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The Bandits Baseball Group formed its first team on April 15th, 1989, it was a 10 and Under team. We played our first game on May 1st, 1989 at Ponder Park, winning 8 to 2. We were the visitors and our first batter was 8-year old Champ Hernandez whom we call the “Original Bandit”. He doubled, scored the first run and we never looked back.

The founder of the Bandits, Coach Larry Hernandez began coaching youth baseball in 1971. He began coaching in the Boys Baseball of El Paso program at Ponder Park with a 10U team from the Burges High School area. He coached two years in the 10U program and then moved up to the 12U division. In 1978, he helped form a new 13U team that was sponsored by Hirby Pest Control which played in the 14U division at Grandview Park. He coached Hirby for 7 years winning a State Championship in 1984. In 1989 he helped form the Bandits Baseball Group with Coach Javier Sandoval. In 1990, the Bandits won their first City Championship. He has been named National Youth Coach of the Year 3 times (Triple Crown, USSSA and Super Series) and National Regional Coach of the Year once  by AABC. In 41 years of Spring baseball, his teams either won or tied for the league championship 39 times. He has led teams to three National Championship games. The 1983 Burges High School Texas High School Final 4 State Semi-Finalist team had 12 players with 9 hitters in the line-up who played for Coach Larry.  The Riverside Rangers had two Bandits Beto Romo and Omar Ferniza at the top of their pitching rotation when they went to the Texas High School Final Four in 2000. In 2009 the Texas High School State Champion Socorro Bulldogs had 4 Bandits All State Honoree Cory Falvey who was named Texas High School Player of the Year, All State Honoree Bobby Mares the top of the rotation “Ace” Pitcher and 3rd Baseman, George Stoltz who batted lead-off and All State Honoree Jessiray Navarette the Catcher and Clean-Up Hitter in the top 5 spots of their batting order. Coach Hernandez’s Bandit teams had a record of 1,452 wins and 264 losses with a winning percentage of 85%. Coach Larry Hernandez total coaching record finished with 1,679 wins and 311 loses and a winning percentage of 84.37%. Three Bandits led by St. Edwards Head Baseball Coach Ryan Femath, Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Robert Gallegos at Navarro Junior College and Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Ruben Rodriguez at Texas A & M International University are current college colleges. Five players became High School Head Baseball Coaches: Derek Dominguez, Larry Vucan, John Beard, Jacob Gallegos and Ruben Munoz Jr. and won multiple District, Area and Regional Championships with 4 Texas State Final Four Appearances and 3 Texas 6-A State Titles. One of his players Coach Larry Vucan the Head Baseball Coach at Southlake Carroll has 3 6-A State Titles and was named 2022 National High School Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and ATEC. Coach Larry Hernandez was inducted into the El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

Three of our teams have finished as National Finalists. In 1998 at the 11 and Under Triple Crown World Series in Steamboat Springs, Colorado (84 teams competed in the 11 and under Division); in 2000 at the 13 and under USSSA World Series in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (104 teams competed in the 13 and under Division) and in 2002 at the 11 and Under Super Series World Series in Little Rock Arkansas (96 teams competed in the 11 and under Division).

Our oldest group of Bandits are now 45 years old. We have seen 189 Bandits continue their baseball journeys either in college or the professional ranks. Omar Quintanilla played three years for the Texas Longhorns and was a part of their National Championship squad before being selected as a supplemental first round selection by the Oakland A’s. Rick Rivas pitched for Oklahoma State and defeated the then # 1 Texas Longhorns on national television in 2005. Rivas was drafted by the Rockies and later by the Pirates. Jesse Estrada was drafted in 2004. Other Bandits drafted include Kevin Letz by the California Angels, Jared Schrom for the Texas Rangers, Ramsey Carter for the Kansas City Royals and Kyle Anson drafted by the New York Yankees after his career at Southwest Texas State in the tenth round. Lance Sewell was drafted in 2009 out of San Diego State in the seventh round by the Oakland A’s. Mike Bolaski was selected in the 23rd round of the 2010 draft by the Anaheim Angels. Aaron Forrister, Micah Pennies and Quintanilla have all received All American recognition for their college play. Willie Rueda earned three Big 12 All Conference honors while playing for Texas Tech. Fifty nine Bandits have earned Junior College All Conference honors. Thirteen Bandits including Ruben Rodriguez Jr. (Tarleton State), Jacob Aguilar (St. Mary’s) and Kyle Bumpas who was a 2011 All Conference selection pitching at St. Mary’s University have earned baseball honors at 4 year schools joining Quintanilla, Anson, Rueda, Pennies Forrister and Sewell.

