Gaels Bring Back Eric Valenzuela to Lead Baseball Program

Saint Mary’s College Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Matoso announced on June 19 the hiring and return of head baseball coach Eric Valenzuela to lead the Gaels’ program.

Valenzuela is the most successful coach in Saint Mary’s history. The Gaels racked up the highest winning percentage under his tenure. And he is the only coach to lead the Gaels to the NCAA Tournament. He returns to Moraga after spending the past four seasons at Long Beach State.

“We are excited to announce Eric Valenzuela as our new head baseball coach at Saint Mary's College,” Matoso said. “With the completion of our stadium there is no better person or coach to lead this program to consistently perform at the top of this conference and compete on the national level. That is our commitment, to put ourselves in position to compete to be in Omaha every year. We welcome back Eric, Betty and the kids back home to Saint Mary’s.”

Led SMC to First West Coast Conference Title—and to the NCAA Tournament

Valenzuela won 180 games during his stretch as head coach from 2014–19. At Long Beach State, Valenzuela went 100-69 in four seasons. He had nine players drafted and coached six all-Americans, the Big West Pitcher of the Year, the Big West Defensive Player of the Year, and the Big West Freshman of the Year.

Under Valenzuela's leadership the first time around, Saint Mary's recorded four consecutive 30-win seasons after recording just three seasons at .500 or better in the 22 years proceeding his arrival.

Valenzuela led Saint Mary's to their first ever West Coast Conference title and the program's first NCAA Regional appearance in 2016. “My family and I are so excited to be back in Moraga and guiding the Saint Mary's College Baseball Program once more,” Valenzuela said. “Saint Mary's is a special place to my family and I, and we can't be thankful enough to have this wonderful opportunity. I want to thank Mike Matoso and his awesome staff, the alumni, and donors for making this possible. With the new hitting facility, new stadium, and all the wonderful additions to facilities, this is one of the best hidden secrets in the country.”

“With the new hitting facility, new stadium, and all the wonderful additions to facilities, this is one of the best hidden secrets in the country.”

Indeed, this homecoming for Valenzuela is to a much-improved home ballpark for the Gaels: the newly-christened Brother Ron Gallagher Baseball Stadium at Louis Gusto Field. The stadium features new permanent seating, press box, and other enhancements. It is named in honor of the former president of Saint Mary's from 2005–13 who had an impact on the unprecedented success of Saint Mary's College Athletics.

Top Picks for the Majors—Including Cy Young Winner Corbin Burnes

In 2019, the Gaels came up just one game short of winning the WCC Tournament, falling in the championship game and finishing just outside of at-large consideration for the NCAA Tournament. It was the fourth straight 30-win season for the program, however, capping a run of success that not only saw the team perform well but had four players selected in the Top 5 rounds of the MLB draft, including Corbin Burnes, who made his debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 and won the National League Cy Young Award in 2021.

Valenzuela was tapped for the top job with the Gaels in 2014 after serving for four seasons as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for Tony Gywnn at San Diego State. While with the Aztecs, Valenzuela was responsible for bringing in a pair of recruiting classes ranked in the Top 25 by Baseball America, classes that would help San Diego State go on to win the 2013 Mountain West Championship and advance to the NCAA Regionals.

Prior to working at San Diego State, Valenzuela spent six seasons across town at University of San Diego, helping the Toreros reach the NCAA postseason on three occasions; the last time was in 2008, when San Diego visited the Long Beach Regional after a program-high 44 wins. Valenzuela also led the recruiting efforts to secure the number one recruiting class in the nation as ranked by Baseball America in 2007.

Made His Start in Collegiate Coaching at SMC

Being hired at Saint Mary's in 2014 brought Valenzuela full circle: He made his collegiate coaching start with the Gaels, serving as the recruiting coordinator for SMC starting in 2001. As a player, Valenzuela was a High School All-American at Bishop Amat HS before reaching the College World Series with Arizona State in 1998. He would go on to transfer to Pepperdine, where he was the captain on the 2001 team that went 42–18 and won the WCC title. After graduating from Pepperdine, he turned to coaching.

Valenzuela comes from an athletic family. His father, Victor, was an assistant boxing coach for the United States in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Victor continues to train boxers at the Duarte Boxing Club in Duarte, California. Valenzuela's sister, Nichole, was also an accomplished softball player at San Diego 2005–08. Valenzuela and his wife Betty have three children: daughter Catalina Esmie; and twin sons, Benjamin Evan and Noah Matthew.

GET YOUR TICKETS: For 2024 baseball season tickets, contact the ticket office by email smctickets@stmarys-ca.edu or call (925) 631-4689.

Read this story as it first appeared at SMCGaels.com.