While other Malibuites flocked to the beaches, Baseball Head Coach and ‘92 Seaver alumnus Steve Rodriguez traveled east and went to work.
Rodriguez has built himself a lengthy and accomplished biography full of accolades, honors and titles. He was the 2012 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year, made the cut for WCC’s Top 50 Athletes of All Time and has led the baseball program to 528 victories (second most for a Pepperdine manager). Rodriguez has not relented, recently adding Manager of the 2013 17U Team USA Developmental Program to his resume.
Part of his summer was spent in the thick heat of Cary, N.C., where he oversaw a 56-man roster of talented baseball players from across the country. Team USA had previously reached out to Coach Rodriguez in the hopes that he would be willing to coach for the organization.
“My schedule just didn’t allow for it,” Rodriguez said. “This year I was able to make it work.”
The trip to Cary was a walk down memory lane for the former student-athlete who played for Team USA in 1991 and 1992. While competing in Mexico and Cuba ‘91 and in Korea ‘92, he experienced success that warranted him the honor “Player of the Series.” Now years later, Rodriguez has been able to make a different type of impact.
“It’s always different as a coach than it is [as] a player,” Coach Rodriguez said. “As a player, you just have to worry about yourself and make sure you’re doing everything you are supposed to be doing. As a coach for Team USA, it’s my job to make sure these players are prepared for international competition and all the things about the game that will come into play on the field.”
During his time as a baseball player for Pepperdine, the former second basemen experienced how best to prepare for success, and he ultimately put those lessons to work. He played a vital role in leading the school to a record well above .500 (126-51-5), and his grand slam hit against Texas in the Semi-Finals led to Pepperdine Baseball’s 1992 National Championship.
He also owns the second highest Pepperdine all-time batting average (.367), but such feats don’t overshadow the fact that Rodriguez has never stopped in his pursuit for success. Today that pursuit and drive has carried over into his coaching methodology.
Upon being asked what inspires program success, Rodriguez said he most enjoys seeing his players grow.
“Also, when players start making good choices both on and off the field, when they take responsibility for their actions and they don’t make excuses or push blame to someone else, being able to watch them mature both physically and mentally over the time I am with them. All of these things are the keys to successful programs,” Rodriguez said.
Entering his tenth year as a manager, the Pepperdine alumnus and fifth-round Boston Red Sox (92’) draft pick continues to cultivate a strong tradition of excellence both for the Team USA organization and for his alma mater.
Rodriguez says the real reward lies in “the relationships you gain as a coach and [the ability to watch] these young men go off and do amazing things with their lives. It’s awesome.”
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As published in the Sept. 12 issue of the Pepperdine Graphic.
