SOLEDAD — Soledad baseball player Eric Segura became the first athlete from that community to be chosen in the Major League Baseball draft.
Segura, a standout pitcher at Soledad High and Oregon State, was chosen in the fourth round last week by the Chicago White Sox of the American League.
Segura, the 21-year-old son of Efren and Norma Sergura, flew to North Carolina to sign a contract last Thursday and arrived in Arizona on Sunday night to report to the minor league facility.
“I will be in Arizona until about the middle of September,” Segura said. “After that, I will be going home to Soledad for a couple of weeks and then get ready, training for spring ball.”
After an outstanding junior season at Oregon State, where he compiled a 9-3 record as a starter with a 0.61 earned run average, while striking out 119 batters in 80-1/3 innings, Segura felt the time was right to begin his Major League career.
Segura participated in the Soledad YMCA, as well as the Little League and Junior League baseball programs before entering Soledad High School. Aztec head baseball coach Damian Ryan saw Segura come in as an athlete with a good arm that became a complete player in his three years on the team.
“As a freshman, Eric came in at about 5-foot-10 and a fastball that could reach about 85 miles an hour,” Ryan said. “From day one of the varsity season, we gave him starts in five games and then Covid started and the season was shut down. We worked on his mechanics and when he saw results, he was all-in to do any work we had him do to make him a better pitcher. We knew he was special and could be great if he wanted to be.”
According to Ryan, the transformation from a good pitcher to a pitcher that could play in college and beyond was the result of hard work by Segura, and a growth spurt and improvement in overall strength that allowed him to improve to over 90 miles an hour with his fastball. Segura stretched from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-2 in high school.
“Size, attitude and focus helped Eric to become the athlete that he is,” Ryan said. “As a junior, we had college scouts coming to watch him pitch and that changed to Major League scouts that came to our games when he started at pitcher. The number of scouts grew his senior year. He went to Oregon State with the fastball and change up and when he developed the slider he had all the pitches that to become a better pitcher. He is just a great role model for high school players to look up to.”
Soledad High assistant coach Robert Ramirez feels that Segura’s work ethic is what has made him the ball player that he is.
“Even during Covid, Eric was working out and lifting weights and throwing the baseballs on his mound at home every day,” Ramirez said. “Once Covid was over, he worked even harder to get better. He likes giving back and visits Soledad High to work out with our players. The players enjoy when Eric arrives on our field.”
On the night that Segura’s name was called on July 11, his family had about 25 to 30 friends and family members at their home to wait to hear Eric’s name called on Draft Day.
“It was an exciting and nervous night waiting to hear what team would end up drafting him,” recalled his father, Efren. “People really started noticing him when he would pitch in the showcases against the best players in the nation. He traveled to Florida, Georgia and Nevada, participating in the biggest showcases in the country. Based on his performances, MLB scouts began to have an interest in Eric. After landing a full scholarship to play D1 after high school, we knew then that Eric could play at the next level. With three impressive years at the college level with Oregon State Beaver Baseball, it was then discovered that pro ball was definitely his destiny. When he received the call from Chicago, it was just a happy and emotional moment.”
Segura decided to be a one-sport athlete entering high school, although he had enjoyed playing basketball and other sports.
“I had decided that I wanted to be a varsity baseball player my first year of high school,” he said. “That meant I would have to work hard, lift weights and get stronger. I also went to Kinetic Performance Institute in Morgan Hill for specific baseball training. Nothing will change now that I will play as a professional because I have to maintain strength, work on my speed, and work with the team trainers to stay healthy. I am looking forward to my career in baseball.”
