A Non-Profit Organization
The Player's Success is a Coach's greatest reward!
"Players win the game...
Managers & Coaches lose them..."
Mickey "D"
Mickey D has now been in the game since the age of 6. He credits his love for the game due to his mother playing burn out catch with him in the back yard and receiving a sportsmanship trophy at a league banquet at a young age.
His baseball coaching career started in Santee when taking on a cap team in the Santee Pioneer Little League while coaching his son. Graduating through little league he advanced to coaching the Senior Division (Ages 13-14-15) winning many 1st place and area victories.
Switching over to Santee American Mick took on the coaching of the Big League Division (Ages 16-17-18) of little league once again, finishing on top and winning area victories.
In 1983, while coaching ball games being played at Santana High School, he was introduced to Semi-Pro ball by Marty Nellis, and then the varsity head coach of Santana High. That was truly the beginning of Mickey's coaching career.
In 1984, Mickey hooked up with Marty Nellis and Pete Jernigan (Big Leaguer) and took on the position of a coach of the semi-pro San Diego (Santee) Stars. Winning the Western Baseball League title in 1984 gave the Stars a berth in the prestigious National Baseball Congress Semi-Pro World Series in which the Stars finished 5th. This was his introduction to the collegiate and Semi - Professional baseball.
1988 was the introduction to Grossmont College where Mick was offered a coaching position in 1989-90 by his mentor Ed Olsen. In Mick’s words, I wasn’t really a knowledgeable coach when I arrived but I was at the end of my 10-11 years with ”The Skipper”. I will never be able to repay him for passing on to me his knowledge, love and respect of the game.
1990- Joining the Atlanta Braves as an Associate Professional Scout. Mick has had the pleasure for being instrumental in assisting the signing of quite a few players to major league contracts.
Mickey "Mick" D
He has also enjoyed seeing those players and others who have played under his coaching to also achieve collegiate scholarships and professional status including making it to “The Show”.
1995- Mick took on building a ball field. Stars Field. A baseball complex developed at Barona Indian Reservation in Lakeside, CA. The Barona Band of Mission Indians granted the Stars enough land to build their own ball field. Words can never express our appreciation. This complex has and will always be “a work in progress”.
Mick has managed the Stars since 1985
Current: As the Stars remain a highly recognized talent within the baseball community, locally, nationally and internationally. Four international championships, defeating Team USA in a National Baseball Congress World series, State and local league championships and many appearances in the NBC World Series. Mick has also assisted as a varsity pitching coach at West Hills High School over the past few years where he had the honor of coaching Stephen Strasburg his Junior and Senior year.
Owner and operator of San Diego Baseball Academy a training coaching program for ball players and coaches of all ages for all levels to get ready for the next level of your baseball career.
Active yet today and looking forward to many more year’s on the ball field and passing on his knowledge of the game which he has obtained from so many other, players, and coaches.
Instructors
General Manager /Field Manager
Matt Powell
Catching/ Hitting Instructor
Powell enters his first season as an Instructor for the San Diego Baseball Academy following a collegiate career which blossomed over his final two seasons by gaining an NCAA Division I scholarship to national power Cal State Fullerton, then an All-America citation with Southern Nazarene University (Okla.).
Powell's career started at Mission Bay High School (San Diego), playing for future Cal State San Marcos coach Dennis Pugh. The 3-time letterwinner was the Buccaneers' most valuable player as a senior in 2005, hitting .409 with two home runs to gain a first-team All-Western League berth. The 2004 squad won the CIF-San Diego Section championship with Powell serving as a starter behind the plate.
The catcher played two seasons at Grossmont College (El Cajon, Calif.), along with some time at third base and designated hitter. He was a two-time All-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference selection for the Griffins in 2006-07. He batted .365 with eight home runs and 34 RBI as a freshman to gain a second-team All-PCAC berth, then .370 with two homers and 29 RBI as a sophomore in 2007 to land first-team laurels from PCAC coaches.
However, it was Powell's play the ensuing summer with the San Diego (Barona) Stars that landed him a scholarship to Fullerton, where the Titans advanced to the 2008 NCAA Super Regional. However, a new coaching staff limited the La Mesa, Calif., resident to just four plate appearances.
So Powell transferred to Southern Nazarene (Bethany, Okla.) for 2009, an NAIA school, showing his former CSUF coaches that he could still hit. Powell batted a solid .451 for the Crimson Storm, becoming the third player in SNU history to garner a first-team NAIA All-American berth.
