Westminster’s first year baseball coach leads the charge for a new-look field

A new baseball field is ready for the coming high school season at Westminster High School. (Photos courtesy Westminster High baseball)

Westminster High’s first-year baseball coach Craig Jones wanted to change the culture of his baseball program.

So he led the charge to totally revamp the field at Westminster High School. The field will be ready to go for next season, whenever that is.

There are plenty of additions, besides the improvements on the field, much of it made possible by fund-raising from the new baseball booster club, Jones said.

To see the slide show, please click on the first photo

“We fund-raised like crazy before the season bringing in around $15,000,” Jones said. “I used my coaching stipend for the new sod, red turf and pitching machine. It’s all my passion for Westminster baseball and I love all the kids in my program.

“So I painted everything featuring our new logo on the dugouts and our website on the scoreboard. I got all the broken equipment repaired including the golf truck, riding mower and two front throw mowers.

“I tore out the old green turf on the on-deck circle all the way around home plate and installed new red turf.  I had new sod delivered to cover up all the dead areas which were dirt before.  I dug two trenches to run two new sprinkler lines that cover the third base dugout. I built the home double bullpens and installed all new football stadium turf in our batting cage. 

“I had all the black windscreens around the field donated by one of our sponsors and built a garden for my daughter under our press platform next to the third base dugout.”

Jones said he also repainted all the bleachers and created a new office which includes a couch which was donated. Jones said he also purchased a new pitching machine.

“Westminster now has a facility comparable to other schools in my district, which was my goal,” Jones said. “I will keep improving the facility because I spent eight to 10 hours everyday at the field the last four months.” 

Jones plans to do more in the coming season, whenever that starts.

“I talk to star Westminster alumni Ryan Klesko (former Major League star who played with the Braves, Giants and Padres) all the time and I will retire his jersey number 21 this season,” he said.

Jones said he expects school and city officials to attend adding, “we are going to make the event as big as possible.”

Jones was named the head coach at Westminster in August 2019 after being the pitching coach for the program under Rodney Davis. Before that, he was the pitching coach at USC.

“I was CIF champion in 1995 at La Quinta High School in Westminster and still hold the state record for wins without a loss 15-0, and I even got the win in the OC All-star game,” he said.

Jones said he was drafted by Baltimore in the 39th round out of La Quinta but I took a full scholarship to USC. 

“After winning the national championship in 1998 at USC I signed with the Kansas City Royals in the 16th round,” he said. “In Single A I tore my Ulnar tendon which required Tommy John surgery so I retired and worked as a street police officer for 19 years before getting injured on duty and they retired me at 41 years old so I got back into baseball.”

Jones led Westminster to a 7-5 overall record this past season. The Lions were 2-2 in the Golden West League when play was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com