SAN JOSE — James Lick baseball coach Rudy Iniguez always has to be prepared to fill holes in his lineup. Even in the middle of a game.
In his San Jose program, it is not uncommon for a player or two to leave before the final out.
In addition to baseball and schoolwork, some of his guys hold down jobs.
“Quite a few of my players are helping their families,” Iniguez said. “I probably have five or six of my players that are working and playing ball at the same time.”
James Lick’s Richard Vega (5), Nicolai Navarro (21) and Roberto Rodriguez (4) run to the dugout during a game at Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
But the sudden absences haven’t stopped Lick from having a magical spring.
The school that was once home to Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim Plunkett has captured a league baseball championship for the first time since 1971.
When the Comets beat Independence on Monday, they clinched first place in the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s West Valley Division and have a shot to reach the Central Coast Section playoffs that start next week.
“It took a lot of time and a lot of hard work,” senior shortstop Enrique Mendez said. “It took a lot to get the guys out here and we managed to get all of our grades together. We never took a day for granted and our hard work has us where we are right now.”
When Iniguez was hired as a junior varsity coach at Lick nine years ago, the program did not enjoy much winning.
But that all changed when Iniguez took over the varsity in 2021.
In his first season, the Comets went 11-6, which marked the first time the program finished with a winning record since 2008. They had another winning season in 2022. This season has been the icing on the cake – 14-3 overall and 13-1 in league.
James Lick’s Enrique Mendez looks at the field from the dugout against Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Success at Lick rarely comes easily.
While strong high school programs typically have year-round players, Lick often has to recruit students from the school hallways who have never played.
Most years, the Comets don’t have enough players to field a JV team, which makes it difficult to develop their underclassmen.
This season, Lick has 13 players on the varsity, in addition to having a JV squad.
Senior right fielder Humberto Ulloa never played baseball before joining the varsity team two years ago. Ulloa, a football player, was asked by Iniguez to give baseball a shot after the coach saw his athletic gifts on the gridiron.
“I started playing my sophomore year after football,” Ulloa said. “I didn’t get any playing time at first, but coach helped me out through batting practices and helped me with my fielding and conditioning off the field. Once I got a chance to prove myself as a junior, I officially became a starter.”
The coaches at Lick take pride in teaching and developing players.
Iniguez and assistant coach Vijay Punian understand that it is unlikely that a high-level transfer is coming their way. But they are just as satisfied knowing the talent on the team learned the game organically.
”It means a lot that they just stuck with it,” Punian said. “And now to see these kids finally have success, it’s been great.”
James Lick’s Nicolai Navarro stands at bat against host Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Winning on the field has also translated to winning in the classroom.
According to Lick principal Honey Gubuan, athletes at the San Jose school have historically struggled to keep up academically. But since Iniguez started coaching at Lick, he has only had one player deemed ineligible to play because of poor grades.
“Our neighborhood and our students have their challenges,” Gubuan said. “The only way you can support them is to get to know them and know their families because at the end of the day, we want to cultivate good students and great human beings.”
What players and coaches at Lick revel in the most is how they’ve become their community’s team.
According to Niche.com, 52% of East San Jose residents are Hispanic. Lick’s baseball team reflects that statistic as most of its players are of Mexican origin.
“Just seeing the team brings me chills because I’m Mexican,” Lick athletic director Anna Chavez said. “I know it means the world to our kids to see representation because it’s not a sport that’s predominantly Mexican. It’s an honor to see our team grow.”
Mendez wears elbow pads and shin guards that dawn the Mexican flag. The school itself is located in the Alum Rock district of San Jose, one of the oldest and most notable Mexican-American districts in the state.
“It means a lot,” Mendez said about representing his Mexican heritage during games. “There’s a lot of kids at our school who don’t speak English and who want to come out and play the game. To me, it’s all about having fun and meeting new people and getting to share the field with people of different cultures.”
James Lick’s Enrique Mendez pitches against Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Lick came close to winning a league title last season, but this year has been different.
In December, Iniguez took his players inside the Lick gym and showed them the last dark green banner that was raised for winning a league title.
It read, “League Champions baseball: 1971.”
“Coach just told us we could be the first team to win the league title in a long time,” senior center fielder Richard Vega said. “To be honest, I didn’t really believe it. Fifty years have gone by and there hasn’t been a James Lick team to win a league title. It’s just awesome to me that in our last year, we could be that team.”
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Though Lick averages more than 13 runs a game, small ball is the team’s identity. The Comets have an on-base percentage of .600 and a run differential is 166.
The team is led by Mendez, who has an absurd batting average of .721, to go along with 47 steals. The senior plans to play at Hartnell College in Salinas next season.
Winning a league title was the No. 1 goal this season for Lick. Qualifying for the CCS playoffs would cap off this historic season.
As a “C” division champion in the BVAL, Lick must beat the third-place Evergreen Valley from the BVAL’s “B” division in a play-in game on Friday to advance to CCS. The Cougars finished the regular season 16-10, 13-5.
“I want to see how far we can go in CCS because I think we have the team to do it,” Iniguez said. “That’s the focus until the end of the year for us.”
James Lick’s Nicolai Navarro bats while teammate Marcus Cohen warms up on deck against Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
James Lick’s Marcus Cohen smiles while running for first in the fourth inning during a game at Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
James Lick’s Richard Vega smiles in the fifth inning during a game at Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
James Lick’s Richard Vega smiles in the fifth inning during a game at Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
James Lick’s Enrique Mendez pitches against Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)