For New Mexico Junior College’s coach Ray Birmingham, there is a simple reason why he recruits players from Puerto Rico and Canada.

“To win,” Birmingham said simply.

It seems to be working for the team that has seven players from Puerto Rico and two from Canada.

So what does it take to find talented players in different countries and then bring them back to Hobbs, N.M., to play?

“I go and recruit. I go home to home, house to house, jungle to jungle,” Birmingham said.

Elementary, my dear Watson.

Along with Birmingham’s simple reason to recruit players from outside of the United States, Kevin Atkinson’s motivation to play ball in the U.S. was just as simple.

Because there are no junior colleges in Canada, Atkinson, who wanted to play baseball after high school but didn’t want to go to a four-year college, decided to travel outside of his home country to find a team.

Atkinson has noticed some differences between the game in Canada and the U.S.

“In Canada, we focus more on the fundamentals. Here there are great athletes and the coaches expect more,” Atkinson said.

For Pedro Gomez, a native of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, and an outfielder for New Mexico, there is a clear reason he is playing ball for the Thunderbirds.

“I like how the crowd is. We have a lot of fun here,” Gomez said as one of his teammates translated for him.

Like Atkinson, Gomez can put his finger on one difference between playing ball here versus home.

“It feels more excited,” Gomez said.

Even though some players get homesick the first semester they are away from the comfort of their home, there are ways to get around that.

E-mail and phone calls help Luis Cruz stay in touch with his family in Puerto Rico.

“But I never get homesick,” Cruz added.

Birmingham believes Hobbs helps players when they do feel homesick.

“The Hispanic atmosphere helps them adjust,” Birmingham said.

For Cruz, the fun the team has is the best part about being a member of the Thunderbirds.

So, it seems like there is a simple equation for success, at least by Birmingham’s math.

Recruit the players who want to win but want to have fun at the same time, no matter what country they call home.

Simple math.

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Anica Wong can be reached via e-mail at sports@gjds.com.