The Central Valley Christian baseball team’s run to a 2026 CIF Central Section Division III high school baseball championship was inspired by an unlikely source.
Joey Fragoso — the squad’s bus driver.
In 2023, Fragoso was tasked with driving the Cavaliers to a road game in Kerman.
At some point in that contest, Fragoso snuck his way into the CVC dugout to watch the Tri-County Conference showdown.
Quiet at first, Fragoso soon became the loudest voice of encouragement for the players in the dugout.
Shane Marshall, the current head coach at that time, started requesting that Fragoso be the team’s main driver for all games.
It didn’t stop there.
After that first trip to the dugout, Marshall and his coaching staff extended an official invitation to Fragoso to be with them every week as a volunteer assistant coach.
Fragoso’s positivity and support drove the Cavaliers to the Tri-County Conference championship that season.
Three years later, Fragoso is still the team’s No. 1 supporter in the dugout, only this time he’s wearing official CVC gear, even baseball pants. His excitement and passion for the game propelled CVC to its first section title in May.
Under the leadership of first-year head coach Caleb Flores, the Cavaliers defeated Justin Garza 12-2 on May 29 to win the section’s Division III crown at Visalia Rawhide’s Valley Strong Ballpark, capping off a four-game winning streak that saw them win all of their playoff contests on the road.
During the post-game celebration, coaches and players even presented Fragoso with the championship plaque, which he hoisted in the air to soak in the moment.
“Joey’s the man,” Flores said. “Without him in this dugout, it would not be the same. I don’t think we make the run that we made without him in the dugout. I know that sounds kind of silly to say, ‘A bus driver turned assistant coach in the dugout’ but everyone feels it. Everybody feels his presence. The crowd knows when he’s here. The opposing team knows when he’s here. The guys, they feel his energy, and that has fueled us throughout this stretch.”
Fragoso does not have a baseball background, but that doesn’t matter.
A Hanford native, he’s always been a baseball fan ever since he started rooting and cheering for his own kids.
Now, the CVC community is getting to experience the type of person that Fragoso is — a champion motivator who cheers for his team no matter what the score is.
If the Cavaliers are winning 1-0, Fragoso is supporting.
If the score is 6-0 in favor of the other team, it’s the same; Fragoso is in the dugout, praising players with positive reinforcement.
“I enjoy coming out and watching these kids,” Fragoso said. “I always try to be an encourager. I’m just encouraging each one of these young men just to be the best that they can be. It gives me great joy.”
Loud and effective, Fragoso’s words and tips go a long way.
Just ask recently graduated senior Jentzen Dunn, who was the winning pitcher in CVC’s section championship victory in May.
“All throughout the year, you can say hi to him at any point,” Dunn said. “He’s driving around, fixing the buses and everything. He’s just an awesome guy to have in the dugout. At any point in time in school, he’s driving the golf carts, we always go, ‘What’s up, Joey!’ And he yells back, ‘You ready for baseball season?’ He gets us pumped up for baseball season, and even in the dugouts, he’s always energetic, and he never quits. He’s very supportive. I love him. He’s awesome.”
CVC’s lead-off hitter, Dunn batted .385 this season, tying for the team-lead with 40 hits.
Fragoso indirectly had a part in that success.
“It definitely helps when I’m in the batter’s box, and I hear Joey in the dugout,” Dunn said. “I feel more confident. I know someone’s rooting for me, and someone has my back. It’s awesome because, sometimes, you can’t hear your mom in the crowd or people who came to your game in the crowd, but you can always hear Joey in the background. You will hear him no matter what inning it is, or how loud it is in the game. You’ll hear Joey. He’s just an awesome person to have in the dugout.”
That’s a big reason why Fragoso will be receiving a championship ring.
“He’s gonna be the one who says this team inspired him, but he’s inspired this program,” Flores said. “He truly has. He’s always going to have a place in this program whenever he wants it. We’re grateful for him. He’s the best bus driver in the Valley. He’s the best cheerleader in the Valley, and I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for this team.”
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: How a bus driver inspired a championship baseball team
Reporting by Vongni Yang, Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Vongni Yang, Visalia Times-Delta | USA TODAY Network
