BU strengthens catching position with signing of Duarte

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Bellevue University baseball coach Duane Monlux has announced the signing of Rigo Duarte (San Diego, Calif./Southwestern) to a Letter of Intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at BU beginning in the fall.

Duarte comes to Bellevue from Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Calif. where he spent the 2020 season as a teammate of fellow 2020 BU signee Alexandro Celiceo for the Jaguars.

Prior to Southwestern, Duarte began his collegiate career by playing the 2019 season at San Diego City College. He hit .240 for the Knights with an OPS of .708 while totaling six doubles, nine RBI, and 13 runs scored.

Upon transferring to Southwestern, Duarte got off to a fast start hitting .268 with a .770 OPS through 16 games before the season came to an unceremonious end. He totaled five doubles, five RBI, and scored six runs.

Coach Monlux on Duarte:

"We are thrilled that Rigo has decided to join the BU family. We were needing to bolster our team depth at the catching position and we feel that Rigo will come in and compete right away. He is a good kid and a solid student. He was a regular in the lineup this season for Southwestern before their season was cut short because of COVID-19. He will have three years of eligibility for the Bruins."

Duarte joins earlier signees Dalton Stamper (Lewiston, Idaho/Wenatchee Valley), Nate Smith (Eagle, Idaho/Blue Mountain CC), Matt Johnson (Meridian, Idaho/Blue Mountain CC), Cole Nordin (Omaha, Neb./Millard North HS), Alexandro Celiceo (Chula Vista, Calif./Southwestern), Cade Sakamoto (Bakersfield, Calif./College of the Sequoias), Nic Metcalf (Sedro-Woolley, Wash./Morningside), and Brenton Davis (Raymond, Neb./Maryland) in the Bruins' 2020 signing class.

Bellevue posted a 9-11 record in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. The Bruins qualified for the Avista NAIA World Series twice in the previous four seasons and reached nine-straight NAIA National Tournaments. In the program's stories history, Bellevue has qualified for 22 National Tournaments, made 14 World Series Appearances, and won the 1995 NAIA National Championship.

Junior College Stats: