Tellez named Ram baseball coach

PORTALES — Portales High didn’t have to go too far to find its next baseball coach, elevating assistant Ruben Tellez to the position on Monday.

Tellez, a longtime Spanish and English as a Second Language teacher at Portales Junior High School, had spent the last five years as part of Dusty Nusser’s staff. Nusser stepped away from the job last month, citing a desire to work in administration.

Tellez was happy being the girls soccer coach, and he will continue in that position, but a chance to take over on the diamond was too good to pass up.

“Baseball’s always been a dream of mine,” Tellez said. “I’ve played it all of my life. I have passion for the game. I thought I’d give it a try, and fortunately my interview went well.”

Mark Gallegos, athletic director for Portales Municipal Schools,felt Tellez was a good choice based on his time with the program.

“We only opened it up in district because we didn’t have any teaching positions,” Gallegos said. “We interviewed four people from within the district. He’s been Dusty’s assistant for five years. We felt like he was the best choice. He came in with a plan to keep our program strong and moving forward.”

Tellez comes with experience in a Ram baseball program that has had prolonged success, with a 97-49 record over five seasons and the 2017 Class 4A championship.

“It’s been a good program,” Tellez said. “Coach (current PHS Principal Arturo) Ontiveros has a championship under his belt. So does Dusty. I’ve got some big shoes to fill in keeping the program afloat.”

The lone losing season in that time came last year, when a combination of youth and injuries pummeled the Rams en route to a 10-15 season and no berth in the state tournament. District champion Artesia, Tellez said, loses 12 seniors while runnerup Goddard loses seven seniors — including their top two starting pitchers. The Rams, meanwhile, graduated just two players.

“We were young, but we were hungry and we worked hard,” Tellez said.

The long-term goal is to update some certifications for Tellez so he could eventually transition to the high school. Tellez said he is certified to teach ESL for grades K-8, but not yet for grades K-12.

Gallegos said it’s advantageous for a coach to also teach on the PHS campus because the teacher can more easily build a relationship with players and stay updated on their grades and behavior in classes. Also, in most cases the campus is within walking distance of the practice or game facility.