After a long drawn out search, the Balers have a new head
varsity baseball coach.
Derek Barnes, who grew up in Hollister, was officially named to
the coaching position during the school board meeting Thursday
night.
”
An on-campus coach helps students and programs a lot more than
an off-campus coach could just by proximity,
”
said San Benito High Principal Duane Morgan.
”
Derek did a good job in the interviews, and I have confidence he
will do a good job as coach. He does a good job in the classroom.
He is very consciencious. The baseball field is a classroom. In
addition to athletic skills, you learn skills you will need in
life.
”
After a long drawn out search, the Balers have a new head varsity baseball coach.
Derek Barnes, who grew up in Hollister, was officially named to the coaching position during the school board meeting Thursday night.
“An on-campus coach helps students and programs a lot more than an off-campus coach could just by proximity,” said San Benito High Principal Duane Morgan. “Derek did a good job in the interviews, and I have confidence he will do a good job as coach. He does a good job in the classroom. He is very consciencious. The baseball field is a classroom. In addition to athletic skills, you learn skills you will need in life.”
Barnes will become the first on-campus coach that the Balers have had in quite awhile.
“Getting it done in the classroom is the most important thing especially if the kids want to go on and play professionally,” Barnes said.
Barnes is taking over for Neal Andrade, who accepted the head coaching position at Gavilan College. Andrade and his staff were a big part in helping to turn the program around and get it to where it is now.
Barnes has been coaching for 11 years at various levels. He started coaching when he was still in high school when he was 17 coaching Little League in Hollister.
As a 1993 San Benito grad, Barnes received a bachelor of arts degree in social science in 1997 at San Jose State. He played a couple years with the Balers before sitting out after being injured.
Barnes, who is beginning his seventh year at the high school, teaches history and also is the senior class advisor for the 2004 graduates. He started his career coaching in Little League for three years then went into Babe Ruth for four years. He coached several Little League and Babe Ruth All-Star teams as well.
Barnes was the San Benito freshmen head coach for three years. During that time, his teams won two titles. The 1999 team lost only one game and won 21 in a row, and the 2000 team lost just two games all season.
The last three years, Barnes has coached under Andrade. He plans to continue stressing a solid work ethic and a knowledge of the fundamentals.
“I like hard work and kids with a positive attitude,” Barnes said. “The team philosophy is always first. One player doesn’t make the team. I want it to be like a family unit. You have to be able to play the fundamentals.”
Although the final approval hasn’t been given, Barnes still has several of his staff picked out. He plans to keep pitching coach Brian Humphreys. Other coaches, Barnes hopes to bring in include Phil Quintero, who will be mainly working with the outfielders. And Eric Diaz Sr., whose son was the co-MVP last year, will work with the hitters.
Barnes will be meeting with anyone interested in playing baseball on Monday and Tuesday and then starting conditioning late next week.
“It is going to be an exciting year,” Barnes said. “We have some good players, and we will surprise people. Some teams think that we are on the downswing because we have had two good years in a row and have graduated a lot of people. If we work hard enough we will be right there on top when it is all said and done.”
