Villareal Hired Full Time for Golden West Baseball

Bert Villareal, the interim baseball coach at Golden West College the past two seasons, has been hired full time by the school, Athletic Director Tom Hermsted said Tuesday.

Villareal took over on an interim basis, replacing Fred Hoover in 1989 when Hoover left to take an assistant’s job at Cal State Fullerton. Villareal has been a part-time employee of the college for the last two years.

“I love it,” Villareal said. “It’s great. It’s been a long time coming and it was hard season to go through not knowing if I would be back, but now it was worth it.”

Golden West finished with a 28-14-1 record this season and finished second in the conference behind Rancho Santiago. The Rustlers advanced to the postseason, sweeping a two-game series from Cuesta in the first round. Golden West was eliminated in the next round by Los Angeles Harbor, which won the state title.

Villareal led Golden West to a 21-14-1 record in 1989 and a third-place finish in the Orange Empire Conference.

Villareal, 27, graduated from Sonora High School in 1980. He was an infielder at Golden West in 1981 and 1982, and played at Cal Poly Pomona on a scholarship the next two seasons.

Villareal started as an assistant coach at Golden West under Hoover in 1985 and took over as interim head coach in 1989.

Remember the Mayne: Orange Coast’s Mike Mayne announced he will return to head coaching spot of the OCC baseball program after working last season as an assistant. Scott Groot, who took over for Mayne, will return to his role as an assistant.

Mayne, 44, has a 355-155 record in his 13 seasons at OCC. He led the school to the state championship in 1980, the last one won by an Orange County team. His teams won six titles in the 1980s.

John Swaino, a tennis player from Cypress, has been named winner of the Head/Arthur Ashe Jr. Sportsmanship Award. Swaino was 34-5 and won the Orange Empire Conference and Southern California Regional singles titles.

He reached the semifinals of the state tournament before losing to Carl Hinds of Saddleback, 2-6, 7-6, 7-5. Hinds later won the state title. Swaino and Bob Carlton teamed in doubles to go 29-4.

Mike Barron has been hired as the offensive line coach at Rancho Santiago. Barron, who was the head coach at Santiago High School the past three years, replaces Mike DeFries.

DeFries took over at Loara for Herb Hill, who retired. DeFries is the second Rancho Santiago assistant in two years to get a head coaching job.

Bruce Rollinson was the offensive backfield coach at Rancho Santiago before being named coach at Mater Dei last fall.

Community College Notes

Catcher Terry Tewell of Cypress, infielders Gerad Cawhorn and Gary Christopherson of Golden West and Doug McConathy of Cypress, and outfielder Frank Herman of Golden West all are first-team Southern California baseball selections. On the second team are pitchers Matt Lackie of Rancho Santiago and Steve Trachsel of Fullerton, infielders Robb Carabba of Golden West and Jim Short of Fullerton, and outfielder Steve Grack of Rancho Santiago . . . Cypress first baseman Teresa Anderson will attend UC Santa Barbara on a softball scholarship.