Huntington Beach, Calif. - Two years and a day after his retirement, the Rustlers honored long-time coach Roberto "Bert" Villarreal with a jersey retiring ceremony prior to their final game against Fullerton on Saturday.
Family, friends, teammates, coaches, and alumni were among the masses that filled Hoover Field to honor the legacy that Coach Villarreal created during his 38 years within the Rustler Baseball program.
From the moment Villarreal walked on to the Golden West campus in the spring of 1980 and met Coach Fred Hoover, his life was forever changed.
"This is overwhelming – seeing all the lives I've touched," Coach Bert Villarreal said. "I never would have imagined this. Seeing it take place is mindblowing."
He spent two years playing as a Rustler under the reins of Hoover before spending four years as his assistant coach. When Hoover retired, Bert took over as head coach at 26 years old, serving as the youngest head coach in California at the time. He remained the head of the Rustler program for 32 years, until retiring in the spring of 2020.
In fact, his last game he managed was played at home against Fullerton College, ending in a 10-9 win. Flash forward two years and a day later, the Rustlers almost repeated history with a 10-8 victory over Fullerton at home.
"Obviously at that time we didn't know it was going to be his last game. I wish it didn't go down that way with COVID for him, because he deserved to finish out the season," Fullerton College Head Coach Chad Baum said. "It was special to be a part of his last game, because he was the first guy to give me a chance to play college baseball, and help me move on to a four-year program."
Spending his whole adult career and then some with this Golden West College baseball program, Villarreal left long-lasting impacts on his players and those who worked with him, but most importantly, the idea that your team is your family.
"Of all the things that I want to embody as a head coach, it's those things," Head Coach Andrew Ramos said. "I want my guys to know that I love them, that I have their back, and if it's baseball or not, I am here for them."
Among the many alumni that attended the event, was Joe Aversa who played for Villarreal from 1986 to 1988. Aversa now works as a baseball scout, and has nothing but gratitude for the impact Villarreal had on his career.
"He told me to believe in myself. I wanted to play professional baseball, and when people told me I couldn't, I said 'Watch me,' and I got pretty far in the game," Aversa said. "A lot of that was because of what was established here. It's almost like having a second dad, I mean, I love him."
Quentin McGrath, who played from 2013-2014, shared how he has taken the lessons he learned from Villarreal into his own coaching career.
"I think just having a relationship with his players, I mean, he went about it differently than some of the other coaches that I had," McGrath said. "He just made me want to be a better person, a better player, but now I'm just taking it with me into the way I coach."
Baum also played one year under the management of Villarreal and his coaching staff. Not being from Huntington Beach, Baum came to play for this program in hopes of being given a great opportunity for him to grow as a player. Unfortunately, Baum suffered an injury ending his playing time, but he still left with valuable lessons.
"Bert and his coaching staff were amazing coaches. I love Bert and his enthusiasm, he's a players coach," Baum said. "He demands stuff of you, but he also wants you to have fun and stay loose. I think that's the best environment you can have as a coach or a player."
Although these alumni owe their respects to Villarreal, Villarreal credits Hoover and many more for his success.
"What a wonderful man, Hall of Fame Coach, and mentor [Hoover] was," Villarreal said. "I've been blessed my entire life to have so many mentors that helped me get to this point."
Coach Villarreal's influence on the Golden West athletics program continues to shine through the management of two of his former players, Andrew Ramos and Mike Willey. Ramos is in his second year of serving as head coach of the Rustler Baseball team, and Willey has entered his first year as head coach of the Rustler Softball team.
"I tell my guys there are two rules: work hard and be a good teammate. To me representing us means representing Golden West – that's representing Bert [and] Coach Hoover," Ramos said. "My number one goal is to make sure I am running this program in a manner that he sees fit and respects."
NEXT: The Rustlers will visit Cypress College for Game One of a three-game series on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Written By Marissa Lavezzari
