About Us
The Bandits 1989-2007
The Bandits started on April 15, 1989 with a team of 10 and under players playing in Boys Baseball of El Paso at Ponder Park. The first group was two months behind every one else in practicing and was basically a group of cast-offs from other teams that had already cut their squads. By July, the group of castoffs – led by 8 year old Champ Hernandez, and two 9 year olds – Josh Kallail and David Fortenbery had won the league championship and advanced to finish 5th in the city’s largest youth baseball program – Boys Baseball of El Paso. That fall the Bandits won the first ever Fall Ball Baseball Championship at Champions Sportsplex going undefeated.
In 1990, the Bandits bolstered by the addition of 9 year olds Aaron Forrister and Brian Franco, 8 year olds Michael Rubio, and Jason Beall, 10 year olds Robert Rubio and Carlos Villareal won the first of many city championships. The Bandits then formed two teams which eventually grew to 7 in all age brackets simultaneously.
In 1993, the Bandits became the first El Paso youth baseball team and the first team from outside the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex to win the Texas Baseball Classic in Fort Worth.
In 1995 the group began downsizing in accordance with the plan of dissolving by 1998. A turn of events kept the organization active into the year 2007. The organization has never looked back winning more city, tournament, state, regional, and national honors than all the other El Paso youth baseball organizations combined!
In 1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998, 1999 and 2000 they won every single championship for every age division they were entered in regulation baseball.
The 2000 team of became the first team of 13 year olds to win the entire 14 and under division in the history of Champions Sportsplex and Sportspark El Paso and not just the 13 year old division and did so by going undefeated.
The teams claimed National Finalist berths in 1998, 2000 and 2002.
The first graduating class was in 1998 and in 1999 every single Bandit made one of the city All-District lists. The Bandits have played college baseball at schools like the University of Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, University of New Mexico, New Mexico State, Texas State, Pima Community College, Cal Lutheran, El Paso Community College, UT San Antonio, College of the Southwest, Stephen F. Austin, Navarro Junior College, New Mexico Highlands, Sul Ross State University, St. Mary’s University and other schools in Texas, Indiana and Louisiana. All District, All City, All State, College All Conference, College All American and Professional Draft signees are part of our proud legacy.
We don’t want players who want to play on the best team, we want players who want to make their team the BEST.