MLB: Diamondbacks Sign West Orange High Alum Alex Gouin

West Orange, NJ – There’s good news for MLB fans in Essex County… you may soon have a new local player to root for.

According to a school news release, West Orange High School (WOHS) alumnus Alex Gouin has signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gouin will soon head to Hillsboro, Oregon, to begin work with the Hillsboro Hops, the Diamondback's minor league team.

Gouin moved with his family from Cuba to West Orange and attended Roosevelt Middle School, playing baseball for the Rough Riders, school administrators said.

The pitcher and third baseman noted that his grandfather’s love for baseball impacted him at an early age, and thanked his family for their ongoing love and support.

“I’m very fond of my days at West Orange High School,” Gouin added. “The support I received from my coaches, teammates, teachers and community has played a big part in my current success. I’m proud to be a Mountaineer, and I’ll always be one.”

Gouin played on the WOHS Varsity Baseball team for all four years and graduated in 2010, garnering some impressive stats as a hurler and a hitter. He fought back from a serious ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury in junior year to make first team all-conference honors and Area Player of the Year as named by Worrall Publications.

In his last season as a Mountaineer, Gouin pulled a 1.02 ERA last season over 55 innings, holding opposing batters to a .156 batting average while striking out 69. He also hit .484 with five home runs.

“He is a true gentleman and one of the best-rounded individuals I know,” former WOHS coach Steve Zichella said of Gouin. “Alex does well academically in addition to his great skills on the field. He also sings and plays the piano beautifully.”

Gouin’s talent caught the attention of the University of Hartford, where he attended college on a nearly full scholarship, school administrators wrote. As a senior, he earned a school record with nine saves in a single season as primary closer, was named to the America East All-Conference Second Team and the NEIBA All-Region Second Team (posting an ERA of 2.74, allowing seven runs, all earned, on 21 hits over 23 innings) and striking out 15 batters.

He graduated from Hartford in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance, and was recruited by the Rockland Boulders, a professional team in Pomona, NY, for the 2015 season. Gouin went 3-1 last season with a 3.41 ERA and holds an 11-5 overall record.

On July 3, Gouin’s contract with Rockland was purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gouin will head to Hillsboro, OR, on July 6 to play with the short-season Hillsboro Hops affiliate.

“Alex’s signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks has made many of us in West Orange so proud,” Zichella enthused. “We are confident that he will put in the work to make himself competitive at baseball’s highest level – the Major Leagues.”

Sign up for Patch NJ email newsletters here.

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photos: Cynthia Cumming