Schroeder named SDCC interim AD

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: August 11, 2021

2021 LOCAL COVERAGE

ECS staff report

SANTEE —- San Diego Christian College baseball coach Brian Schroeder, who remains a career record-holder in the CIF-San Diego Section, has been named the interim director of athletics for the Hawks athletics program.

Schroeder, a standout right-handed pitcher at Christian High and UCLA, steps in for Carolyn Peters, who had a solid three-year run upgrading the program along with guiding the school’s 14 sports teams through the difficult COVID-19 pandemic.

Schroeder

While at Christian, Schroeder set a CIFSDS career record with 34 victories, earning a berth on the All-CIF first team in 2003. He also established the section career strikeout record, now sitting third in the category with 376.

For his efforts, Schroeder was tabbed the CIF Division IV pitcher of the year and 2003 East County Player of the Year, earning a scholarship to UCLA.

With the Bruins, Schroeder shared the school’s 2005 Pitcher of the Year award as a sophomore. A year earlier, the freshman earned his first collegiate save against Nebraska at Petco Park.

Following his second season in Westwood, Schroeder was drafted in the 33rd round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, playing two seasons of minor league ball for the Redbirds.

Schroeder has also served as an assistant coach at Valhalla and Helix high schools.

One of Schroeder’s main tasks as director of athletics will be to secure a permanent home field for the baseball program, along with an arena/gymnasium for indoor sports such as basketball and volleyball.

SDCC women’s soccer

In one of Peters’ final moves as AD with the Hawks, she announced Gerardo Hidalgo has been hired as head coach of the SDCC women’s soccer team.

Hidalgo most recently served as an assistant coach for the NCAA Division I, UC Riverside women’s program where he oversaw training, game preparation, and scouting.

He also spent two seasons as Associate Head Coach at NCAA Division II, Minot State University in North Dakota.

Hidalgo has also served as a collegiate woman’s coach for Fullerton College (taking the Hornets to two-straight CCCAA playoffs), and at his alma mater, Hope International University in Fullerton, as a coach, elevating the Royals’ men’s soccer team to a No. 17 NAIA national ranking.

Do you remember?

in 2003, Schroeder’s father, former NFL quarterback Jay Schroeder, served as head coach for the Patriots, earning a home game in the CIF Division IV playoffs. But there was a problem.

CIF officials mandated that all games must be played on Friday, even though Christian often played on Saturday when Valley Stadium at Granite Hills High was utilized by the Eagles. Indeed, Granite Hills also had a first-round game at home, along with several other nearby schools.

However, 72 hours before announcing the school would forfeit its home-field advantage and travel to Carlsbad to play Army-Navy Academy, a suggestion by Midway Baptist High (now Ocean View Christian) found coach Schroeder renting a portable lighting system and marking a gridiron in the outfield of the varsity baseball field — it became Christian’s first-ever, on-campus home game.

In a tight, defensive-oriented contest, the Patriot, following a goal-line stand to stay within 12-7, Christian finally broke through late in the fourth quarter to stun Army-Navy, 13-12, to eliminate the Warriors for the second straight season.

Men’s Tennis

Several members of the SDCC men’s tennis team were selected to the NAIA All-America team.

The Hawks’ Chris Papa, who hails from Cypress, was a first-team honoree, while German national Nick Nienhaus was tabbed to the second team. Both are sophomores.

Another soph, Ivan Smith, who grew up in Chula Vista, was among the honorable mention.

Meanwhile, Hawks head coach Jim Bodor was named the West Region coach of the year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.