CCFD's Perez sparks fire on the diamond in Banana Ball; ready for Team USA

Calallen grad Valerie Perez is a member of Corpus Christi Fire Station 7, but when she's not protecting the Coastal Bend she's putting out fires on the baseball diamond with the Firefighters.

"Three years ago I think I picked up a baseball for the first time in 19 years," Perez said. "A ball competitively was about 10 years, so three years ago until now just between USA Baseball which opened the door to this kind of opportunity."

A rare opportunity through Savannah Banana Ball that named Perez the first manager for the Firefighters baseball team.

"Firefighting also is what brought these two worlds together," Perez said. "I never would have guessed this is the place I'd be."

The season started May 30, and since then Perez has knocked a base hit and even fielded a trick play. While the walk-ups and celebrations are planned, the action on the field is the real deal.

"So I was coming up charging it. Fielded it as a play on the run," Perez said. "Fielded it. Threw it behind my back from my glove, bare-handed it and threw it across and got the out."

Perez will play two more series with the Firefighters before reporting to USA's National Team July 16 for the Women's Baseball World Cup . A chance to bring home a gold medal.

"Being here and on a baseball field every single day I've gotten a lot more focused training for USA, so come July I'm amped and ready to go," Perez said.

An opportunity that would not be possible without her family and the Corpus Christi Fire Department.

"The guys back at Station 7 they've been awesome. We have a dispatch call. One of our skits, and I specifically I wrote the dispatch. The first apparatus dispatch is ladder 7."

Valerie Perez

"Between my wife handling things at home and the guys handling things back at the Station for CCFD, without that I would have had to say no," Perez said.

Perez will lead the Firefighters against the Savannah Bananas July 5-7 in Buffalo, NY. Then July 13 in Washington D.C.