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Johnathon Francisco’s duties doubled in his second year coaching baseball in the Omaha-based Corn Belt League.
That analysis is literal. Francisco is managing two teams.
“They said, ‘Hey, by any chance can you take on a second team?’” Francisco said. “I said, ‘Of course I can.’”
But in a league with eight teams, there’s a problem.
What happens when his two squads — the Omaha Filthballers and Omaha RailRiders — play each other? Francisco has a simple solution.
“I like to switch off with my head assistant. So whoever the home team is, I’ll take the home team,” he said. “My secondary assistant will just kind of be parked over at first base and be the first-base coach for both teams.”
Assistants Garrett Gloeb and Jackson Stensgard also will be on his staff when he coaches in the league’s All-Star Game at Seymour Smith Park on Sunday. It’s a tight-knit trio, and the group has been together since meeting in 2019, when all three were players in the league.
“The three of us just clicked just when we all first met,” Francisco said. “Those two guys ... I talk to them more than some people I went to high school or even college with.”
The connection nearly didn’t happen.
Francisco is from California, and before 2019, he’d never played on a team outside the state. Joining the league, the California Miramar graduate says, was a happy coincidence that turned into a great opportunity.
“One of our coaches (at California Miramar) had coached in the Corn Belt League previously because his brother lived out here in Omaha and he asked me, ‘Hey, would you like to come play summer ball out in Omaha, Nebraska?’ ... Hopped in the car, drove out here and spent my first summer back in 2019 out here.”
Except for 2020, he has been back every summer since. In 2021, he made the transition from player to coach.
As a player, Francisco saw himself “being like another coach.” So with pro baseball not being an option, the managing duties stuck.
“I just figured, you know what, if this is my way to stay in baseball as long as I can, hey, I’ll be a coach,” he said.
Despite his youth, Francisco already has plenty of experience. Aside from the tutoring he gave teammates as a player and his time coaching in Omaha, he also coaches back home in California.
“As soon as I graduated, I was offered the assistant coaching job,” said Francisco, who has been at California Miramar ever since.
His school’s aggressive philosophy carries over to his Corn Belt philosophy. Francisco says he enjoys being able to “give these kids a green light.”
But it’s not just about teaching baseball philosophy, Francisco also wants to make sure his players appreciate their opportunity. Having played summer baseball in Omaha, he is aware of the positive effects of his time in the league.
“We’re out here to get our reps in, to get better, and we’re out here to have fun,” he tells his players. “It is where you make memories, you’re supposed to have fun during summer ball.”
One of Francisco’s goals is to re-create that chemistry for the players. One way he does that is by urging each team member to stay invested in games, even if they aren’t playing.
“I tell my guys, ‘Hey, if you’re not in the lineup today, just come out to support your other teammates,’” Francisco said.
He thinks the time together will help the team grow closer and hopes that if his squads form strong bonds, they’ll accomplish the purpose of summer baseball: Making memories.
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