Mesa names coach

Lori Esparza, a former collegiate player, takes over as Mustangs’ softball coach. Former coach to stay on as assistant.Costa Mesa High, which did not reach the CIF Southern Section playoffs last year in softball, has named Lori Esparza its new varsity softball coach.

Esparza takes over for Costa Mesa girls’ athletic director Sharon Uhl, who was the school’s softball coach the last two years.

Uhl said she decided to step down because being the girls’ athletic director, bringing up two kids and teaching five classes keeps her plate more than full. Uhl led Costa Mesa to a 12-10 record last season, 6-6 in the Golden West League.

Uhl said she would remain with the program as an assistant coach to help with the transition.

Esparza, who is a middle school counselor at Costa Mesa, comes from a softball family. Her mother coached on the community college level for 10 years, including Napa Valley College and Palomar College.

“I was born with a softball in my hand,” Esparza said.

Esparza played NCAA Division II softball at UC Davis, graduating from there in 2003. After coaching youth softball, she was the head coach at Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego last year, where her junior varsity team won 75% of its games.

Esparza said she is looking forward to leading Costa Mesa.

“I’m very excited, we have a lot of potential and a lot of talent,” she said. “I think the team can go very far.”200602106P1NR8PUNo Caption