Borges first-team all-league to close out high school career

James Borges closed out his Fallbrook High School baseball career by being selected to the Avocado League’s first team.

The all-league selections were the result of a vote by the league’s coaches. Borges, who spent most of the season at second base, will be continuing his baseball career at Palomar College.

“Very happy,” Borges said of the season. “Probably the greatest year of baseball I’ve ever had. Lots of friends.”

Fallbrook reached the CIF Division I finals before being eliminated by Poway. The performance earned Borges the notice of the league’s coaches. “I just had to work hard for it, keep my head down,” Borges said of the all-league honor. “Just go every day like someone was going to take my position.”

Somebody did take his position during the year. When third baseman Erik Castro was injured, Borges switched to third to allow Castro to play second base and stay in the lineup. “I moved over because it was the best thing for our team,” Borges said. “If one of our best players was able to play, I was willing to do pretty much whatever it takes.”

Borges believes that such willingness of other team members to put the interests of the team over their own interests led to the season in which Fallbrook won the Avocado League title and reached the CIF finals. “We kept thinking about the team rather than ourselves. Once we got that through our heads, we were able to do a lot of great things,” he said.

Borges spent three years on the Warrior varsity squad and was on the junior varsity team as a freshman. “Growing up I had always played second base,” said Borges, who participated in Fallbrook Youth Baseball prior to his high school career.

As a freshman he tried out as a second baseman and was moved to shortstop. He made the varsity squad as a sophomore and played second base, although Kurt Wideman was on the team in 2004 and Borges wasn’t a starter. “I had to work my way up,” Borges said.

Borges started every game during his junior and senior seasons. He was a second baseman throughout his junior year. “I’d never played third before, so it was a new position for me. Had to learn a new position,” he said. “It was a personal challenge for me.”

Borges rose to that challenge, and the San Diego Hall of Champions named him as a Prep Star of the Month for March 2006. “There are so many great players on our team,” he said. “Just to have my name called, to be honored like that, is an incredible feeling.”

For Borges the best part about the honor is that it fulfilled his desire to lead by example. “I’m just happy that my hard work paid off,” he said.

Borges was born in Tri-City Hospital. He moved from Fallbrook to Vista and then back to Fallbrook while in elementary school, but since both his parents work at Fallbrook High School he continued to attend Maie Ellis Elementary School. He also attended La Paloma Elementary School and Potter Junior High School as well as Fallbrook High School.

In addition to playing baseball for four years at Fallbrook High School, Borges was a point guard on the freshman basketball team in ninth grade and was a running back on the junior varsity football team as an 11th-grader. “Just decided to stick with baseball my senior year,” he said.

Borges also provided morning announcements on the high school’s closed-circuit television news program every other morning. “I had fun with that,” he said.

Borges was also active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. “Erik Castro actually got me into that, so I thank him a lot for that,” Borges said.

Borges notes that coach Matt Parker was a major influence on his high school baseball career. “Through all of high school he disciplined us, made us stronger athletes and stronger human beings, and I thank him a lot for that,” Borges said.

Borges expects to improve his baseball skills at Palomar College. “I’ve been told that all I have to do is keep doing what I’m doing,” he said. “If I do that and keep my head down and don’t get too cocky and just stay humble, good things should happen.”