Southeastern Louisiana University Athletics

2021 Southland Conference All-Defensive Team

PRIOR TO SOUTHEASTERN: Senior transfer from Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

2020 [COVID-19]: Appeared in 14 games, starting all of them, before the season was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic ... slashed .170 / .241 / .358 with one double and three home runs ... led the team in homers ... drove in nine runs and scored another four ... drew four walks and struck out 22 times ... successful in his only steal attempt ... produced a pair of hits, including a 3-run HR, during win at Western Carolina (March 10) ... also homered at UNC Wilmington (Feb. 16) and Virginia Tech (Feb. 28).

2019 [JUNIOR]: ABCA Northeast All-Region First Team DH ... NEIBA All-New England First Team DH ... All-NEC First Team DH ... appeared in 48 games and made 40 starts ... started 22 games at DH and 18 behind the plate ... hit .354 with six doubles, nine home runs, 37 RBI and 29 runs scored ... posted a .449 OBP and a .592 slugging percentage ... set career highs in home runs, RBI and runs scored ... collected 17 multi-hit games and nine multi-RBI games ... hit seven of his nine home runs in NEC play ... committed just two errors behind the plate ... went 5-for-11 with three RBI in series at No. 1-ranked LSU ... posted four hits at Elon on Mar. 10 ... went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and four RBI at Hartford on Mar. 20 ... hit his first home run of the year vs. Brown on Mar. 27 ... homered and drove in four at at Quinnipiac on Apr. 17 ... hit two home runs, including a game-winning home run in the top of the ninth, at Wagner on Apr. 27 ... went 5-for-5 with two home runs, six RBI and four runs scored vs. Mount on May 4 ... named to the NEC All-Tournament team after going 5-for-14 with two doubles and three RBI in four games ... had two hits in each of the two championship games.

2018 [SOPHOMORE]: All-NEC Second Team as a DH ... appeared in 47 games and made 39 starts ... started 16 games behind the plate and 23 at DH ... hit .302 (42-139) with eight doubles, 26 RBI, 19 runs scored and a .390 OBP ... posted 11 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games ... 21 of his 26 RBI came in NEC play ... committed just one error, finishing the year with a .993 fielding percentage ... delivered the game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth vs. Boston College on March 3 ... posted three doubles in the series finale at LIU Brooklyn (April 7) ... had three hits, two RBI and three runs scored at FDU (April 14).

2017 [FRESHMAN]: Broke out of an early-season slump to put together a solid rookie season in 2017 ... appeared in 48 games, making 29 starts at DH and 12 at catcher ... hit .269 (39-145) with a .384 OBP ... posted six doubles, a home run, 18 RBI and 18 runs scored ... started his career 5-for-44 (.144) with one RBI and a .304 OBP in 17 games ... rebounded to hit .337 (34-101) with 17 RBI and a .421 OBP over his final 31 games as a freshman ... posted 10 multi-hit games on the year and reached base safely in each of the final 15 games of the year ... committed one error in 111 chances behind the plate (.991) ... posted his first collegiate hit (double) on Feb. 18 at New Mexico State ... had a hit and scored twice in the series finale with the Aggies ... broke out of his slump against URI on Apr. 5, going 3-for-4 and hitting his first-career home run ... delivered game-winning single in the top of the ninth against Wagner on Apr. 9 ... collected two hits, two walks and scored three times vs. LIU Brooklyn on Apr. 16 ... hit safely in 12-straight games from Apr. 30-May 26 ... three hits, two RBI and two runs scored vs. Mount on May 7.

HIGH SCHOOL: A four-year varsity letter winner for coach Fred Burnside, a former Southeastern assistant, at South Dade HS … helped the Buccaneers to a state championship as a sophomore and to back-to-back district titles as a junior and a senior … helped team go a combined 72-16 over his final three years ... completed a historic junior season in which he hit safely in all 25 games … hit .536 with 14 doubles, a home run and just five strikeouts … named First Team All-County and First Team All-Region … hit .445 with 20 RBI and 14 doubles as a sophomore … named a Max Preps Underclassmen All-American in 2014 ... earned District Catcher of the Year honors in 2014, '15 and '16 ... second team all-county in 2016.

PERSONAL: Born Gabriel Cruz in Miami, Florida ... son of Oscar Cruz and Laura Tirado ... has two siblings, Gabriel and Ayren ... enjoys fishing, golfing, cooking and spending time with family & loved one ... majoring in general studies at Southeastern.