In addition, Powell finished 18th in the NAIA in batting average and added 12 homers with 65 RBI (29th nationally) during his senior year. Powell also had a .786 slugging percentage and a team high .541 on base percentage. The first-team All-Sooner Athletic Conference selection also earned the conference's Gold Glove Award at catcher as the ballclub (37-15 overall) qualified for the NAIA National Tournament.
Powell return to the Stars for the 2009 semipro summer campaign as their primary catcher, helping the team to an impressive 34-12 overall record and a berth to the National Baseball Congress World Series. Included was a championship in the NBC Western Regional, and medaling at the Grand Forks (B.C., Canada) International Tournament.
5-11, 185, C
Mario Knorr
Infield/Outfield/Hitting Instructor
This El Cajon resident played his High school ball at El Capitan playing for only two years. Mario excelled under Coach Vic, leading the team and the league in homeruns and batting average. Drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in their inaugural year (1998). Knorr was assigned to the Diamondback rookie team in 1998. Playing all outfield positions and leading the team with 30 appearances at 2nd base with an impressive .905 fielding percentage.
For personal reason Mario choose to cut his pro ball career short and returned home. After a short respite the desire to play again rung strong in Knorr's heart. Starting in 2001 Mario played for the San Diego Stars - Semi pro team. Playing in 5+ NBC World Series and playing on the 2004 & 2006 Grand Forks Championship Team. Mario currently serves as a player/Coach for the San Diego Stars.
Nelson Simmons
Hitting Instructor
Nelson is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. Graduating from Madison High School in San Diego, Ca. He was drafted by the Tigers in the 2nd round of the 1981 amateur draft (43rd overall). Simmons made his MLB debut in September of 1984 hitting for a base hit to bring in the only RBI of the game. Being a part of the 1984 World Champion Detroit Tigers remains one of Simmon's most notable accomplishments.
He is one of only 63 MLB player to have a Switch-hit Homers in Same Game. He played during three seasons at the major league level for the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles. Simmons played his first professional season with their Rookie league Bristol Tigers in 1981, and played with the Pittsburgh Pirates' Triple-A Calgary Cannons in 1995. Retiring after playing for AAA Reynosa in 2000.
Nelson served as the hitting coach for the Varsity team at West Hills High school and then served as the Junior Varsity Head Coach the following year at West Hills High School. His passion for the game continues to lead him to provide Hitting lessons.
High School: Madison (San Diego, CA)
Scott "Hoppy" Hopgood
Hitting/Pitching Instructor
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Brandon Peters
Mike Rupp
Josh "Zoo" Mazzola
Hitting/Infield Instructor
Mazzola, a member of the all-East County team as a third baseman for Santana High in 2004, has climbed the ladder and is currently starting for the San Jose Giants of the California League (High Class A). He currently plays first base, corner outfield and serves as a designated hitter.
In high school, Mazzola was honored to the all-CIF Division III coaches team as a junior in 2003, but injuries prevented him from being drafted a year later, despite batting .366, including a 13-game hitting streak, with eight home runs and 30 RBI.
Two seasons at Grossmont College saw Mazzola dust a club-leading 14 home runs for the Pacific Coast Conference runner-up in 2006, moving the Griffins to within one round of the state championships. He also ranked first on the ballclub in RBI (48) and game-wining hits (9), second in doubles (11), and registered a solid .343 batting average. earning an all-Pacific Coast Conference berth and a scholarship to Missouri State University.
With the NCAA Division II Bears, Mazzola was named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week.
He posted one of the most prolific offensive weeks in Missouri State history, slugging six home runs over four games and driving in 14. He scored eight times, hit .533 (8-15), collected 26 total bases for a 1.733 slugging percentage and drew an additional four walks for a .632 on-base percentage.
Mazzola completed his final season with a .304 batting average, 15 home runs and 50 RBI while playing 55 games at first base. A key component in MSU’s strong finish, he hit .423 with 12 homers and 31 RBI over the final 20 games of the season, 16 of which were Missouri State victories.
After Missouri State posted a stellar 40-17 record, both Mazzola, a Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete honorable mention pick, and Bears centerfielder Ben Woodbury signed free agent contracts with the San Francisco Giants organization.
Following a season of rookie ball in Arizona, where he batted .324, Mazzola played for the Class A Augusta Greenjackets in 2009, earning a berth on the South Atlantic League's All-Star Game to earn his promotion to San Jose.
