Two years ago, Andrew Barragan examined the inside of the building that used to house Enterprise Electric on 542 San Benito St.
He couldn’t believe what he saw.
“There were probably 100 pigeons in there, so you can imagine how much pigeon (crap) was laying around,” said Barragan, the San Benito High baseball pitching coach. “But the building was for sale and I’m kind of an entrepreneur if you will, so I thought to myself that if I could just get this place cleaned up, I could do something with the building. I just didn’t know what at the time.”
In December 2012, Barragan, who also works selling burial insurance for his family’s company, bought the massive 14,000-square foot, three-level building which sits on the corner of San Benito Street and 6th St.
Initially, Barragan put up a couple of nets and cages and had coaches give lessons, with the intention of starting a 10-and-under softball team. But after more than 100 girls showed up for the initial tryout in February 2013, Barragan knew the Black Jacks program could field several teams.
And so the Hollister Black Jacks program was born—named so because Barragan wanted something unique and black jack symbolizing the required 21 outs to complete a softball game.
The Black Jacks field four teams from the 10-and-under to the 16-and-under age categories. The facility houses batting cages, pitching machines and an area where athletes can do core work and strength training.
Barragan’s spacious office houses several autographed sports memorabilia, and there’s also a lounge with a gigantic flat-screen TV, a great entertainment option for parents as they wait for their kids to finish up their hitting/pitching lesson.
“There’s no other place you can go to for softball besides out of town,” said the 42-year-old Barragan, a 1989 San Benito High graduate. “I was born and raised in this town, and I know what’s out there.”
Barragan is the son of the late Raymond Barragan, who made a tremendous impact on the community. Anzar High’s football field is named after him, and the younger Barragan saw up close the impact his father had with kids and teenagers.
“My father was always giving back to the community for his last 30 years, and his motto was always, ‘It’s for the kids,’” Barragan said. “I want to continue what my father did and help the kids in the community.”
Once Barragan decided to launch a softball program, he got the best people to run the show. He enlisted longtime San Benito High softball coach Scott Smith as the program’s president, and John Murphy, the Haybalers’ junior varsity coach, as its vice president.
Barragan is the organization’s director, and his longtime girlfriend, Elva Ayala, is the travel coordinator and the glue that holds everything together.
“She does the most work of anyone by far,” Barragan said. “She takes care of all the logistical things so we can concentrate on the instructional part of the sport. We wouldn’t be where we are without her.”
The formation of the Black Jacks mean the San Benito High softball juggernaut just got potentially stronger. The Black Jacks can basically act as a feeder program to the high school, with Smith being able to teach the next generation of Balers from an early age.
“By the time these girls are freshmen, they will know Scott’s system and way of doing things,” Barragan said.
Even though the Hollister Heat softball program has been around for decades, Barragan said there’s no animosity between the two clubs; rather, there’s more to be gained from working together.
The Heat are considered a B-level program, or on the recreational level. Although competition can still be solid, the Black Jacks are an A-level squad, meaning they play against stronger competition.
“We work hand in hand so if they have someone who is good enough to play at the A level, they’ll send one their girls our way,” Barragan said. “And I’ll do likewise in the case if one of our girls are simply overwhelmed here, I might recommend her to play for the Heat.”
Just like any program in its infancy, the Black Jacks are taking their lumps. The 10- and 14-year-olds are relatively inexperienced and facing quality competition wherever they play.
However, the Black Jacks’ 12-and-under squad has looked impressive and is playing in the Triple Crown World Series in Sparks, Nev. starting July 23.
“This group is a special one,” Barragan said. “You can see these girls as the next great class of Balers’ softball.”
Like many places in downtown Hollister, the Black Jacks facility can be easy to miss. Housed in a non-descript warehouse on the corner of San Benito and 6th Avenue, it’s already become a destination for some of the biggest sports names in the city.
Daniel Barone (Kansas City T-Bones of the Independent League), Darin Gillies (Arizona State University) and Jessica Vest (University of Oklahoma) all have worked out at the facility, and Barragan said Balers standout Suzy Brookshire trains there almost everyday.
Kim Reeder, the former great Notre Dame-Salinas High standout who went on to pitch at Ohio State, is one of the program’s pitching instructors.
“This has turned into something a number of people can be proud of,” Barragan said. “I just want to make this a place where kids and teens can go, whether it’s to learn the game or stay out of trouble. I just want to give back to the community, just like my father did.”
