Blalock to Run New Baseball Program at Rancho Bernardo

Sam Blalock, the only varsity baseball coach Mt. Carmel has had, will be the first coach for Rancho Bernardo High’s program when the school opens in the fall.

“There were a lot of reasons for doing it,” Blalock said of the move. “Some are personal, and I wouldn’t want to get into them, but the main one is that my family lives in RB and will be attending RB the next 10 years. It gives me an opportunity to work with my kids as well as do something I like to do, and that’s teach and coach.”

Blalock, 41, had an extraordinary run with Mt. Carmel after it opened in 1974. The Sundevils won four San Diego Section championships (1981, ‘82, ‘87, ‘89), and every other year since 1981, the team that eliminated Mt. Carmel from the 3-A playoffs won the section title, including 1984 and ‘86, when Mt. Carmel finished second. Only twice, in 1987 and ‘90, did the Sundevils fail to win the Palomar League championship. They also won the Avocado East title in 1979.

Blalock had a 298-108 record (.734) at Mt. Carmel.