Mike Baumgartner isn’t shy when it comes to his team’s goals.
Despite returning just one starter from a team that went 21-5 overall and advanced to the Central Coast Section Division I playoff semifinals, the first-year San Benito High boys basketball coach expects his squad to compete for a league championship.
“You don’t go anywhere without dreams,” said Baumgartner, a 1983 San Benito High graduate. “The ultimate goal is to always win a championship, but to do so, we have to meet our objectives.”
That means doing all the little things that don’t show up in the box score yet has just as much impact. Things like consistently boxing out, hustling for loose balls and maintaining poise in the midst of adversity are at the top of the list.
“We need to have a mentality and focus of a champion,” Baumgartner said. “For those two hours we’re in practice everyday, it has to be nothing but basketball.”
Baumgartner has several years of coaching experience; he was the Gavilan women’s coach for a year in the mid-1990s and coached the Gilroy High boys from 1998-2003.
He’s also had several stints as an assistant coach, including the Gavilan men, the San Benito boys and the Gilroy boys’ team, which was his last time on the bench in the 2010-11 season.
From the moment of the team’s first fall practice three weeks ago, Baumgartner said he was impressed with the amount of athleticism on the squad. The most athletic player happens to be guard/forward Shraee Harrison, the lone returning starter.
A 6-foot-3 junior, Harrison excels in almost every phase of the game, particularly when it comes to getting to the basket off dribble penetration.
Harrison, the son of former Olympian Alvin Harrison, knows how to create space for himself and is adept at scoring in traffic.
“Maturity-wise, Shraee is already achieving what we thought he could be,” Baumgartner said. “He wants to be a leader on the floor both verbally and with his actions, which is pretty impressive for an incoming junior. His game is reaching a level where we thought it would be, and what makes that impressive is he thinks he could do more and is striving to do more. He’ll be a game-changer, and he uses his athleticism and skill level within the scheme we want.”
While it’s too early to project a starting lineup, Baumgartner said he’s looking for a number of players to make an impact, including junior forward/center Josh Ramos, senior shooting guard John Barrientos, senior post Daniel Delgado, junior forward/center Grant Bernosky and center Gus Vasquez.
Baumgartner said he expects Barrientos to be one of the best shooters in the league, and that Ramos rebounds the ball well and plays ferocious defense.
The first-year San Benito coach also likes what he’s seen from Delgado and Vasquez, who are athletic and skilled big men. Although it will take time for his posts to develop, Baumgartner said it’s going to be a treat to watch as they become more polished.
“I can’t remember the last time the Balers have had this much size, which will allow us to make our post play a presence,” he said. “You look at a guy like Grant, and he’s just a beast. He’s raw but is as strong as can be. This is one of the most athletic teams I’ve had. They’re young and green, but that’s OK because that means they’re learning and we can mold them and help them realize their potential.”
Baumgartner won’t know the full extent of his roster until the football season ends, which could be another two weeks since the Balers have an excellent chance of winning their seventh section title in program history.
Whatever happens, Baumgartner feels great about the makeup of his team.
“I’m seeing a lot of energy and commitment,” he said. “I’m seeing kids put their heart and soul into this, and that’s important.”
