Master’s Officials Set Penance at Nine Games

The Master’s College pulled the plug on its baseball season this week after seven players and other students were found to have engaged in “sinful acts,” Athletic Director Bill Oates said.

The team will return next year under new leadership. Coach Jack Mutz has stepped down to become full-time assistant athletic director, a move Oates said was unrelated to the Mustangs forfeiting their final nine games.

Monte Brooks, an assistant the past three seasons, will replace Mutz. Master’s was 14-20-2 on the field this season.

Neither Oates nor Mutz would comment on the nature of the transgressions that brought an end to this season, except to say school policy was violated.

The Master’s, a fundamental Christian school, prohibits students from dancing, swearing, gambling, smoking and drinking.

“When a Christian athlete is doing something in violation of the scriptures, [teammates] must hold them accountable by going to them in love to help them turn their lives around,” Oates said. “In some cases, that didn’t take place on the baseball team.

“Each team at The Master’s is committed to glorifying God. Athletics are a personal ministry.”

The students who violated policy have not been expelled and baseball players among the group may try out for the team next season.

“Some may be graduating, but the ones who aren’t will have the opportunity to play again,” Mutz said.

Although disappointed, Mutz agreed with the decision to end the season.

“When we aren’t giving God the glory, it’s time to stop,” he said.

Brooks, 31, played for the Charleston, S.C., Rainbows, a Class-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres’ organization, after graduating from Azusa Pacific. He holds a master’s degree from San Jose State.

“Before last season I believed Monte would be a wonderful coach, but that he lacked experience,” Mutz said. “So I agreed to help him with recruiting and travel, show him how the budget works, then step down.”