In case you missed it, San José State’s baseball team went through a complete overhaul last offseason. In an effort to recuperate losses – a whopping 27 of them – the staff looked to the transfer portal and the local high schools. When it was all said and done, San José State notched a total of 26 commitments, varying from the aforementioned high school level, to junior college, to other division 1 programs. In a previous piece we examined the roster changes as a whole. Here, we turn our focus to the newbies, hoping to learn a little more about them on the field and off of it.
Like almost every player these days, Jack Vanoncini played for more than one team in high school. In addition to starring as the man behind the plate for the Carlmont High Scots, Vanoncini also played ball for Gameprep Baseball Academy. Vanoncini’s next step took him to southern California as a member of the Fullerton Titans. After a redshirt season, he took his talents back up north to the South Bay. Aside from his future, Vanonicini chose San José State for its proximity to family; after all, he hails from Belmont, located just 26 miles from San Jose. As for this season, Vanoncini has a simple goal: to have fun, as he says “I know that when I’m having fun everything else takes care of itself”. Vanoncini’s favorite player of all time is Buster Posey, and funnily enough, he’ll get to play at the same stadium Posey did 15 years ago. In his spare time, Vanoncini enjoys making music, playing golf, and freestyling.
Tyson Pereira is a right-handed knuckleballer whose connection to San José State dates back to before high school. Pereira played travel ball for the Elk Grove Longhorns under Jason Jiménez, a former SJSU player from the 90’s and former MLB pitcher for the Rays and Tigers. Additionally, Pereira also trained at The Yard Baseball under Mike Madrigal, whose son Nick is currently an MLB free agent, having starred for the Cubs and White Sox previously. For the last three years Pereira has been a member of the San Joaquin Delta College Mustangs, a team whom he credits much of his success, “I owe most of my success at the Juco level to [Coach Reed Peters]”. Pereira has enjoyed his time in San José so far, telling me he and some teammates attended a Jon Pardi concert in the fall. As for his pre-game ritual, it consists of eating a breakfast crunchwrap and drinking an iced coffee from Taco Bell. Luckily for Pereira, there’s one less than a mile away from the ballpark on Story Rd.
Antonio Nanez has been playing organized baseball since he was 5 years old. First as a member of Cal Club Baseball, then as a Wildcat for Los Gatos High, where he committed to play for San Francisco State. After 3 years in purple and gold, Nanez decided to enter the portal, landing at San José State. The decision was an easy one he says, as “being able to play 15 minutes from home and to play at the D1 level was a no brainer.” The senior shortstop specializes in his defense and contact ability, which deviates from the power-hitting abilities of his favorite player of all time: Troy Tulowitzki. In his free time, Nanez loves to fish and play EA College Football 25.
EJ McGrew on the other hand, has the fun skill of being able to juggle. Not just literal round objects, but sports too. In high school, McGrew doubled as the goalkeeper for his soccer team, winning an NCS championship in 2020 (as well as one in baseball in 2022). The former Williamette LHP touts himself as a pitcher with movement and control, which in turn makes for a pretty nasty changeup. But what brought McGrew to the South Bay? It turns out McGrew grew up just a short trip up east in Oakland, where his family still resides. Additionally, McGrew felt joining SJSU was the perfect opportunity to improve as a player, stating he “wanted to make a challenge to become successful”.
Nobody quite knows a challenge like Trevor Wilson. After earning various accolades as a player and athlete at Bullard High, Wilson began his collegiate career at UC Irvine. After his freshman year, he transferred to SJSU in hopes of being able to be a part of a winning team; unfortunately, Wilson tore his ACL in the fall. Currently 4 months post-surgery, Wilson isn’t letting it stop him from attempting a comeback: “Throughout this time its been filled with ups and downs but I trust in the work I put in and the people I have in my corner.” In 15 games with the Kelowna Falcons of the West Coast League, Wilson notched 14 hits alongside 5 RBIs. He describes himself as a player who can “produce runs”, and these statistics more than prove it. With his spare time, Wilson makes music (similar to the aforementioned Vanocini) and raps as well. Before every game, he listens to Lil Wayne’s 2011 hit 6 Foot 7 Foot.
Speaking of which, Zach Tallerman is one of the more taller men (pun definitely intended) on the roster, coming in at 6 ‘4″. The versatile infielder has traveled well so far, venturing from east to west. After growing up in Riverdale (The Bronx, NY) for some time, Tallerman made the 2,900 mile move to Berkeley, where he played high school ball with former SJSU star and longtime best friend Theo Hardy. The first stop of his collegiate career began in San Luis Obispo with Cuesta College from 2021-2023, also earning 2023 Cuesta College Male Athlete of the Year honors. After spending the next year at UC Riverside, Tallerman decided to enter the transfer portal. Ultimately, the decision to play at SJSU came down to the fact he “had known great things about their program”. Tallerman has been working in the fall to achieve his goal of being the best player he can everyday in spite of the adversity he may face. Outside of the diamond, Tallerman enjoys taking in the natural beauty of the west coast, particularly the Santa Cruz mountains. He also enjoys playing ping pong and horses.
When we think of horses we of course think of horsepower, which we can’t bring up without mentioning Alex Fernandes. The powerful and speedy senior, who likens himself to Ichiro Suzuki, joins his 4th program in 4 years. The San Diego native originally began at UCLA, then transferred to Edmonds College in Seattle, before spending the last season at Memphis. But why did Fernandes choose to play in San Jose? As it turns out, he tells me location was a pretty big factor, saying “I’m from San Diego, which isn’t super close to San Jose, but after being out of state for the last 2 years, being back in California was a huge plus and it was close enough to home for me.” Fernandes also has some big goals for this season: to bat .400, steal 35 bases, and win a gold glove in the outfield. When he’s not lighting the base paths on fire, Fernandes indulges in photography; typically of the landscape, ocean, street, and travel variety.
So, a variety of players decided to take a chance, to bet on themselves, to be a part of something greater. Each of these gentlemen tell a different story, but their newest chapters are the same. While their paths are contrasting, they all share an identical goal: to help this program get over the hill once more and claim what should have been theirs last season. A completely revamped roster with one goal: to claim the crown.
I’d like to personally thank all these players for their time. It was such an amazing experience to learn more about them. The home opener takes place on Thursday, February 20th against Utah Valley. Conference play begins March 14th in San Diego. As always, you can get coverage for baseball and more on 90.5 FM KSJS, or online at ksjs.org.
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