Last year Laredo Community College Palominos Humberto Miranda and Wes Callihan opened the door to the next chapter of their lives by participating in the Texas-New Mexico Junior College All-Star game.

The annual event serves to showcase the top community college baseball players from Texas and New Mexico to recruiters from university baseball programs and the major leagues. 

Participation is based on a coach’s nomination of student-athletes who excelled during their freshmen year.

Miranda and Callihan apparently made a big impression on some recruiters.

Miranda received a scholarship to attend Northwood University in Dallas and play for the NAIA Red River Athletic Conference champions, Texas Campus Knights. Callihan was recruited by NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference champion Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Three Palominos attended this year’s All-Star game, which was held on Sept. 26 and 27 at Baylor University in Waco.

The standouts included Laredoans Ryan Bender and Margarito Segovia, as well as Falfurrias native Jason Garcia.

All three student-athletes said that they participated in the All-Star game with one goal in mind: to get noticed by a big Division 1 school or a scout.

In an interview prior to the all-star game, Bender, 19, said that he hoped to “do real good” at the baseball showcase to get the opportunity to transfer to a Division 1 or 2 school.

“I’m interested in completing a four-year bachelor’s degree to major in kinesiology and minor in English,” Bender said.

An outfielder for the Palominos, Bender has been playing baseball since the age of four and is already starting to grab the interest of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.  But for now, he wants to keep his university transfer options open.

Garcia, who turns 20 in less than two weeks, hoped to be a hit at the all-star game.

“I’m looking forward to hitting a homerun at the all-star game to be seen by a major Division 1 school,” Garcia said.

After high school, Garcia was planning to attend Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.  But Garcia changed his mind and instead chose to attend LCC with the encouragement of LCC head baseball coach Eric Gonzalez.

“Coach Gonzalez was with A&M-Corpus Christi when he recruited me to play for the Islanders. But when he got the head coaching job at LCC, he encouraged me to join the Palominos and I’m glad I did.  I like playing at LCC,” said Garcia, who also is an outfielder.

Segovia was the lone pitcher who represented LCC at the all-star game.

Said the 20-year-old, “I’m excited to be nominated to play in the all-star game.  All the hard work from last year has paid off.”

Segovia also has caught the interest of St. Mary’s, but he would really enjoy the opportunity to play for an NCAA school such as the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Segovia is pursuing a degree in business.

For second-year Palomino coach Gonzalez, he’s pleased to have had three student-athletes selected to play in the all-star game.

“To have three talented student-athletes selected to play in the all-star game is a feather in the LCC baseball program’s cap.  I’m very proud of their accomplishments because they also had to be eligible academically to play in the all-star game," Gonzalez said.

Bender, Garcia and Segovia were among only 26 players selected from eight colleges in Region XIV South to participate in the all-star game.