November Birthdays

November 1: “Lil” Bandit Matthew Ryan Chavez turned 15. Matthew played 2 seasons with the “Lil” Bandits in the 7U League and helped lead the team to a USSSA Tournament Title. “Happy Birthday” Matthew!

November 6: Sergio Vargas turned 31. Sergio played for the Bandits for 2 years. He was a middle infielder, pitcher, third baseman and played all three outfield positions. Vargas was usually found in one of the two top spots in his team’s batting order. Happy Birthday Sergio!

November 17: Kobe Nelms turned 25. Kobe was part of our Southwest Baseball League undefeated Bandit squad. He played second base and all three outfield spots finally claiming the Centerfield position due to his speed and ability to read “ball off bat.” He was the leading hitter at the October 2013 “Halloween Scream” hitting .667 with an on base percentage over .800. Nelms was a clutch RBI producer for the Bandits and an excellent base runner. Kobe shared the lead for the Bandits in RBI during our undefeated Southwest Baseball League season. Nelms was a High School All State Wrestling contender at Franklin High School.  “Happy Birthday” Kobe!

November 24: Steve Vizcaino turned 35. Steve played varsity baseball all four years at Del Valle High School earning All District honors. Steve was an outstanding student in the classroom and mastered three languages in which he is very proficient including German. Vizcaino is a member of our 2002 National Finalist. Steve signed a scholarship agreement to play baseball at the University of the Southwest following his time at Del Valle. Happy Birthday Steve!

November 28: Bridgett Bumpas turned “29” again. Bridgett and her entire Family in Monahans were always been big supporters of the Bandits and our program, even before Kyle started playing, she was Robert “10’er” Gallegos teacher back when he was in elementary school, Robert is a member of our 1998 and 2000 National Finalists, Bridgett’s son Kyle is a member of our 2002 National Finalist squad, Kyle’s play on the first District 1-5A Championship baseball squad at Americas, saw Kyle honored again with All City and All District honors in baseball, Bumpas was honored as the Most Valuable Player in District 1-5A, Mrs. Bumpas received along with her Mom Kyle’s award for being named the El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame Player of the Year in 2010, in 2011, Kyle earned All Conference honors as a freshman pitcher for St. Mary’s University and was a 3-year letterman for the Rattlers. Happy Birthday Bridgett!

November 29: Mandy Franco turns “29” again. Mandy is an outstanding educator in the classroom, a nurturing Mother to her sons Ruben “Niner” and Robert and daughter Amanda, a tolerant and patient woman, a devoted daughter andsister and a tremendous friend. She has enormous patience and compassion for the people in her life. Thanks Mandy you are truly a class act. Happy Birthday Mandy, we know you are Special and they even wrote a song about you, “Oh Mandy you came and . . . .”

November 30: Champ “The Original Bandit” Hernandez celebrated his 45th birthday. The “Original Bandit”, he started in 1989 playing with the Bandits from age 8 through his senior year in high school. He was an All-District and All-City selection at Hanks High School. He was inducted into the National Honor Society and was an academic scholarship award winner. Upon graduation, Champ played in Tucson Arizona with the Pima Junior College Aztecs before completing collegiate play at Sul Ross State University in Alpine Texas. He played shortstop, second base and filled the role of designated hitter in college. He played for Coach Larry Hernandez from age 8 to 14 and Coach Brian Forrister from age 15 through high school. He played infield his first year batting lead-off and leading the Bandits to the first of many League Championships in 1989. He played on the Bandits 1990 City Championship squad. Every year he played the Bandits won at least a League Championship. He is a member of the first El Paso youth baseball team to win a major tournament championship in the Dallas Metroplex winning the Texas Classic at Fort Worth in 1992. In 1998 he was a member of the Bandit team which won the High Desert Classic in Albuquerque New Mexico defeating high school seniors and college freshmen with a team of high school juniors and underclassmen. Happy Birthday Champ!

