EX-VALLEY BASEBALL STAR BURIED AFTER CRASH.

Byline: Scott French Staff Writer

Raul Perez, who played baseball at La Canada High and Glendale and Valley colleges, was remembered in emotional services Friday at First Baptist Church in Glendale, six days after he was killed in a single-vehicle crash in New Mexico.

Perez, a junior catcher for the baseball team at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M., died, police said, after the pickup truck in which he was riding veered into a highway median, went up an embankment and flipped several times.

Miguel Gomez, a shortstop who played at Poly High of Sun Valley and Valley College, was injured in the crash and was scheduled to undergo a second surgery Friday.

The driver, baseball player Ryan Bruns, of Vacaville, was charged with driving while intoxicated. He could face additional charges, state police Lt. Juan Martinez said.

Perez was an All-Western State Conference catcher last year at Valley, which won the conference title.

``He was a pleasure to coach,'' Valley coach Dave Mallas said. ``He was a quiet leader. He played the game hard. ... I was fortunate to have coached him for a year.''

Perez transferred this semester to New Mexico Highlands, coach Steve Jones said, and played his first game for the Cowboys on March 24, going 2 for 3 with three runs and two RBI in a 30-4 rout of Colorado Christian.

``He was a great kid,'' Jones said. ``He did everything you asked him to do. ... It's been a tough time. In 20 years, we've never had to deal with something like this. But the team is so strong, they've held things together.''

The team considered cancelling games this week, then decided to play. It plans to present Perez's family the ball from a winning grand slam in Friday's sweep of Grand Canyon.

Valley College held a moment of silence before its 3-2 victory Thursday over Mission College.

``Raul affected people in a positive light,'' Mallas said. ``You could tell with the outpouring of support the family had (at Friday's service). When everyone was around, he shared positive moments with them. That's very characteristic of Raul.''

Gomez suffered a fractured neck, dislocated toes and a low-grade lacerated liver, Jones said. He underwent neck surgery Monday and was scheduled for foot surgery Friday.

Jones said Gomez had improved greatly in the past week.

Perez was the second New Mexico Highlands athlete killed during spring break. Ashleigh Smith of Monterey, a runner for the Cowboys' cross country and track teams, died in a March 17 car crash.

Associated Press contributed.

Scott French, [phone]

scott.french(at)dailynews.com