Spud O’Neil of Lakewood and Margaret Neill from Paraclete of Lancaster both added to their coaching win totals during the 2024 season. Spud moved to No. 2 on the all-time list for baseball. Margaret already was No. 2 and they both have more than 800 wins. Photos: the562.org & Harold Abend / Cal-Hi Sports.
State record coaching lists for baseball and softball have now all been updated through the 2024 season and here’s a look at the most significant milestone wins that were celebrated. For baseball, the milestone wins got going immediately with Monterey’s Michael Groves winning his 800th game. They continued with many more, including two from the CIF San Diego Section reaching 600 plus two more from there who joined the all-time state list for winning their 500th. For softball, Valley View’s John Perez and Ayala’s John Ameluxen won their 600th games and two more have been added on to the state list with 500 wins.
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BASEBALL MILESTONES 2024
Eric Borba (Lutheran, Orange)
There was a big moment at the end of the season when the Lancers won the CIF SoCal D1 title with a win against La Mirada. Borba had another one early on as a 2-1 victory against Cypress gave him the 500th win of his coaching career. He started coaching in 1999 at Analy of Sebastopol and then went to De La Salle from 2004 to 2008. Borba moved to Southern California in 2009 and announced in early June he was leaving the OLu post to follow his son and daughter playing baseball and softball in college at out-of-state colleges.
James Davis (Granite Hills, El Cajon)
It was big year for milestone coaching wins in the CIF San Diego Section, beginning on March 13 when Davis won No. 500 with a 2-0 win by the Eagles over Cathedral Catholic. He’s been coaching at Granite Hills since 2001 and also has been athletic director in recent years. Davis also was our 2014 State Coach of the Year.
John Diatte (Valley Christian, San Jose)
Despite to tough finish to the season with a loss to Archbishop Mitty in the CIF Central Coast Section Open Division semifinals then a loss to St. Mary’s of Stockton in the CIF NorCal D1 playoffs, Diatte’s team had another strong showing at 27-6 overall. That jumped up the longtime head coach five spots on the all-time state list and he’s now seventh all-time, third for Northern California and second for the CCS.
Eric Borba won the 500th game of his career this season at Orange Lutheran, but it has ended up being his final season in the Lancers’ dugout. Photo: OLu_Athletics / Twitter.com.
Michael Groves (Monterey)
The longtime Monterey High head coach posted the 800th win of his career with a 5-4 triumph the first week of March vs Wilcox of Santa Clara. Groves has been head coach of the Toreadores since 1981, a 44-year span. That’s also one of the most years of coaching in any sport. The late John Stevenson of El Segundo, still the winningest baseball coach in state history, coached for 49 years from 1960 to 2009.
Andy Hall (Wilson, Long Beach)
He’s been at Wilson since the 2000 season after 10 years at St. Anthony (Long Beach) and was the head coach of the 2007 Bruins who were State Team of the Year (32-3). Hall gained his 600th win this season in late March with a 21-10 romp past Cabrillo of Lompoc. It was not lost on Coach Hall that he’s now second on the all-time state list from the Moore League and joins a 600 club alongside Lakewood’s Spud O’Neil.
Justin Machado (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad)
As a younger head coach in 2003 when LCC had one of the greatest teams in CIF San Diego Section history, Machado was the State Coach of the Year. This season, the squad had some struggles in a 15-15-1 showing, but on May 7 the Mavericks gave him the 600th win of his career with a 5-4 victory vs San Marcos.
Mike Mitchell (Christian, El Cajon)
In his 29th season at Christian after four at Coronado, Mitchell reached 600 wins for his career on April 3. Christian won on that day, 6-1, over University City of San Diego.
Tom Muesborn (Sierra Canyon, Chatsworth)
We didn’t see a celebration around it, but Muesborn’s career wins total went past 700 on our list counting Sierra Canyon’s 16-11-2 record for this season to what we had on him from his two Chatsworth High stints plus the 2023 season at Sierra Canyon. He also moved up one spot on the all-time list. His last season at Chatsworth High was 2018.
Spud O’Neil (Lakewood)
A 9-0 win by Lakewood over Cabrillo of Lompoc on March 7 moved O’Neil’s career win total to 947 wins and put him in second-place on the all-time state list. O’Neil moved past Rancho Bernardo’s Sam Blalock into the No. 2 spot. He now trails only John Stevenson of El Segundo on the all-time list. “Coach Stevenson and I were friends, and it’s an honor to be up there with him,” O’Neil told the562.org web site, reflecting on his 45 years as head coach. “And I’ve had a good career. You know, it’s a new age with all the younger guys after the pandemic. And I’ve really had to change my philosophy on how to talk to kids and stuff like that.”
Gary Remiker (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego)
Early in the season, Remiker was in the opposing dugout when Granite Hills’ James Davis won his 500th game. Later, on April 19, Remiker got to No. 500 as the Dons defeated Patrick Henry of San Diego, 11-4. He began coaching at University of San Diego High 24 years ago, which later relocated with a new name of Cathedral Catholic. Gary was the high school coach of 2014 MLB Draft No. 1 pick Brady Aiken. He also was 2016 State Coach of the Year, two years after James Davis collected the same honor.
SOFTBALL MILESTONES 2024
John Ameluxen celebrates with his players at Ayala of Chino Hills after his 600th win. Photo: chino.k12.ca.us.
John Ameluxen (Ayala, Chino Hills)
He’s been at Ayala coaching softball since the school opened in 1990. On March 15, Ameluxen celebrated the 600th win of his coaching career as the Bulldogs dispatched Claremont, 10-3. The Riverside Press-Enterprise did a tribute to his career as the CIFSS playoffs were beginning and reported his record at 610-331. Since Ayala won its first game and then lost in its second in the D2 bracket, it finished a 21-5 season and means that John’s record going into our all-time state lists is 611-332.
Jaime Maxey (Bullard, Fresno)
A head coach at Bullard not long after being a member of Fresno State’s 1998 NCAA championship team, Maxey is from Bullard and has had one of the top programs in the CIF Central Section for many years. She won the 500th game of her career when the Knights defeated Edison of Fresno, 7-2, and her team added nine more wins after that.
Margaret Neill (Paraclete, Lancaster)
The longtime leader of the Spirits’ program didn’t notch any milestone wins or pass anyone on the all-time state list, but moved closer the 900-win total as her team went 31-3 and won the CIFSS D4 championship. She’ll start 2025 with 866 wins since 1981.
John Perez (Valley View, Moreno Valley)
The former head coach at Santiago of Corona, Carnegie of Riverside and Notre Dame of Riverside completed his second season at Valley View, and it was a good one. Perez earned the 600th win of his career when the Eagles defeated Heritage of Menifee, 15-5. Valley View then went to the CIF Southern Section D2 semifinals where it lost to California of Whittier. Perez’s team then went to the CIF SoCal D1 playoffs and got a big win over CIF San Diego Section Open Division champion Poway before it lost in the semifinals to Del Norte (San Diego).
Rob Weil (Los Alamitos)
The 20-6 season for Weil at Los Al was sub-par for him as was the early exit from the CIFSS D1 playoffs. Still, he moved up three spots on the all-time state coaching list and is now shown in a tie for seventh with the late Ron Clark of Fairfield, who ended his career in 2010 with 732 wins.
If there are any other coaches getting close to or who may have 500 or more wins in baseball and softball that we need to start to follow, email info to markjtennis@gmail.com.
Mark Tennis is the editor and publisher of Cal-Hi Sports. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