November 30: Happy Birthday to “Grandpa Bandit” Hernandez who was a strong, vocal, visible and unconditional Bandit supporter from Minute One, Day One. He celebrated his 16th Year watching from his Sky Box in our Lord’s Heavenly Kingdom. I Love You Popper!

November 30: Adam Lopez turned 39. Adam played four years of football and baseball for Riverside High School where he earned All District and All City honors in both sports. Adam played two years of junior college baseball before returning to El Paso and is currently running a travel club baseball program in the Dallas Metroplex called the Bandits. Adam is a member of our 1998 and 2000 National Finalist. His younger brother Justin is a member of our 2002 National Finalists. The Lopez family provided the Bandits with players on all of our National Finalist teams. Happy Birthday Adam!

November 30: Nathan Volpi turned 34. Nathan graduated from Franklin High School playing four years in their baseball program and being a mainstay on the academic honor roll. Nathan earned two varsity letters pitching and playing in the outfield as well as serving as a designated hitter for the Cougars. Happy Birthday Nathan!

Bandits Win Total Stands at # 2,553

The Bandits achieved Two Thousand Five Hundred Victories on March 23, 2014 when they bested the Artesia New Mexico Yard Dogs 4-3 in walk off fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning of a USSSA Tournament game in Las Cruces New Mexico. It reads more impressively when spelled out and quite an accomplishment for youth baseball in West Texas. Heck a researcher would have to cover quite a bit of the United States to find a baseball program with as many wins. We are near the top and have become what our Players, Parents, Families, Fans, Supporters and Coaches have made us – El Paso’s Premier Youth Baseball Organization. With our history we stand Loud and Proud. Our current victory total stands at 2,553. Thanks to our current Bandits we have a very promising Future. Thanks to one and all!

First Team Formed: April 15, 1989 (10U Division – 3 8-year olds on team)
First Game: May 1, 1989 @ Ponder Park (Bandits 8 – Airport Optimist 2)
First Batter: 8-year old Champ Hernandez
First Hit: Champ Hernandez doubled to left field, first at bat for the Bandits
First Run Scored: Champ Hernandez (2X2, 2B, BB, 2 stolen bases, 3 runs scored)
First Winning Pitcher: Joshua Kallail May 1, 1989
First Spring Season: 1989 Won Eastern League Championship @ Ponder Park (12-3 record)
First Fall Season: 1989 First time held @ Sportspark, won Championship (8-0 record)
First City Championship: 1990 Boys Baseball of El Paso City Championship (42-1)
First Tournament Championship: 1990 Boys Baseball Pre-Season Tournament (April)
First Texas Tournament Championship: Texas Baseball Classic @ Ft. Worth (July 1992)

First Championship: 1989 Eastern League @ Ponder Park 10U – 1 team; 1989 Champions Sportsplex Inagural Fall Season (Undefeated) 10U
First Undefeated Season: 1989 Fall Baseball @ Champions Sportsplex 10U Division (8-0)
First Year Multiple Divisions Swept: 1990 Won 10U & 12U City Championship (2 teams)

1991: Won 10U & 12U City Championships (2 teams)
1992: Moved to Sportspark to play Spring and Fall Seasons; Won 11U Championship, State Finalist 12U Tournament  (1 team)
1993: Won 12U Division (1 team)
1994: Won 10U, 11U, 12U, 13U, 14U, 16U Divisions (6 teams)
1995: Won 10U, 11U, 12U, 13U, 14U, 16U Divisions (6 teams)
1996: Won 11U, 12U, 13U, 14U, 16U Divisions (6 teams)
1997: Won 10U, 11U, 12U, 13U, 14U, 16U, 18U Divisions (7 teams)
1998: Won 11U, 12U, 13U, 14U, 16U, 18U Divisions (6 teams)
1999: Won 12U, 13U, 14U, 16U, 18U Divisions (5 teams)
2000: Won 14U (1 team) went undefeated in league play, advanced to National Finals
Previous Bandit teams stayed together, used their new team names)
2001: Won 10U Division (1 team)
2002: Won 11U Division and advanced to National Finals (1 team)
2003: Won 12U Division and finished 5th in Nation (1 team)
2004: Won 9U State Championship (1 team)
2005: Won 13U Sportspark Spring Playoffs Championship (2 teams)
2005: Won 14U Sportspark Fall League & Playoffs Championships (2 teams)
2006: Won 14U Sportspark League Championship; Won 11U Sportspark League Championship (2 teams)

