HILLTOP COACH MENTORED MANY

A day after the tournament he started crowned its 40th champion, former Hilltop High baseball coach John Baumgarten died after a short battle with stomach cancer. He was 80.

Baumagarten died in his sleep Sunday, the day after Granite Hills won the Hilltop Tournament and just weeks after former University of San Diego High coach Dick Serrano, Baumgarten’s best friend since second grade, passed away.

“I’m 100 percent sure that Dick Serrano is waiting for Baum with open arms,” said former USD baseball coach John Cunningham.

Baumgarten and Serrano played together at St. Augustine High. Serrano went on to play at San Diego State while Baumgarten played for Cunningham at USD.

Baumgarten posted a 407-209 record in 29 years as baseball coach at Hilltop (1965-2002), winning three CIF championships (1979, 1983, 1985) in five appearances in the finals.

The 1979 championship game went 17 innings before Hilltop edged Vista 3-1.

Baumgarten’s teams won seven league titles and sent five players to the major leagues — Tommy Hinzo, Mike Jacobs, Rob Natal, Todd Pratt and Jose Silva.

“Baum and Serrano were freshmen at Saints when I was a senior there,” Cunningham said. “When I got the USD baseball job, Baum was the captain and MVP of my 1964 team.

“He was an amazing man. Not only was he a great coach, but he was a master woodworker. He could make anything with his hands.

“He built the dugouts and the structures at Hilltop, and all the schools in the South Bay got better because they had to try and match what Baum was doing.

“He was indestructible and had an amazing impact on his players.”

One of those players is current Hilltop coach Kurt Gritts, who recently won his 300th game as head coach of the Lancers.

“Not only did we lose a great coach, we lost a great man,” Gritts