WATSONVILLE — Former MLB first baseman and outfielder John Bowker, 43, has been named the new head baseball coach at Monte Vista Christian School, the school’s athletic department announced Thursday evening.
It’ll be his first head coaching job.
Bowker, a Sacramento native who lives in Carmel, served as an assistant at Carmel High for the past five years and volunteered for Monterey Peninsula College’s baseball program last fall.
“I’m super excited,” Bowker said. “I feel very blessed to have this opportunity.”
Bowker said it was a tough decision leaving the successful Padres, winner of Central Coast Section Division III titles in 2023 and ’25, and Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division titles in ’24 and ’26 under veteran coach and close friend Mike Kelly.
New MVC School baseball coach John Bowker, who played four years in MLB, said he’ll emphasize a lot of what he learned while playing in Japan — hard work, pitching, defense, and small ball — as focal points. (Eric Risberg – Associated Press file)
“I love those guys,” said Bowker, of the coaching staff. “I loved every minute of being with them for five years. It’s bittersweet leaving them, but it’s also a great opportunity.”
Bowker replaces Johnny Ramirez, who left MVC to become the head coach at Salinas.
Ramirez posted a 71-44-1 record in four years at the helm for the Mustangs, including 6-20 last season, when MVC finished eighth in the Gabilan Division.
In his first season, Ramirez guided the Mustangs to the CIF NorCal Division V Regional Championship, making them the first program from Santa Cruz County to win a regional title.
Bowker said he’s excited with the challenge of helping the Mustangs return to glory — and the Gabilan Division. This spring, they’ll compete in the PCAL’s Mission Division.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Mustangs athletics director Dustin Mones, of the hire. “You’re happy anytime you get somebody with the experience John has and that type of knowledge — he played overseas and in the big leagues. He has experience in all facets of the game. He’s a perfect fit for us. And he’s a perfect mission fit. We couldn’t be happier.”
Mones, a former left-handed pitcher at NCAA Division III Wesleyan University, is expected to join Bowker’s coaching staff.
Bowker met Mones through a mutual friend, James Choi, about a year ago. The two became close friends and surf buddies, and Mones often playfully suggested that Bowker join MVC’s staff.
After Ramirez departed for Salinas, Mones delivered Bowker a real sales pitch. And Bowker liked it.
John Bowker, a four-year MLB player from from 2008-11, saw 47 of his 133 career hits go for extra bases. (Ben Margot – Associated Press file)
He inherits a team that’s expected to return at least 14 players. The youth-laden Mustangs featured nine underclassmen on last year’s team, including five freshmen.
And a few players who sat out last season are expected to return to the varsity. Among them, is infielder Evan Vessey, currently serving as quarterback on the school’s football team.
“I’m very excited to get back into baseball for my senior year,” Vessey said. “I’m looking forward to developing and growing, not only as a player but as a leader, under the new head coach.”
Bowker, an alum of Rio Americano High in Sacramento, was a third-round draft pick out of Long Beach State University by the San Francisco Giants in 2004. He made his MLB debut with the Giants on April 12, 2008 and homered in his first two games.
He played for three teams during his four-year MLB career, also suiting up for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies, and batted .232 (133 for 574) with 25 doubles, 17 home runs, 73 RBI, and 54 runs scored.
The Phillies released Bowker on Jan. 10, 2012 so he could pursue an opportunity to play professionally in Japan. He played for the Yomiuri Giants from 2012 and ’13, winning a Japan Series championship in ’12.
He later played for Piratas de Campeche of the Mexican League in ’14, before returning to Japan to play for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles that same year.
Bowker served as a player/coach for a club team in Australia ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he got into surfing. He enjoyed surfing so much, that it led to his decision to relocate to Carmel when he returned to the U.S.
Of all his experiences, Bowker said he wants to emphasize what he learned in Japan to the Mustangs.
“I’m hoping for good, fundamental baseball,” he said. “I want us to work hard, pitch strikes, play defense and get better. And I’m going to work hard, too.”