Johrden Niebla signs with Point Loma Nazarene

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - There was plenty to celebrate at Southwest High School on signing day, but for Southwest senior Johrden Niebla, the moment meant more than just putting pen to paper.

After years of hard work, injuries, and perseverance, Niebla officially committed to continue his baseball career at Point Loma Nazarene University, fulfilling a dream he says he’s had since he was a little kid.

"Everything really," Niebla said. "Everything about it excites me. I've been dreaming of this since I was a little kid, so I think it's just fulfilling my dreams."

Baseball has always been a part of the Niebla family. Johrden grew up around the game thanks to his father, Ruben Niebla, the pitching coach for the San Diego Padres.

From professional clubhouses to practices in the Imperial Valley, the game has been woven into his life from the beginning.

Now, he'll get the chance to continue that journey at one of the top Division II baseball programs on the West Coast.

"I mean, the campus is beautiful. The school is amazing," Niebla said. "Every time I talk about it to somebody, they have nothing but amazing things to say."

The road to signing day, however, was anything but easy.

Niebla battled through multiple injuries during his senior season that forced him to miss extended time on the field. But even while sidelined, he stayed committed to improving.

"It wasn't just like nine months I took off baseball," Niebla said. "Right when I was able to get in the gym, I was in the gym working."

That determination showed once he returned to the mound. In seven appearances this season, the Southwest pitcher posted a 0.87 ERA while helping lead the Eagles late in the year.

For Ruben, watching his son fight through adversity made the accomplishment even more meaningful.

"Being able to watch him grow up and love the game, there's always an opportunity," Ruben said. "If you're enjoying the game and loving the game, there's always an opportunity that's going to be there for you eventually in the future."

Southwest head coach Jerry Niebla said Johrden's impact reaches beyond statistics.

"These are the type of kids that open doors for us," Jerry Niebla said. "He taught us a life lesson in perseverance with all of the obstacles he had to go through."

Around Southwest baseball, perseverance has become the word most associated with Johrden Niebla's journey.

Despite injuries and setbacks, he never stopped working toward the opportunity he had dreamed about for years.

Now, with college baseball ahead of him in San Diego, the next chapter of his journey is officially underway.