Softball: OCC names Jim Bollinger as new softball coach

COSTA MESA - Orange Coast College named Jim Bollinger, a former

assistant with the Pirates, as its new softball coach on Thursday.

Bollinger replaces Rick Buonarigo, the former Costa Mesa High coach

who resigned after three seasons at OCC. Bollinger was an assistant with

OCC for five years before he left for Villa Park High in January.

Bollinger’s Spartans finished third last season in the Century League

and reached the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs. Bollinger

also coaches several traveling team and was an assistant for Mater Dei

High’s softball team. His daughter, Tia, was the Gatorade National High

School softball player of the year at Mater Dei as a pitcher last season.

He takes over a Pirates’ team that finished the 2000 season with a

17-25 record that has all but two starters returning.

Among OCC’s likely returner is All-State outfielder Kristen Degree,

who set the school record for the highest batting average in a season and

tied the school mark for stolen bases in a season.