Head Coach John BaptistaSacramento State, 1974
1/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Hired on July 23, 1998 as the tenth coach in school history, John Baptista enters his second season as head coach of the Gaels. In his rookie season last year, Baptista led Saint Mary's to a 22-32 overall record, 14-16 in West Coast Conference action. The 22 wins were 10 more than the previous year, marking the largest single season turnaround in 10 years.
There are high expectations on the Moraga campus for the team this year. Baptista returns 17 letter winners, including the nucleus of the pitching staff. With the addition of one of the most talented recruiting classes in recent history, the Gaels are looking to establish themselves as a legitimate contender in the WCC.
An assistant coach for the Gaels during the 1997 and 1998 seasons, Baptista brings a wealth of experience at all levels to the program. Prior to coming to Saint Mary's, Baptista was an assistant coach at the University of San Francisco during the 1995 season. During the summer of 1995, he was the head coach of the Anchorage Bucks of the Summer College League, which yearly features some of the top collegiate players from across the country.
In 1994, Baptista was the pitching coach at Kansas State University and from 1990-93 he was the pitching coach at Yavapai Junior College in Prescott, AZ. In his four years at Yavapai, the team advanced to regional play each year and won the Junior College National Championship in 1993. His collegiate coaching experience began at the University of Arizona in 1989. Baptista also served as a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1988 and 1996, and for the Kansas City Royals from 1986-87. Baptista began his coaching career at Del Campo High School in Sacramento, where he was the junior varsity baseball coach, while also coaching football and men's basketball. From 1982-88 he was the head varsity baseball and junior varsity football coach at Hogan High School in Vallejo, CA.
A 1974 graduate of California State University, Sacramento, Baptista played two years of baseball and one year of football for the Hornets. He earned his masters degree from Saint Mary's College in 1989 in Health, Physical Education & Recreation.
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