Sixteen Bandits have received Texas All-State baseball high school honors and our players earned 336 All-City and All-District designations. We are proud of the 191 Bandits who have made the National Honor Society. In 2002, David Ramirez, was recognized for having the 5th highest Grade Point Average in his Senior Class at Eastwood High School. In 2001, Kevin Letz, graduated with the 3rd highest GPA in his Senior Class at Hanks High School. In 2014, Jacob Aguilar graduated in the Top 10 percent of his Montwood High School graduating class. In 2018, Josh “9’er” Bombach was named to the Texas High School Coaches Association All State Academic Team.

In 2009, Bandits George Stoltz, Cory Falvey, Bobby Mares and Jessiray Navarrette led their Socorro Bulldogs to the first El Paso High School Baseball State Championship in 60 Years! Navarrette, Mares and Falvey all earned All State Honors. Mares and Falvey were named Co-Most Valuable Players for District 1-5A. Cory Falvey was also the first El Paso High School player to ever be named Texas High School Player of the Year and to the EA Sports All American team. In 2009, Justin Lopez was named District 2-4A Most Valuable Player and Golden San Roman was named Most Valuable Player in District 1-4A. In 2010, Omar Garcia and Kyle Bumpas were named Co-Most Valuable Players in District 1-5A. Mike Bolaski, Kyle Bumpas and Omar Garcia were named to the 2010 Class 5-A All State team. In 2009, Cory Falvey was the first Bandit and the first El Paso High School player to be named Texas High School Player of the Year in any sport! In 2014 all three seniors Esteban Martinez, Ruben Rodriguez and Jacob Aguilar earned All District honors. Jacob Aguilar also got the nod for District 1-5A “Offensive Player of the Year” and Ruben “9’er” Rodriguez earned District 2-4A “Player of the Year” honors.

After 8 years without fielding a Bandit team, we earned Win # 2500 on March 23, 2014. On August 1st, 2002 we played in our third National Championship game. We played in more National Finals (3); won more National Regional (20); State (16); City (29); League (71) and Tournament Championships (182) than any other youth Baseball Organization in the history of El Paso! Bandit teams have a combined record of 2,553 wins and 527 losses with a winning percentage of 83%.

On Tuesday September 25, 2007 we recorded our 100,000 web site viewing. The Bandits recorded win number 2,500 on Sunday March 23, 2014. Our Bandits web site recorded hit number 500,000 on Thursday April 14, 2016.  On Sunday April 7, 2019 our web site recorded view # 1 Million. Our Bandit web site recorded view #1.5 Million on Sunday February 7, 2021.

The El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame includes Bandit Coach Larry Hernandez inducted in 1999, Hirby Player coached by Coach Hernandez and now Southlake Carroll Head Baseball Coach Larry Vucan was inducted in 2018, Bandit Coach Armando Femath was inducted in 2019, Bandit Rick Rivas was elected in 2020 and due to the covid pandemic had to wait until 2021 to be inducted, Bandit Kyle Anson was elected as part of the Class of 2022 and Bandit Omar Quintanilla elected to the Class of 2024.

Thanks to all our Bandit players, coaches, family members and supporters for helping to make this happen. We were different because you made a difference. We are what you allowed us to become, El Paso’s best youth baseball organization!

“THE HEART OF A CHAMPION is always beating but it always remembers to beat AS ONE”. We Pray that our Roots helped you find your Wings – – “that God will Fill your Heart with Dreams and that Faith gives you the Courage to Dare to do Great Things”. As your lives continue so does our journey – “It’s a Great Day to be a Bandit”!