At Bishop Amat, J.R. Does It All : In the Standings, Phillips’ Teams Come Out Ahead

Over the past two years at Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, the name J.R. Phillips has become synonymous with winning. Phillips, a two-sport senior, has led Bishop Amat to three Angelus League championships while breaking school records along the way.

As the Lancers’ starting quarterback, Phillips directed Bishop Amat to a 22-2 record--including 20 straight league wins--and consecutive league titles. Last season, Phillips was an All-Angelus League quarterback and an all-state punter.

“He is the best I have ever been associated with in terms to the different things that he can do,” said Mark Parades, Bishop Amat football coach. “He is such a great athlete; he makes things happen. If we had run the option, J.R. would have been a great option quarterback. He has good speed, natural strength and the ability to perform in clutch situations.”

However, baseball is the sport in which Phillips dominates. Last season, Phillips was an All-Southern Section pitcher/outfielder and Angelus League Player of the Year, while posting a 13-1 record in leading the Lancers to the league title. Phillips also had a .523 batting average with 8 home runs and 45 runs batted in.

This season, Phillips, 18, is the only returning starter for the Lancers, who are 14-4. Despite being singled out by opponents, the left-handed Phillips is 8-1, with 68 strikeouts in 52 innings. His ERA is 2.13. He also is their top hitter, batting .425 with 6 home runs and 24 RBIs.

“J.R. can do it all, pitch, hit, play the outfield and first base. He is just a talented athlete,” said Ray Martinez, Bishop Amat baseball coach.

“He does not have the strongest arm in the world, and maybe there are better hitters than him around, but overall there is not anyone in the entire CIF that is a better baseball player than J.R.,” Martinez said.

The 6-foot-1 Phillips , who has a career record of 22-2 (he was 1-0 as a sophomore), holds many of Bishop Amat’s school records. He holds school season records for batting average (.523), home runs (8) and RBIs (45). He also has records for RBIs in a game (8), home runs in a career (14) and shares the records for hits in a game (4), hits in a season (46), runs scored in a season (32) and most singles in a season (33).

Many of the marks were set by Randy Tanner and John Jackson, who now play for USC.

Martinez, who has been coaching at Bishop Amat for nine years, said: “I think Randy Tanner was the best high school baseball player I ever saw and John Jackson was a real good player, but J.R. is definitely right up there with those two.”

Professional and college scouts also seem to like Phillips’ baseball potential, and he will soon be faced with a difficult decision.

Phillips, who has heard from more than 20 colleges, says that his future lies in baseball. “I like baseball better, and I have a few schools that I am looking at right now--Oklahoma State, Arkansas and USC.

“It all depends on how high I am drafted (in the June pro draft),” he said. “My family is behind whatever decision I make either going to school or going pro.”

Phillips, does not see himself as such a talented athlete. “I am not better than any other player, I just help others play better. I like challenges, but my only goal is to win.

“When I pitch, I like to keep the batters off balance by moving the ball around. I throw in the high 80s, and I like to have things in control.”

However, Phillips wants to play regularly wherever he plays next season. “Hitting is what I really like. I do not see myself pitching in the future.”

Martinez said: “J.R. is doing better than last season because people are gunning for him this season. He is leading this team, on and off the field. Teams are walking him quite a bit, and he does get frustrated, but he is hitting the ball as well as last season.

“J.R. is also dealing with the pressure very well. The scouts are troublesome, they call all the time, pro and college scouts, and he still is having the kind of year he had last year.”

Around Bishop Amat, everyone has a J.R. Phillips story.

“J.R. did a lot of crazy things; he thought he could do it all,” Parades said. “For a week or so, he was out for the track team and was a pretty good pole vaulter, and he also was on the wrestling team for a while and was one of the better wrestlers.”

Martinez said: “J.R. can be frustrating but funny afterward. Last year before a big game at Mater Dei, J.R. and some teammates drove to the game but were late because they stopped to help someone fix a flat tire. When I asked J.R. why they stopped, he answered because the guy looked like he needed help. “

Martinez recalled another story: “One day during gym class, the kids were jumping from the bleachers onto an inflatable mat, used by the track team. They were jumping from maybe 5 to 10 rows up onto the pit until J.R. goes all the way to the top, which is 25 to 30 feet high, and jumps. I thought he was commiting suicide, but he makes it and lands safely, the guy just loves challenges.”

Phillips even has a favorite story about himself.

“Last year after baseball practice as I walked to the parking lot, the track coach came up to me and asked me to run on the mile relay because they had some injuries on the team. It was a big dual meet, and they needed someone to replace the hurt guys to win the meet. I figured it would be fun, so I ran the opening leg, and we won the race and the meet. I didn’t come in first, but I kept it close.”