De Anza baseball program lives another year after termination rumors

Jacob Sisneros, Freelancer

Despite rumors around campus and a brief in the San Jose Mercury News on Monday, May 5, the De Anza College baseball program is not being terminated.

Head coach Scott Hertler resigned after a 3-31 season, the worst in college history. After Hertler’s resignation, the program was in jeopardy as Dean of Physical Education Coleen Lee-Wheat and athletic director Kulwant Singh were faced with the decision to pursue a replacement coach.

Lee-Wheat and Singh ultimately decided not to terminate the baseball program and are currently seeking a new head coach.

The coaching position has been posted on several community college job websites for a couple of weeks.

Once the application process is complete, a hiring committee consisting of coaches, instructors, Lee-Wheat, and Singh will decide which coach to hire.

“The goal is to have someone in place by the end of the month,” Singh said

Lee-Wheat said the main factor in the decision regarding the future of the baseball program was the quality of the baseball facilities.

“A number of people in the community stepped up and are willing to help fundraise to fix up the baseball facilities,” Lee-Wheat said.

Singh said the field needs a complete overhaul and they are looking to raise $2 to $2.5 million to improve the baseball facilities.

He said the short-term plan for the field is to “make it safe.”

De Anza has fielded a baseball team since the college was founded in 1967 and has won four conference championships in that span.

“I don’t want to lose any program,” Singh said. “Baseball has good history here at De Anza.”