Nova Southeastern University mourns loss of star baseball player

DAVIE, FLA. (WSVN) - The Nova Southeastern University community is coming together after the loss of their star baseball player who passed away in a tragic car crash, two days ago.

According to police, 21-year-old NSU sophomore center fielder Dallas Perez passed away in a fiery rollover wreck along Interstate 75, between Griffin Road and Sheridan Street on Sunday, at around 5 a.m.

Police said a vehicle driving along I-75 lost control and crashed into Perez, causing his vehicle to flip over before being engulfed in flames.

Perez died at the scene of the crash before fire rescue officials arrived. He was the only person injured in the accident.

He was a high school football star at American Heritage School and then moved on with a football scholarship to Appalachian State University, in North Carolina. Perez then decided he wanted to be closer to home and returned. He then made the baseball team at NSU.

As a freshman, Perez started in 19 games and had a bright career ahead of him before the wreck.

7News spoke with NSU’s baseball coach Greg Brown, who had to break the news to the team that one of their own had died.

“The biggest thing is that we have to be authentic with each other, and we have to understand that this is something that we have to all face together,” said Brown, who recruited Perez to the university. “Fortunately for us, we have a very strong family here within the NSU athletic department, as well as the university as a whole.”

Since news broke of his passing, the NSU baseball team and campus community joined together on social media, with the hashtags “#DP21” and “#DallasStrong,” to show their solidarity and respect for the fallen baseball player.

“His memory is going to be daily with us, you know? I think that we’re gonna have reminders constantly about… he had a great smile,” Brown said. “He was just a very supportive teammate and also, an impact player, so his future was really bright.”

Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate the fatal crash.

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