Ramirez ready to hit ground running
Longtime coach takes over MVC's program
WATSONVILLE >> Monte Vista Christian School baseball practice begins next week and newly named head coach Johnny Ramirez is chomping at the bit to get started. That’s been the case since the Watsonville private school announced his hiring last month.
He met with some of his players for the first time last week.
“I’ve got that Chucky Cheese smile,” said Ramirez, a 53-year-old district manager for Mission Foods. “I’m ready to go and play ball.”
Ramirez has coached baseball for more than a decade and with great success. His teams have qualified for the Central Coast Section playoffs 10 times.
“Johnny brings enthusiasm, passion and a proven track record to lead our entire baseball program, with a focus on mentoring our student-athletes while putting them in the best position to not only succeed in baseball but also in life,” said Matt Coleman, MVC’s director of athletics, in a release.
Ramirez replaces Don Keathley at the helm. Keathley, a Santa Cruz native, worked two stints as the Mustangs’ baseball coach (2009-16 and 2020-21), leading the program to a pair of league titles and two CCS final appearances. Keathley and his wife, Jennifer, moved to Texas over the summer. Don took over as varsity baseball assistant and freshman football head coach at Little Elm High in Texas.
Ramirez, a 1986 Gilroy High alum who also played third base for Gavilan College and NCAA Division II Sonoma State, got his coaching start in Texas, following
a brief stint in the minor leagues in the Marlins’ organization.
“It was a sip of coffee,” said Ramirez, a nondrafted free-agent signee said of his pro experience. “It lasted until I saw pitchers with change-ups that look like a fastball.”
Ramirez was with family in Texas when he served one season as an assistant for Belton in 1994. The Tigers won the 5A Texas State
Championship.
The lure of California’s weather and beauty proved too great, though. Ramirez returned home and stopped coaching. He got back into coaching in 2005, the first of two seasons as an assistant for AnchorPoint Christian in Gilroy.
Ramirez took over as Gilroy’s head coach in 2008 and led the Mustangs for four seasons, each of which ended with a berth into the CCS playoffs. His team led the nation in stolen bases (231 of 266) his first season.
“We’ll try 10 times a game,” Ramirez said of stealing. “It’s an exciting brand of ball for the players and fans. I don’t care who it is or who is on the mound, maybe the guy is all-state. It puts a lot of pressure on the the defense.”
He also served as head coach for Prospect for three seasons with two CCS berths, led Palma School to the playoffs in his one season at the helm, and led Lynbrook in San Jose for six seasons, three of which featured playoff berths.
MVC is in good position to make a run at the playoffs, too. The Mustangs compete in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Mission Division this season after dropping down from the top-tier Gabilan Division. MVC’s roster is expected to feature 10 seniors and five juniors.
“I love baseball,” Ramirez said. “I just want the kids to have fun. Everyone talks about CCS. That’s part of the journey. Let’s just play the game.”
Ramirez was drawn to MVC’s community, campus and facilities during his local coaching stints.
“It’s a dream come true, for me,” he said. “This will be my last stop. I know it’s going to end here.”