In starting up a new baseball team, Mesa Vista had all kinds of outside help.
The Albuquerque Isotopes sent three boxes of baseballs. And MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers also chipped in. Mesa Vista teacher Victor Coronado had a friend who now plays for the Brewers, (Mesa Vista coach Anthony Ocana could not recall the player’s name), so Coronado reached out asking for help. And the Brewers responded with gloves, cleats, batting helmets and more.
The Mesa Vista baseball team played its second game of the season on April 20, losing 16-7 to Española Valley’s junior varsity team. The Trojans had last had a team in 2019, where they played just a single doubleheader (losing 32-1 and 16-0 to Jemez Valley). Their most recent win came in 2015. But even in a lopsided loss, everybody had fun and enjoyed learning the game.
“Everybody’s having fun,” Ocana said. “They’re pretty pumped about the game today.”
Ocana had been trying to restart the team for years, and had been volunteering with some athletes. But this year he finally found enough players willing to join. But this year, enough Trojans ultimately joined to form a full team and then some: 17 were available by their second game.
“We fought hard for this baseball team,” Archuleta said. “And we finally got it.”
Just a handful of players had any prior baseball experience at all; Daniel Martinez only played tee-ball, and Santiago Archuleta is one of a couple who played little league. And the team has been practicing daily for a few weeks before their season started.
“Hopefully, they stick with it, and we’ll have the program for years to come,” Ocana said.
The official rules of the game served as more of a guidance. Mesa Vista battled all 17 of their players in order. They played four outs in one inning. At one point, Española coach Joe Padilla instructed a batter to take his helmet off at the plate for an automatic out to end the inning after the team had batted around.
The Trojans team also features a group of female players, who were some of the most impactful of the day. Tasha Pacheco, who previously played with the Española Valley softball team, had perhaps the hardest hit of the day with a line-drive single, and also reached base on a walk. Gabby Griego and Trinidad Jaramillo both scored runs, with Griego 2-for-2 at the plate.
“They do bring energy to the team,” said senior Jerome Montoya. “At the end of the day, this is one big family, whether you’re a girl or a guy.”
Mesa Vista got their first run in the third inning when Griego scored on a balk. And the offense exploded in the fourth inning, with RBI hits from Anjel Montoya and Santi Archuleta, and six walks in the inning led to five total runs. Mesa Vista added another run on a groundout by Montoya in the fifth and final inning. Three days earlier, the team lost 21-1 to Peñasco.
“It felt really good to get some runs and some better scoring on the board,” Jerome Montoya said. “That just shows you how much improvement we have made over the last game.”
Española scored four runs in the first inning, four in the second, three in the third and five in the fourth.
The Trojans pitched Santiago Archuleta to start the game for one inning, Jerome Montoya for two, and Daniel Martinez for the final inning.
Mesa Vista has future games against Mora and McCurdy this season.
“We’re a little rough around the edges,” Ocana said. “But we’re coming through. And it’s all about them having fun.”