BASEBALL: LOCAL BALL PLAYER NOW AN ANGEL

Former FC baseball standout Jose Rojas was officially informed on Saturday that he will be playing for his favorite team as he made the MLB Angles' opening day roster.

A local product, Rojas came to Fullerton College from Anaheim High School where he played short stop under skipper Nick Fuscardo during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. In that time, Rojas helped the Hornets to a conference championship and a run at the state title. In his freshman campaign, he batted .310 with 21 RBI and 17 runs. In 2014, Jose batted .305 with 18 RBI and runs.

After his successful days at Fullerton, Rojas went on to star at Vanguard University where he played for head coach Rob Pegg. He batted .361 his senior season with the Lions accumulating 57 RBI, 52 runs, and 12 home runs.

Rojas entered the MLB draft in 2016 and was a 36 round/1,086 overall draft pick for the Angels. His minor league stats spanning from rookie ball in 2016 to AAA in Salt Lake in 2019 are impressive as he totaled a .292 batting average (1,606 at bats), 279 RBI, 273 runs scored, while hammering 64 home runs.

Jose has been hot at the plate this spring with a stellar .333/.488/.667 clip in 41 plate appearances. Always a skilled hitter, Rojas has been on the radar of the Angel brass the since last spring. Rojas' hitting along with his solid defense this spring surely opened the door for a shot at the big leagues. With infielders Luis Rengifo being optioned and Franklin Barreto nursing an injury, Jose will be backing up Anthony Rendon, David Fletcher, José Iglesias, Jared Walsh, and Albert Pujols.

Congrats Jose! We are very proud of you!

Once a Hornet, Always a Hornet!