Monte Vista Christian School earlier this month announced that former Major League Baseball player John Bowker was named the new head coach of the Mustang baseball program.
“I’m excited about leading a group of young men and using the experiences I’ve gained through baseball, and through my own walk with the Lord, to help them become the best versions of themselves, both on and off the field,” said Bowker on the school’s Instagram page.
Bowker played four seasons in Major League Baseball, including stints with the San Francisco Giants (2008-10), Pittsburgh Pirates (2010-11) and Philadelphia Phillies (2011).
Outside of having played at such a high level, MVC athletic director Dustin Mones said for him it was about character.
“Coaches in high school, they’re really salt-of-the-earth type of people,” said Mones in a phone interview. “They’re dedicating a lot of time for not a lot of pay, that’s just the reality of coaching at the high school level.”
Bowker, 43, will replace former head coach Johnny Ramirez, who is now the skipper at Salinas High.
Ramirez helped lead MVC to the triple crown in 2022 with Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division, Central Coast Section Division IV and California Interscholastic Federation NorCal Division V titles—becoming the first team in Santa Cruz County to win a NorCal Regional championship.
Mones selected Bowker from a list of roughly 25 candidates that were interested in the job.
After retiring in 2019, Bowker spent the past five seasons at Carmel High as a volunteer hitting coach while also coaching at Monterey Peninsula College during the fall season.
The Sacramento native attended Rio Americana High where he earned all-league honors in three sports. He lettered three years in baseball, two seasons in football and one in basketball.
Bowker attended Long Beach State University, where he finished batting a .323 average over two years before entering the MLB draft following his sophomore campaign.
He was named a first-team All-Big West after leading the 49ers to the NCAA Super Regional in 2004.
Bowker, who was a first baseman and outfielder in the pros, finished batting a .232 (133 for 574) average with 73 RBIs, 17 home runs, 25 doubles and five triples in the MLB.
In 2012, he ventured overseas to play in Japan in the Nippon Professional Baseball league as a member of the Yomiuri Giants, which won the Japan Series that same year.
Bowker, who finished with a pair of home runs and seven RBIs, was one of three Giant players to earn Outstanding Player honors en route to the franchise’s 22nd championship.
He spent one more season with Yomiuri until he moved to Mexico in 2014 to play for Piratas de Campeche of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (Mexican Baseball League).
Bowker left Mexico after just 20 games for another crack in Japan with the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Mones, who played baseball at Wesleyan University and coached at The Stony Brook School in Long Island, will be an assistant coach under Bowker.
“I have a lot of time spent coaching ball, coaching high school age athletes, and it was killing me not to coach,” said Mones, who wanted to spend at least one year as athletic director before taking on any coaching roles.
But now he’s at the point where the athletic department is moving forward smoothly, and he has the time to be in the dugout once again.
“I feel like it’s time for me to jump back in with athletes,” Mones said. “I miss it terribly.”
Mones believes Bowker will play an important role helping shape the program, while creating opportunities for younger players throughout the region.
“There’s a bunch of kids at Monte Vista who can go out there and win baseball games,” Mones said. “Another great thing is having a coach like John on board is very attractive. My job is to make Monte Vista attractive to people. So I think that’s going to be a good way to do that.”
Bowker takes over a Mustang program that finished with a 6-20 overall record, and placed seventh with a 3-18 record in the Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division standings.
“I believe in the vision and mission of Monte Vista, and I see a tremendous opportunity in what can be built here,” said Bowker on Instagram. “There is a strong community, a great foundation, and a tradition that has been built over 100 years. I feel called to serve here, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to build on that tradition and be part of what comes next.”
