centerfielder but “I’ll play anywhere, wherever they want to play me,” at SSU, which finished 33-23 this spring, won the 2013 MEAC title and advanced to the NCAA tournament.