OJ Favela carried the title of head coach at Nogales High School stretching over three different decades, but he was much more than a coach to his players.
He was a mentor. He was a second father. He became a close friend. He is always a person his players can rely on.
“You cannot speak about Nogales baseball and OJ Favela not be at the center of the conversation — 400-plus wins, over 100 players signed to play college baseball … MLB draft picks,” USC pitching coach Keith Zuniga (Class of 2010 graduate of Nogales) mentioned in a text message. “OJ and I have stayed connected throughout the years, and the amount of time and effort put into Nogales baseball, the boys, the school, the community, is unmatched.
“I don’t know where Nogales baseball goes from here, but I am confident that OJ is going to absolutely CRUSH whatever comes next. I cannot speak for anyone else but I KNOW I wouldn’t be where I am today without his leadership and guidance!”
Favela’s players excelled on the diamond after leaving the border town, proving his worth as a skillful coach.
Many of the Apaches have succeeded off the field, which makes him an essential element of their lives, whether they played for him when he started coaching the program in 2005 or earlier this spring.
“There are a lot of success stories, even those who did not go on to play baseball in college,” Favela said. “You have the kids who now work at Raytheon or are in medical school. Kids are all over the place doing different things. I am just as proud of those guys and the success they have achieved.”
After 22 seasons, 454 victories, two state titles, and three championship runner-up finishes at Nogales, Favela has stepped down, as was reported last week by AllSportsTucson.com.
He made the decision to resign, saying it was time to move on, after Nogales athletic director Eric Sowle resigned from his position.
Favela has not decided whether his coaching career is over entirely.
“I’ve never done this job for me,” said Favela, a Class of 1991 graduate of Nogales. “I wanted to serve the community, help the kids and their families. I’ve been around Nogales baseball for 53 years. My dad was a coach at Nogales when I was born.”
His father Oscar Favela, Sr. was an all-state selection at Nogales before he coached the Apaches. OJ’s grandfather Arnold “Chapo” Riesgo was a catcher from Nogales, Sonora, who played for J.F. “Pop” McKale at Arizona in the late 1940s.
“To be coaching at Nogales for as long as I did, it’s been an honor,” Favela said. “I’m proud that I’ve helped kids for that long who were raised here. Memorial Park has become a mecca, and that’s the dream. Kids in Nogales dream about playing there. To be coaching this program this long, in that aspect, I’m very fortunate.”
Nogales principal Renée Travers-Mayo offered this statement to AllSportsTucson.com concerning Favela (also a longtime physical education teacher at the school) no longer coaching the Apaches:
Mr. Favela officially retired from his teaching position in May of 2026 after many years of dedicated service to Nogales High School. This past Friday, he shared with us his decision to also retire as the Head Baseball Coach at NHS.
Throughout his tenure, Coach Favela built a tradition of excellence, earning numerous accolades while helping student-athletes grow not only as competitors but also as individuals. His leadership, commitment, and passion for the game have left a lasting mark on countless players, families, and colleagues. The lessons he taught on the field—hard work, perseverance, and teamwork—will continue to influence generations of Apaches.
On behalf of Nogales High School, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Coach Favela for his years of dedicated service and commitment to our students. His legacy will endure far beyond his retirement. Congratulations, Coach Favela, on your well-deserved retirement!
Most pronounced in Favela’s legacy is his player development.
Demetrio Crisantes is now at the Triple-A level and a top-five prospect of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who drafted him in the seventh round after graduating in 2022.
When Crisantes was a senior at Nogales, he told KOLD-TV that he was most appreciative of the culture Favela developed with the program.
“We’re like family,” Crisantes said. “Each and every one of us, we’re all like family here.”
German Fajardo (Class of 2019) is a right-hander in the Seattle Mariners’ farm system at the Single-A level after playing at Arizona and Kansas State.
Marcel Renteria was a Class of 2013 right-hander who was drafted in the sixth round by the New York Mets in 2017 after playing with Pima Community College and New Mexico State.
Five of Favela’s former players were prominent in the collegiate postseason play in June.
Brayan Espinoza (2021) and Thomas Teel (2023) won the NAIA World Series Championship with Tennessee Wesleyan. Derek (2023) and Denzel Montijo (2025) moved on to play for South Mountain Community College, which played in the NJCAA Division II World Series Championship game. Luis Martin Romero (2023) was part of the St. Mary’s team that upset top-seeded UCLA in an NCAA Regional tournament game.
Favela’s coaching tree also continues to grow.
Zuniga was recently hired as USC’s pitching coach after serving the same role at Hawaii.
Rafael Valenzuela (2006) is the manager of Single-A+ Bowling Green (Ky.) of the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
Rafael Padilla, who was a senior on the 2017 state title team, was hired last week as head coach at Mountain View.
Favela credits his development as a coach to former legendary Salpointe coach Kent Winslow, who hired Favela to be on his staff in the late 1990’s. Favela also coached at Rio Rico as an assistant before taking over at Nogales in 2005.
Winslow led Eloy Santa Cruz Valley to a state championship in 1982, Salpointe to back-to-back runner-up finishes in 1996 and 1997, Canyon del Oro to a state championship in 2000 and then Prescott to a state championship in 2002 — the only coach in the state’s history to win a title in three different classifications.
“When you think back on your career, you think about people who impacted you the most, and Kent Winslow is that person for me,” Favela said. “He was an amazing person to introduce me to the coaching aspect of the game. He’s a legend in his own right.”
Will Favela build on his legacy by returning to coaching soon?
He is only 52.
“Is there a possibility?” he said. “Obviously, I can’t say no, but at this time, everything is just kind of settling in.”
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