Getting to know Jesse Zepeda
6/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 14, 2011
1. Can you detail your coaching path to Long Beach State? After my playing career, I spent seven years at Cal Poly from 2004-10, under Coach Larry Lee, working primarily as the hitting instructor. I had some success there, and really learned on the job. That was my first official coaching situation. We made the Regionals in 2009, and we had two Big West Players of the Year in Kyle Blumenthal and Grant Desme, as well as two straight Big West Freshman Players of the Year in my last two years there with Matt Jensen and Mitch Haniger. As to how I ended up at Long Beach State, when I took over as the recruiting coordinator at Cal Poly, Coach Buckley was working as the recruiting coordinator here, so my professional relationship began with Coach Buckley as we were recruiting in the same circles, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to come here when he was hired as the head coach.
2. Beyond winning a championship, what are your goals for the upcoming season? I think we had some good things happen this last season that we need to build on. Outside of wins and losses, what we really want to focus on is working to compete through every pitch. We want to create, or get back, to the culture that was here until the last few years, whichever way you want to look at it. Having Coach Buckley here for that is important, since he was here, and he gets it. We want to reinforce the Dirtbags idea of a constant work ethic, of not having anything handed to you, and not stopping until you have done your best. Once you have that, everything else just falls into place.
3. Who is an exciting new player we will see on your team next season? Richard Prigitano is a guy that we're all looking forward to seeing in a Dirtbags uniform. He was rated by Baseball America as a Top 200 draft prospect, as well as the No. 12 prospect in Northern California. He's 6'3", 195 pounds, out of St. Francis High School, and he's just an explosive physical player. He has the ability to play in the outfield in the corners or at first base, and just has raw power, which is really what made the scouts perk up and take notice. I've seen him play a lot and his approach, setup and technique are definitely very advanced for a player just coming out of high school. We're very excited, he's a player that should be able to step in and help us right away.
4. What is your recruiting philosophy? One thing that I think always comes first is to make sure we get the right player, not always the best player. The team always comes first, and to maintain that, you really have to get the right kind of guy, somebody that really buys into that. Here at Long Beach State, with our success at the next level, we have a deserved reputation as a place to develop players, but we're also looking for players that can grind it out and do what it takes to win games, win the Big West, and compete for national championships. We do a lot of talking to high school coaches just for that, because it's not just the talent, it's about the makeup.
With that said, considering our tradition here at Long Beach State, there's an excitement and credibility that comes with that, and we're going to go after the high-end, top-notch players that are looking to compete at the highest level.
5. How important are the summer months to the development of your team? For our current players, it's really important for them to play summer ball, figure out things out on their own. For example, the guys this year, we had so many new players, and there is a transition period coming from high school to Division I. So after both some success and some struggles, you can put that experience and what you learned about it to good use, and guys come back with a lot of continued development by getting the chance to keep working on their own.
For baseball, recruiting in the summer, it's a huge deal. It's a competitive time for us. You're always looking to fill some immediate needs, and find players to help us out down the road. Every year, you're trying to get better than the year before. We feel like we were successful with that in the class that came in for 2011, and now we're trying to do that with the 2012 class.
6. If someone asked you for a recommendation where to eat in the Long Beach area, where would you send them and what would you tell them to order? Oh man, I don't know, I haven't been here that long! If you're up in San Luis Obispo, go to the Firestone Grill without a doubt. Get the tri-tip sandwiches. Too many good places here to pick one.
7. Outside of coaching and sports, what are your hobbies? I really like to get out and barbeque. If I have time to do it I really enjoy that.
8. If you had a weekend off during the season and you weren't allowed to work, what would you do with the free time? I'd spend extra time with my family, and go see whatever my son is doing that season, basketball, football, whatever it is at that time. I would really enjoy getting a chance to see some of the things that I miss.
9. What vacation spot has been your favorite to visit? Any time we would take some time off, we go to Newport Beach or San Diego. I know that's kind of boring, but that's what we do.
10. Dodgers or Angels, and why? I'd say the Angels; I really like the way that they play, Mike Scoscia's style of play. Plus, where I grew up, people were either Giants fans or Dodgers fans; my Dad was a big Willie Mays and Giants fan, so I had to hate the Dodgers.
