BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University baseball team, under head coach Duane Monlux has announced today the signing of two more recruits for the 2015/16 academic year. Julian Rivera (Sunnyside, Wash./Wenatchee Valley College/Sunnyside HS) and Christian Fillingame (Hesparia, Calif./San Bernardino Valley College/Orange Coast College/Oak Hills HS) have both signed letters of intent to continue their respective academic and athletic careers at Bellevue in the fall of 2015.
Rivera, a 5-9, 190 pound corner infielder, played two seasons at Wenatchee Valley College in Washington where he hit .311 in 48 career games. His breakout 2015 campaign saw him hit .320 and slug .456 in 103 at-bats. His five doubles, three home runs, 22 RBI, and 15 runs scored were all career-highs.
Fillingame, a 5-10, 180 pound catcher, most recently played at San Bernardino Valley College in California where he was named first team all-Foothill Conference. After seeing limited playing time at Orange Coast College – also in California – Fillingame transferred to SBVC where he enjoyed a career season this past year. He hit .280 in 34 games with 12 extra base hits (8 doubles, 1 triple, and 3 home runs) for a .458 slugging percentage while knocking in 31 and scoring 26 runs.
Coach Monlux on the signings:
"We are very excited to announce the signings of Christian Fillingame and Julian Rivera. Both had quality junior college careers. They both gained a ton of experience against top level college players. Both possess quality bats and both will be looked at to compete for spots for this year's team. We are looking forward to seeing how both men progress for our program."
Bellevue went 46-15 (18-6 MCAC) this past season while winning the final MCAC Tournament and hosting the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round. The Bruins reached the final game in the Opening Round Tournament before falling to Tabor College.
