SBCC’s Aspegren takes job at Appalachian St.

Justin Aspegren, the pitching coach for the SBCC baseball team the last eight years, has accepted the pitching coach position at Appalachian State, an NCAA Division 1 school in Boone, N.C.

A former pitcher at SBCC and UCSB, Aspegren joined the Vaqueros in 2008 and molded the pitching staff into one of the best in California. The Vaqueros won three Western State Conference titles in the last five years and set a new school record this past season with the second-best ERA in the state (2.21).

SBCC reached the Southern Cal Regional the last five seasons and advanced to the Sectionals the last two years, finishing fifth in the state each time. The Vaqueros went 33-11 in 2015, posting the second-best record in school history.

“I have basically learned everything I know in my eight years at SBCC,” said Aspegren. “Learning under three different head coaches, all of whom gave me complete autonomy with the pitching staff, has been the best experience imaginable. Teddy Warrecker, Ryan Thompson, and Jeff Walker all gave me lots of responsibility and trust, and as a young assistant it’s difficult to ask for much more than that.  I can’t thank them enough because they’re the ones that are responsible for my move.”

Aspegren, who also was Associate Head Coach at SBCC, mentored four WSC Pitchers of the Year – Bryce Uhrig (2008), Zak Edgington (2010), Chris Joyce (2011) and Tyler Gilbert (2013). He’s coached 32 All-WSC pitchers, with six being named All-Southern California and two getting All-American honors.