COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Friday the club had signed defender Lamar Batista, pending league and federation approval.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow as a player and a person here in Colorado Springs,” said Batista. “I'm looking forward to an incredible year with my new family.”

Batista joins the Switchbacks after appearing in 45 USL Championship games and 23 USL League One games. The towering defender most recently played for North Texas SC where he was named to the USL League One Team of the Week for his performance in his club debut on July 25, 2020.

The 23-year-old native of Oklahoma City started his professional career with Portland Timbers 2 where he scored a goal in 43 appearances in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, Batista was ranked No. 8 on the USL Championship's 20 Under 20 list while playing for Portland and featured in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match with the Timbers’ Major League Soccer side.

In 2019, Batista was signed by Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club, and subsequently spent the season on loan with both the Championship’s Phoenix Rising FC and USL League One’s FC Tucson.

“Lamar has all of the tools to play at a higher level and he's already been in some big environments at a young age,” said Switchbacks Head Coach Brendan Burke. “We are really excited to have the opportunity to work with him and bring out his best moments on a consistent basis. He's got a great personality and has already been a good addition to our environment in a few short weeks.”