Old Man of the Diamond Still Has Energy to Drive Pomona

Cal Poly Pomona is expected once again to compete for the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. baseball championship, and not only because of the talent scattered throughout the Broncos’ lineup.

“Coaching-wise, Pomona has the edge,” Cal State Northridge Coach Terry Craven said. “That guy has been coaching about 300 years. He has all that experience going for him and his kids play hard for him.”

Actually, John Scolinos, 68, is only in his 26th season at Pomona and his 40th in college baseball.

Scolinos’ Pomona teams have won five CCAA titles and three NCAA Division II national championships. His record with the Broncos is 700-602. His lifetime record, including the 14 years he spent at Pepperdine, is 1,075-815.

At the NCAA convention in January, coaches from all divisions acknowledged those achievements by voting to give Scolinos the prestigious Lefty Gomez Award for his contributions to college sports.

Scolinos’ teams traditionally reflect his dedication to discipline and fundamentals. The Broncos’ 10-1 victory over Riverside on Wednesday was No. 700 for Scolinos. The victory raised Pomona’s record to 10-10, but a .500 or sub-.500 nonconference record is nothing new for the Broncos, who play only against Division I teams before CCAA play begins.

“I want my players to have their jocks knocked off in the preseason so I can get them to put them back on and come back,” Scolinos said. “I know some coaches who say you have to win a lot of games before conference to help build confidence. But, I don’t want to build false confidence.”

Eighty-seven players from Pomona have gone on to play professional baseball, including Wayne Gross, Mitchell Page and Darrell Miller, who have played in the major leagues. There could be plenty more in the future because Scolinos has no plans to retire soon.

“I’m going year by year and I’ll do it as long as I have the get-up-and-go,” he said. “I’ve got good young coaches and I’m not afraid to delegate authority. It’s the players I’ve coached that make it all worth something.”