Prep baseball: Deats resigns at Estancia

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - The embattled Estancia High baseball program, which,

down to 19 players, recently made the decision to abandon plans for a

lower-level team, has lost varsity coach Doug Deats, who told the players

of his resignation Thursday, effective immediately.

“It’s a sad day for Estancia and an extremely sad day in my life,”

Estancia Boys Athletic Director Tim Parsel said. “Doug said he had some

personal conflicts that just kept mounting up that would prevent him from

continuing. He resigned (Wednesday) and I tried to talk him out of it for

an hour (Wednesday). Myself and (Principal) Tom Antal tried again

(Thursday) to change his mind.”

Parsel said C.K. Green, a 20-year-old walk-on frosh-soph coach, will

finish the season as varsity coach. Green, a two-time All-Pacific Coast

League infielder, was All-Newport-Mesa District as an Estancia senior in

2000, Deats’ first year at the helm. Parsel said Green earned praise from

parents after guiding the frosh-soph team last season.

Mark Hauser, a walk-on varsity assistant whose son, Jeremy, is a

sophomore on the team, will continue to work with Green.

It’s the second time in five seasons the Eagles have lost their coach

early in the season. Joe McKittrick resigned one game into the 98

campaign and was replaced by Tim Green, C.K.’s father.

Tim Green returned as coach in 2000, but resigned after the season and

was replaced by Deats, a former coach at Costa Mesa High (1994-97), who

still teaches at his alma mater. Deats, who led Mesa to its first

back-to-back CIF Southern Section playoff appearances in 34 years

(1995-96), was hired to breathe life into a once-proud Estancia program

that had not made the playoffs in five, now seven, seasons.The Eagles

went 9-14, 2-10 in the PCL his first year, after which Deats was named

Newport-Mesa District Coach of the Year.

Deats repeated that honor after last season, in which the Eagles

finished 6-18, 3-12 in league and won the perpetual Paul Troxel Trophy

after winning 2 of 3 games against crosstown rival Costa Mesa.

Deats’ resignation caught Estancia players, coaches and administrators

completely off guard,” Parsel said.

“We were just shocked,” said Parsel, who admitted he had to talk Deats

into returning this season. “In their three games this year, they had a

9-9 tie (Tuesday) and a one-run loss. I felt they were making good

progress. Doug is an excellent teacher of the game and I think his team

was battling. I think the kids were shocked. There was no indication this

would happen and, in fact, people I talked to said he was in a great mood

after Tuesday’s game.”

Deats, unavailable for comment Thursday, said recently the inability

to attract committed athletes to the program was beginning to wear on

him. He was also devastated by the loss of returning standout Jordan

Hart, who was deemed academically ineligible for this, his senior season,

forcing the Eagles to scramble to find a replacement for the estimated 75

pitching innings Hart was expected to log.

Deats was also annoyed by a parent’s recent criticism of the state of

the Estancia field, which Deats had worked hard to improve since taking

over.

The Eagles (0-2-1) close out consolation play in the Newport Elks

Tournament Saturday at 2 p.m. against visiting Rancho Alamitos.

It’s also the fourth time in the last five seasons the Eagles have

lost a varsity head coach in football, basketball and baseball, without

finishing out the season.

Roy Scaffidi, hired to coach football in March of 1998, resigned two

months later before ever holding a practice.

The basketball program was embarrassed by the rapid departure of Rick

Cook, who resigned the first week of his tenure after being hired late in

the 2000 school year.