MONTGOMERY – Alabama State baseball pitcher Joseph Camacho has signed a free agent contract with the Oakland A’s.
Camacho (5-9, 175; Sr., El Paso, Texas) recorded one of the most outstanding careers in the history of Hornet Athletics. The four-year starter went 36-5 with a career 3.35 ERA in 59 appearances with 47 starts, throwing six complete games with two shutouts and one save.
Camacho, a three-time SWAC Pitcher of the Year and three-time first-team All-SWAC performer, went unbeaten in 36 consecutive starts from early in his sophomore season until the final start of his senior year. He was 31-0 record with five no-decisions in that time as the Hornets won 35 of those 36 starts.
This season, Camacho earned Louisville Slugger All-American honors after posting a 10-1 record with a 2.35 ERA in 15 games with 13 starts and one save. Camacho threw three complete games and two shutouts in helping lead the Hornets to their first SWAC Championship in program history. Camacho capped off his final SWAC Tournament appearance by starting and winning the opening game against Southern, and then pitching the final 1 1/3 innings in relief to earn the save in the title game victory over Texas Southern as Alabama State went undefeated against SWAC teams in 2016 (24-0 league play, 4-0 tournament play).
Among his victories, Camacho started and won at #4 Miami in 2014 and over #17 Cal-State Fullerton in 2015. He played a big role in the winningest era of ASU baseball, with four straight 30+ win seasons (138 overall), three-straight SWAC Eastern Division Championships (2014-16) and two HBCU National Championship teams (2015-2016)
Camacho becomes the second Alabama State player this season and ninth since 2014 to sign a professional baseball contract. Pitcher Angel Alicea was drafted in the 20th round by Toronto in this past weekend’s Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Last season, relief pitchers Armando Ruiz (29th round, Oakland) and Jorge Pantoja (30th round, Washington) were drafted, while a third pitcher, Michael Estevez (FA, Toronto) signed a contract.
In 2014, Alabama State baseball had four players sign professional baseball contracts, with three players selected in the draft, the most in one draft in school history. SS Emmanuel Marrero (7th round, Philadelphia) became the highest drafted baseball player ever at ASU. OF Richard Amion (19th round, San Francisco) and C Richard Gonzalez (29th round, Houston) were also selected in the draft, while P/1B Dexter Price signed a free agent contract with Arizona.
Courtesy ASU Sports Information