Scott Winterburn, coach of the nationally-ranked La Verne baseball team, recently leaped over a big milestone.
Currently in his 25th year at La Verne, Winterburn earned his 600th career collegiate coaching victory as the NCAA Division III No. 6-ranked Leopards powered their way to a 16-3 win over Caltech at Ben Hines Field on April 4.
“La Verne has always been a special place, and it certainly has been special for me,” Winterburn said.
The victory was No. 571 for Winterburn at La Verne since starting in 2001. He won 29 games the prior year in a brief stint at his alma mater Azusa Pacific.
This season, Winterburn has guided La Verne to a 22-3 overall record heading into the final month of the regular season.
Senior starting pitchers Matthew DesMarets (6-0, 2.11 ERA) and Ethan Galindo (6-0, 2.31) have been nearly unhittable for La Verne. DesMarets has 66 strikeouts in 47 innings, while Galindo has issued just two walks in 46 2/3 innings.
Senior Noah Garcia is hitting .389 and leads the team with nine doubles and 27 RBIs. He had two hits, stole a base and scored twice in the milestone win over Caltech.
La Verne has won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference six times (2004, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2023) under Winterburn, and reached the Division III Super Regionals each of the last two years.
He has coached five SCIAC players of the year and two Major League Baseball draft picks, including his son Joe Winterburn, who was selected in the 40th round by the Boston Red Sox in 2014.
Four other former La Verne alumni have gone on to play professional baseball, and Winterburn coached many more during two seasons as a manager in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
“I’m proud of all of our alums (and) our goal has been really consistent: promote an environment that is rich in talent and quality individuals, and to work really hard at the things that are in front of us,” Winterburn said.
Winterburn served as La Verne’s athletics director from 2018-22, successfully navigating the program through the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He returned his focus to baseball in 2023 and guided La Verne to its first Super Regional since 2018, earning both the SCIAC coach of the year and the D3baseball.com region coach of the year awards.
BRONCOS’ HATCHER SET NEW 800 MARK
Cal Poly Pomona senior middle distance runner Arissa Hatcher broke a 19-year-old school record at the Johnson/Joyner-Kersee Invitational at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.
Last year’s CCAA champion in the 800 meters, Hatcher finished in 2 minutes, 8.8 seconds on Sunday to set a new mark for the Broncos.
“After crossing the finish line, I was completely speechless,” Hatcher said. “Hitting a (personal record), I’m excited for my next race.”
Hatcher and the Broncos will compete at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational at Strehle Track Stadium in Claremont on Saturday.
HIGHLANDERS WIN IN WASHINGTON
The UC Riverside men’s golf team captured its first victory of the season in a one-hole playoff at the Seattle University Redhawk Invitational last week.
All four Highlanders finished at 3-under (69) on the final day, as UC Riverside tied St. Thomas for first place at the end of regulation before going on to win at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Wash.
Hartej Grewal, Chanhee Ryu, Liam Hartling and Von Wasson each finished inside the individual Top 25, combining for two eagles and 20 birdies as UC Riverside posted the lowest team round of the tournament (276).
SAGEHENS SOLID IN SCIAC
The Pomona-Pitzer women’s water polo team earned a pair of wins of Senior Day to remain unbeaten in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play this season.
Junior Brienz Lang had five goals as the Sagehens (19-10 overall, 11-0 SCIAC) defeated Chapman 22-9, and added four more in a 15-3 victory over Concordia Irvine on Saturday at Haldeman Pool in Claremont.
Pomona-Pitzer finishes the regular season on the road at La Verne and Cal Lutheran next week.
ODDS & ENDS
Senior Stella Cheng sank a three-foot putt for par on the 18th hole to win the individual title by one stroke as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women’s golf team claimed the team title by one stroke at the second SCIAC regular season tournament on Sunday at the Antelope Valley Country Club. … Freshman April Bryant had six goals as the Redlands women’s lacrosse team went on the road and defeated Chapman 17-10 on Monday for the Bulldogs’ first win over the Panthers since 2018. … Chaffey’s baseball team holds a two-game lead in the Inland Empire Athletic Conference heading into the final three weeks of the regular season after a three-game sweep of Barstow. … Riverside City College sophomore Michael Chang (Arlington High) was selected Orange Empire Conference singles and doubles player of the year.
