Águilas and Black Sox to Take Field in Calexico for Border Pro Baseball Classic

-Editorial 

Professional baseball will return to Calexico High School in October as the school’s baseball program hosts the second annual Border Pro Baseball Classic, an exhibition featuring the Águilas de Mexicali and the Black Sox.

The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at Elmer Belcher Field. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Calexico High School baseball program and its student-athletes.

Calexico High School baseball coach Luis Briseño announced details of the event during a news conference Sept. 23, saying the game is intended to provide Imperial Valley residents with an opportunity to experience professional baseball without traveling outside the area.

“Today we are proud to officially announce the second annual Border Pro Classic, a night that will bring professional baseball to the heart of Calexico and give the Imperial Valley an experience we normally have to travel outside our community to enjoy,” Briseño said.

The Águilas are expected to participate with members of their professional roster, coaching staff, and other personnel. They will face the Black Sox, a professional baseball organization established in 2003 that travels throughout the country and provides players opportunities to showcase their abilities.

“We know Elmer Belcher Field is not a professional stadium, and we don’t need it to be,” Briseño said. “For one night, we’re going to transform our field into a place where our community can come together and experience the atmosphere of professional baseball right here at home.”

Calexico High School Principal Lucio Padilla Jr. said he is proud the school is hosting the event for a second year and credited Briseño, school staff and parents with helping organize it.

“I couldn’t be prouder and more excited that we’re hosting this event,” Padilla said. “Much credit to Coach Briseño and everybody that’s working with him on staff and his parent community that is putting this together.”

Padilla said having professional baseball players compete on the high school campus gives students an opportunity to see the sport at a higher level while providing an experience for the broader community.

“The opportunity to have professional players here at our own campus playing is something that is just a great, tremendous value for our students and for our community,” Padilla said. “It’s a great source of excitement and inspiration for Calexico High School.”

Fans will be able to watch the teams take batting practice and warm up before the game. There will be opportunities for spectators to interact with players, take photographs, and seek autographs. Limited field access during batting practice is also being planned, with additional details expected later. The Águilas de Mexicali’s game announcer is also scheduled to call the exhibition.

Victor Carrillo, who served as the event’s master of ceremonies, also reflected on the history and development of baseball on both sides of the border, describing how opportunities for players in Mexicali once ranged from Little League competition to amateur games played on dirt fields in the ejidos and Sunday games at established ballparks.

Carrillo said the arrival and growth of the Águilas de Mexicali helped expand enthusiasm for the sport beginning in the 1970s. He pointed to the participation of Mexican teams in international competitions, including the Little League Baseball World Series, Caribbean Series and World Baseball Classic, as examples of how the sport has developed in the region.

“Baseball has put Imperial County on the map, from 6-, 7- and 8-year-olds to adults,” Carrillo said.

Carrillo also described baseball as a sport that connects communities across the border, including Mexicali, Tijuana, Imperial County and the South Bay area of San Diego. He said the Border Pro Baseball Classic continues that tradition while supporting a charitable cause.

“It’s a tribute to the family for initiating that participation and supporting the breast cancer survivor movement that we all need to support,” Carrillo said. 

Briseño said the event serves as a fundraiser for the high school baseball program. Revenue will help pay for equipment, resources and other opportunities for student-athletes.

The event will also benefit Fundación Mujeres Que Viven, which assists breast cancer patients in Baja California, the Imperial Valley, and other areas. There will be a donation of $1,000 to the foundation as part of this year’s event.

Ana Lucía Murillo Villalobos, President of Mujeres Que Viven Foundation, thanked Calexico High School for supporting the organization for a second consecutive year. She said the contribution will help the foundation continue assisting breast cancer patients and accompanying them through treatment.

“We are very grateful to Calexico High School for once again taking the initiative to support our breast cancer patients,” Murillo Villalobos said. “This is the second consecutive year, and our goal is to accompany them through this process so they know they are not alone.”

According to Murillo Villalobos, the foundation provides its services at no cost to patients and assists people from Baja California, the Imperial Valley and other states. Its programs include providing wigs, medications, external breast prostheses and bras, as well as helping patients obtain medical treatments and diagnostic studies.

“Baseball brings us together, but community is what makes an event like this meaningful,” Briseño said. “We want our players to understand that being part of a team is also about giving back and helping others.”

Local food vendors, school organizations and booster clubs are expected to participate in the event. Briseño said the involvement of the various groups is intended to make the game a broader Calexico High School community event.

Because the exhibition will take place on school property, the event will be alcohol and smoke-free.

Briseño credited Calexico High School administrators, coaches, players, parents, booster organizations, the Calexico Unified School District, Calexico Police Department, Águilas de Mexicali organization, local businesses and community partners with helping organize the game.

“Our goal is to give the Imperial Valley a professional baseball experience right here in Calexico,” Briseño said.

General admission tickets are $15, while VIP admission is $30. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the Calexico Baseball Booster Club through its Facebook page.