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San Antonio signs defender Lamar Batista to 25-day contract

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 03/09/23, 11:56AM EST

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Center back brings prior experience from Championship, League One to defending title holders


San Antonio FC has signed 24-year-old defender Lamar Batista to a 25-day contract ahead of the 2023 USL Championship season. | Photo courtesy Steven Christy / OKC Energy FC

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio FC announced on Thursday the club had signed defender Lamar Batista to a 25-day contract prior to the 2023 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval, and per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are happy to add the quality of Lamar on such short notice,” said head coach Alen Marcina. “He brings speed, is aggressive in one-versus-one duels and demonstrates the ability to break opposition lines off a vertical pass or dribble. He demonstrates a growth mindset with his willingness and commitment to learn and execute our game model principles.”

Batista made his debut in the USL Championship in 2017 for the Portland Timbers 2 on loan from Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers FC. He made 44 appearances in the league for T2, including helping the side reach the 2018 USL Championship Playoffs as he recorded 63 clearances, 36 interceptions and 30 tackles won at a 79 percent success rate.

After two seasons in Portland, Batista was signed by MLS’s Los Angeles FC prior to the 2019 season and saw action in both the Championship on loan with Phoenix Rising FC and in USL League One for FC Tucson. More recently he also competed in the Championship for OKC Energy FC and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and has made 64 appearances in the league overall in his career, while in 2020 he competed in USL League One for North Texas SC.

This past season the 24-year-old Oklahoma native made 23 appearances for Rochester NY FC in MLS NEXT Pro.

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