First Texas State AABC Championship: 1994 (Coach Javier)
First Texas State USSSA Championship: 2000 @ Lubbock Texas (Coach Larry)
First Texas State Super Series Championship: 2002 (Coach Larry)
First National Regional Championship: 1997 @ Colorado Springs Colorado (Coach Larry)
First National Championship Game: 1998 Triple Crown 11U Division @ Steamboat Springs, Colorado (Coach Larry)

First Player to Sign College Letter of Intent with 4 year school: Aaron Forrister with Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University) January 1999

First Player to Sign Junior College Letter of Intent: Champ Hernandez with Pima Junior College (Tucson Arizona) May 1999
First Player to Sign Professional Contract: Ramsey Carter (Kansas City Royals) 2001
First Player Selected to NAIA All-America team: Aaron Forrister and Micah Pennies (both with College of the Southwest)
First Player Selected to NCAA All-America team: Omar Quintanilla (Texas Longhorns)
First Player to Win College National Championship: Omar Quintanilla (Texas Longhorns)
First Player Selected in 1st Round of Major League Draft: Omar Quintanilla (Oakland A’s)
First to Play in the Major Leagues: Omar Quintanilla – Colorado Rockies (July 31, 2005)

Longest Consecutive Game Winning Streak: 53 Wins (2000 13U)
Latest Championship: 13U 2014 Southwest Baseball Spring League (14-0 record)

Win # 2400: June 18, 2006

Win # 2500: March 23, 2014

October 30, 2016: Bandit teams have a combined record of 2,553 wins and 527 losses with a winning percentage of 83%

Bandits Connection to High School Final 4

The Bandits have connections to the El Paso teams that have reached the Texas High School Baseball Final 4:

Bandit Coach Mark Dillon played shortstop on the 1965 Austin High School Panthers Final 4 team

Bandit Coach Larry Hernandez coached 8 of the 9 hitters on the 1983 Burges High School Mustangs Final 4 team

Bandit Coach Mark Dillon coached Rocky Coppinger, Rey Herrera and many players in their offseason formative years leading to the 1992 Coronado High School Thunderbirds Final 4 team

Bandit Coach Mark Dillon coached Beto Romo and Omar Ferniza on a Bandits team before the pair became the two pitchers at the top of the rotation for the 2000 Riverside High School Rangers Final 4 team

Bandit Coach Larry Hernandez coached George Stoltz, Cory Falvey, Jessiray Navarratte and Bobby Mares on a Bandit squad before they occupied the # 1, # 3, # 4 and # 5 spots in the batting order for the 2009 Texas High School State Baseball Champion Socorro Bulldogs. Falvey was named Texas High School Player of the Year. Mares was the “Ace” Pitcher and Navarrette, Falvey and Mares earned All State Honors.

Papa Bandit and the Bandit Way

Who was your first game of catch with? Thank You to my Son Champ and nearly a thousand kids for the greatest game of Catch I ever played.

Coach Larry Hernandez has been Blessed to share that memory making game of catch with young kids since 1971. The goal remains the same, to excite and inspire kids to focus on fun and fundamentals and a thirst to want to play the game more next year than they did at the beginning of this year. Coach Larry has proudly and humbly offered his time, dedication and commitment to elevate, empower and encourage youth. His teams have achieved National levels of success including playing in 3 National Championship Finals, National Regional Champions, Texas State Champions and an enduring spirit of relationships fueled by nostalgia and channeled in a fountain of monumental moments. The mission has never wavered in growing Great Young Men, One Little Boy at a time.

Bandits must stay Relentless in Our Pursuit of Excellence

A Love for the Game and a Respect for Playing it the Right Way starts at the earliest level.