Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Catcher Conrado Diaz, who played for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) baseball team from 2019-21, signed with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol for the 2022 season on Wednesday.
Algodoneros de Unión Laguna is based in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico.
Recognized as part of the 2020 and 2021 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year watch lists, Diaz hit .307/.435/.410 with four home runs, 24 doubles, one triple, 67 RBI and 62 runs scored in 103 games across three seasons. Diaz struck out just 34 times in 371 at-bats, or once every 10.9 at-bats, while walking 48 times.
This past season, Diaz hit a career-high three home runs with 21 RBI in 31 games before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.
During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Diaz hit .309 with seven doubles in just 55 at-bats.
Diaz was the 13th toughest hitter to strikeout in the NCAA as a junior in 2019, doing so just once every 13.8 at-bats. He hit .319/.434/.386 with one home run, 11 doubles, 31 RBI and 33 runs scored in 54 games.
Originally from San Diego, Diaz came to UTRGV from Trinidad State, where he was an NJCAA All-American in 2018.
Diaz graduated from UTRGV with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in May.
Diaz is one of five alumni known to currently be playing professional baseball, along with Dusten Knight (2013-13), who is playing with the Norfolk Tides (Triple-A East), Andy Atwood (2019-21), who playing with the Great Falls Voyagers (Pioneer League), Christian Sepulveda (2019-21), who is playing for the Billings Mustangs (Pioneer League), and Roger Bernal (2009-12), who is playing for the Generales de Durango (Liga Mexicana de Beisbol).
 baseball team from 2019-21, signed with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol for the 2022 season on Wednesday.){kind=link}