Klitsner Leaves Sylmar to Coach Mission

John Klitsner, the baseball coach at Sylmar High the past six seasons, has accepted an offer to coach at Mission College.

Klitsner, 36, replaces Lee Fisher, who coached at Mission the past two seasons.

“It was a great opportunity for advancement,” Klitsner said. “I’m very excited about it. It includes a full-time teaching position, which is rare at the junior college level right now. Most JC coaches are walk-ons.”

Although Mission does not currently have permanent facilities--classes are held in San Fernando and Sylmar--construction of a 23-acre campus in Sylmar has begun.

In addition to the campus, which is expected to be ready by the spring of 1990, a 10-acre site for a baseball field has been donated to the school.

“It’s a chance for me to build a new program from the ground up,” Klitsner said. “It’s a chance for me to come in at the ground level and help develop something.

“I’m eager to see what I can do.”

Klitsner led the 1983 Sylmar team to the East Valley League title and into the City Section 4-A Division championship game, where the Spartans lost to Chatsworth, 8-7. Sylmar advanced to the City semifinals in 1987.