Former Jags carving path in pro ball
By: Sam Fowler, Assistant Athletic Director-Communications
Julian Garcia can trace his love of baseball to the stadium he currently calls home in Billings, Montana.
Garcia, a 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher, spent parts of the summers of 2008 and 2009 watching the Billings Mustangs, which his uncle, Julio Garcia, managed at the time, at Dehler Park in south-central Montana. At the time, the Mustangs were affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds.
"I used to be the bat boy for the team, running around the clubhouse," Garcia said. "I have pictures of me at 9, 10 years old wearing Mustangs gear. So, it's a pretty cool full-circle moment."
It's part of a path he and four other former University of Houston-Victoria baseball players are paving in the independent ranks of pro baseball.
After the Jaguars' historic 2025 season, which saw them win a program-record 38 games and reach the Opening Round of the NAIA Baseball Championship, Garcia, Hal Perez, Mason Longoria, Hayden Leopold (2024) and Carson McKenna (2024) joined the Tucson Saguaros in the Pecos League, a 15-year old league comprised of 17 teams which has helped dozens of players achieve their goal of playing affiliated baseball with a Major League organization.
"It's a testament to their hard work," said head coach Jonathan Stavinoha. "They're still grinding and getting to play baseball as long as possible. Hats off to them for putting in the hard work and effort, doing whatever it takes to play professionally. Not many people can say they've done that."
Roughly a week after the Jaguars' season ended on May 13, Garcia, Perez, Longoria and Leopold, who served as the Jaguars' graduate assistant this year, loaded up and headed west to Pecos, Texas, for spring training.
"I'd say it's a blessing, as simple as it can be," said Leopold, a 2024 alum and former graduate assistant for the Jaguars. "It's fun to be able to travel to all these different places and play ball at all these different ballparks and different atmospheres, different weather. I'd say it's been a cool experience so far."
Level playing field
The Jaguars have proven the gap between the NAIA and mid-major NCAA Division I baseball is not drastic.
Over the last three seasons, UHV has won four games against NCAA Division I opponents – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Prairie View A&M.
"A lot of people don't realize that the gap between D1 baseball and good NAIA baseball is not that big," Stavinoha said. "It's actually very small. The best in the NAIA will compete against some of the best at the Division I level any day. The playing field is a lot more equal than a lot of people might think."
Despite the team's success against Division I teams in recent years, each of the five Jaguars in the Indy Ball ranks know they have to prove it every day against guys from Division I blue bloods like the University of Texas, Florida, Vanderbilt and more.
"Dudes are constantly coming down from the Pioneer or from the Frontier, and they're playing in the Pecos. They're trying to go back up," Leopold said. "It's a business out here, too. Having that competitive environment instilled at UHV and being able to develop pretty much that dog mentality of, 'I've gotta go get what's mine. I've gotta go earn it,' that's helped out a lot, and it's a big thanks to Stav and the environment that he created."
UHV's Hayden Leopold celebrates a run scored during a game against Union (Ky.) in the Opening Round of the NAIA National Championships in 2023 at Milton Wheeler Field in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. (Sam Fowler/UHV Athletics)
Built by brotherhood
After spending three years or more with the program, including the 2023 Red River Athletic Conference Tournament championship season, the group feels their time in the program with Stavinoha prepared them for their shot at pro ball.
"It starts with Stav," said Longoria, who was named Pitcher of the Week on June 20. "He trusted me to do my thing. Before, I didn't really have that, the chance to prove what I had or the stuff I was capable to do. But with Stav, I was able to get my confidence back and get my groove back, and he was able to help me find what I was missing. Now that I have that, there's not a doubt in my mind that I can go out and compete every single inning, every single pitch, and just dominate."
McKenna joined the Saguaros, which currently lead the Pecos Mountain South Division, in 2024 after completing his collegiate career with the Jaguars.
Adding familiar faces has made the experience that much better in his eyes.
"Last year, I came out here by myself and didn't know anyone," McKenna said. "But having four other guys you've been with over the last however many years, it's great. You can treat it like extended college. We're still having fun with all the guys. It's great having guys you've been around on the team."
It's also allowed them to help grow each other's game.
During the Jaguars' 2025 season, Perez leaned on the experience of Leopold, who owns UHV records for Games Played (206), Games Started (199), At-Bats (735), Hits (243), Runs Scored (156), Doubles (54), Total Bases (363), Hit by Pitch (29) and Multi-Hit Games (68).
He's been able to do the same in the dugout for Tucson, hitting .320 this season after leading the Jaguars in RBIs (51) and hitting .313.
It's helped the group understand the importance of seizing their opportunity.
"I've still got my hitting coach (Leopold) right there and he helps me," Perez said. "We help each other. If we're doing something wrong in the middle of the game, we can talk to each other. We do because we don't want to waste any chance."
Former Jaguar Julian Garcia pitches for the Billings Mustangs during a game with the Rocky Mountain Vibes in the Pioneer League on June 15, 2025. (Contributed Photo: Thomas Damone Photography)
Chasing the dream
The hope of every player in the Pecos League is to get promoted to a team in a Major League Baseball partner league such as the American Association, Atlantic League, Frontier League or Pioneer League.
Those leagues are one step away from Minor League Baseball and a Big League club could purchase a player's contract at any moment.
That happened for Garcia when Billings, of the Pioneer League, called him after two appearances with Tucson. The call came from Mustangs Manager Craig Maddox, a former big leaguer who spent time with the Braves.
"Getting that call was a dream come true," Garcia said, adding he was a little sad to leave his college teammates. "I've always felt I owed it to the little kid in me after all those years and the dream of playing pro ball, to play in front of a bunch of people. That's what I'm able to do right now and it's pretty special. I'm just trying to take it one game at a time."