Former Live Oak coach builds strong program with several Acorns
contributing
Mike Perez knows where to go to catch some good baseball players – his back yard.
Perez, a Morgan Hill resident, is the longtime baseball coach at West Valley College. His team is loaded with Live Oak graduates – Chase Perez, his son, is the starting catcher. Doug Porras, the leading hitter, has successfully transitioned from starting left fielder to regular shortstop. Andrew Cummins is the starting right fielder. David Masinter is the Vikings’ closer.
All are sophomores who were members of West Valley’s Coast Conference championship team from 2006. After defeating Gavilan 12-6 last Saturday, the Vikings were 15-5-1 overal, 3-1 in conference.
For good measure, Ben Hemeon from Gilroy is another key contributor with a .339 batting average. But there’s a story behind Hemeon at West Valley as well. Jim Hemeon, Ben’s father, played ball with Perez, who was a catcher, at San Jose City College in the mid-1970s. Both went to San Jose State University where Jim Hemeon continued his baseball career. An arm injury curtailed Perez’s collegiate career.
He came to Live Oak in 1977 and was coaching in the spring of 1978. Jim Hemeon was his first assistant coach.
“There was recreation softball in Morgan Hill when I got there,” Perez, 52, said. “That was way back, believe me.”
Eventually, Perez decided he wanted to coach on the collegiate job. He landed at Gavilan in 1987, what he recalls as a “great experience.”
In his 16th season, Perez has guided the Vikings to six conference titles in the last eight years. West Valley won five straight from 1999-2003.
“I have had great players through the years from the South Valley,” said Perez, who doubles as athletic director at WVC. “I have been blessed with some truly gifted ballplayers.”
Nineteen have signed Major League Baseball contracts. Six from last year went on to four-year universities. Former Live Oak players Brandon Villafuerte and Dave Newton are former Vikings who signed professional contracts.
Through 21 games this season, Porras was hitting .429 with a team-high seven doubles as the No. 3 hitter. Perez, a switch-hitter No. 2 in the order, was at .348. Cummins was at .216 as the No. 9 hitter, but his average had jumped 49 points in the past week.
“They are all great kids who work hard and come from good families,” Perez said. “I am happy to have them.”
Could he be getting another one in two years? His younger son, Adam, is a junior and the starting catcher at Live Oak.
Catching on at West Valley seems to be a theme for the Perez family.
