Lucero Resigns as Grant Coach to Take Teaching Job in Virginia

Tom Lucero has resigned as baseball coach at Grant High and has accepted a teaching position in Virginia.

Lucero, 42, who coached Grant for 17 years, has moved to Leesburg, Va., where he has begun teaching at an alternative high school, his wife, Linda, said. Lucero, who led Grant to the City Section 4-A Division championship in 1986, will not coach.

“He’s been trying to get a position back there for a year,” said Linda Lucero, whose family is from Virginia. “He’s really fallen in love with that area.”

Last season, Grant (17-7) finished second to Poly in the East Valley League with a 13-4 record.

Donnie Pedersen hit two home runs and drove in six runs to lead the Woodland Hills Astros to a 10-4 victory over the Burlingame Braves in the championship game of the Lake Tahoe Invitational Semipro Baseball tournament Sunday.

Pedersen, the most valuable player of the tournament, hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning to give the Astros a 7-0 lead, and his two-run shot in the eighth capped their scoring.

The former College of the Canyons standout was 13 for 24 with five home runs and 17 runs batted in in the tournament.

Pitcher Leo Ramirez went the distance for the Astros (41-17) in the title game. He gave up eight hits, struck out nine and walked two.