La Mirada High School quarterback Daniel Poncedeleon, in the midst of a very impressive football season, has made an oral commitment to the University of Arizona — to play baseball.
Poncedeleon is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound, strong-armed senior who is completing 71 percent of his passes (125 of 175) for an area-high 1,626 yards and 13 touchdowns and has been intercepted just twice. He is averaging 5.1 yards a carry on 20 trips.
He also clocks in the 92-94 mph range when he throws his fastball pitching for the Matadores’ baseball team,
Last season he posted a 5-3 record with two saves and a 2.33 earned run average. He had 56 strikeouts and 31 walks in 60 innings. Opposing batters combined for a .212 average against him.
“He had a tremendous summer,” coach Kim Brooks said, adding that Arizona wanted him badly enough to make him their No. 1 choice and offered a full scholarship.
Poncedeleon is expected to sign the letter of intent later this month.