By: Krissy Hetherington
Redwood High School is known around the Central Valley for both its academic and athletic excellence. Year after year, one specific sport program continues to prove itself.
That program is Redwood Baseball led by Dan Hydash, who is going into his 9th year as head coach.
Hydash is a very decorated coach with impressive coaching records of 139-56 (W-L) overall record, 53-17 in the West Yosemite League, and 11-4 playoff record.
In 2014, 2017, and 2019, he was able to lead the teams to WYL Championships where they were named City Champions as well. Redwood brought home back-to-back Division II Central Section Championships in 2015 and 2016 and were Runner-ups in 2017.
Coach Hydash was also named the WYL Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2019 and was recognized as the Tulare County Coach of the Year in 2016.
Hydash attended Mt. Whitney High School and played Baseball and Football. After graduation he continued his athletic career as a pitcher at College of the Sequoias and started coaching shortly after.
He has been coaching for over 20 years, “That was my calling. I love what I do, I love my kids and coaches. I’ve been to a lot of schools but Redwood is by far my favorite and I told everyone when I got here this is my last high school coaching job.” His goal is to eventually coach at the college level.
So how has the program continued to produce successful seasons year after year?
There is no one answer but rather the perfect blend of talented athletes, strong discipline and expectations within the program, a supportive coaching staff, and a dedicated head coach with the desire to be not good, but great.
When Hydash came to Redwood in July 2013, the Baseball program was in Division II and had not had a winning season in a few years. He was determined to turn that around right away.
“In the Valley, being a Division I program says a lot because there are so many programs in the Central Valley from Fresno and Bakersfield that are much larger in size than we are. That was the goal so next I focused on how we would get there. We’re going to get there by doing the right things, being coachable, and take care of the little details, those are going to lead to winning championships.”
He says the same expectation goes for every season. The first goal is always to win WYL, which Redwood has done the past 3 times out of the last 6 seasons.
The final goal of every season is a Valley title. Redwood had played in the DII Valley Championship 3 years in a row winning two of them a few seasons ago. Then Redwood got moved to Division I in 2018 so this season will be Redwood’s fourth season in the new division.
Hydash added that during those four years in Division II, the team was never ranked lower than a #4 seed. In Division I, the highest Redwood has been ranked is a #7 seed so far. Rankings are based on your in-season record and level of competition which is weighed a lot heavier for Division I programs.
“This has made us schedule nothing but Division I teams to play and potentially win against since it has such a great effect on rankings for the post-season. You just can’t take games off. We usually have rosters with 18-20 kids whereas some Clovis schools are 32 kids deep. I tell my players we don’t have to play perfectly but we also can’t afford a lot of mistakes,” he says.
He adds, “You can make some mistakes in DII playoffs and still pull off a win but in DI, if you have one bad inning, the game could be over right there. That’s something we always tell the team and they’ve done nothing but embrace that DI attitude plus they get excited to compete against those schools and in playoffs because we are right there with those teams.”
Tradition built over the past 7 years has put Visalia on the map. He adds, “When you have teams from Clovis and Fresno reaching out to play you every year because you are one of the top teams in the South Valley, it’s a great compliment because it shows what we’ve built.
“We want to win with class and play the right way and when other teams notice those little details and confidence, those are some of the best accolades you can have as a team. It’s what really makes us stand out.”
32 College Recruits
Since Hydash’s first year as the head coach back in Spring of 2014, there have been 32 players who went on to play in college including one player who was drafted to the MLB in 2019.
“We preach all the time, guys that compete, have talent, and have a good work ethic are the ones that are able to go onto the next level,” Hydash says. “College is a grind and a lot of guys don’t realize that it’s like a job. It takes a great commitment and you have to want to play and have that desire. The successful ones are not only naturally talented but they want to work, they have a lot of pride, they are resilient. Everyone on your college team is probably one of the top players on their high school teams so you’re just another guy.”
Fortunately, many players who play for Redwood also play for travel teams around the area. This helps players get picked up by college recruits, keeps them stay in shape, and gives them the opportunity to play and compete during the offseason.
Especially this year, Hydash is very grateful that many players were a part of travel teams because it’s the only baseball they’ve been able to play in 10 months.
Redwood Baseball finally got the green flag to start conditioning at the end of January and Hydash was happy to get the players back together and see where each of them are at skills-wise. Preseason conditioning was a lot of “running, dynamic drills, grounding balls, hitting in the cages, catching fly balls.”
Sam Bower, ’19, spent some time after high school playing for COS’ baseball team surrounded by many former teammates. He was able to get picked up by St. Mary’s College and currently pitches for the Division I program.
He adds, “playing for Coach Hydash was practically playing for a college coach, everyday had a purpose and a routine. He made me realize that it’s not just all fun and games, it’s serious.”
Bower states that his favorite part of playing for Redwood was “My sophomore year when I got to play with my brother, probably the most fun I’ve had with that group, we were special. Also the friendships that were made over time, the program gave us a opportunity to become close to certain people we wouldn’t usually become close with.”
Jaylen Rodriguez, ’18, is a right handed pitcher at College of the Sequoias and was a part of that 2016 Valley Championship team.
He said, “Playing at Redwood really helped me get ready to play at the next level. The whole coaching staff has been around the game for a long time and they have a lot to offer for players and IO think that’s why Redwood has been known for great Baseball teams year after year. They brought out the best in us on and off the baseball field.”
His favorite part about playing in the program was “Definitely the competitiveness and fun we had at the same time. We all that that itch in us to do whatever it took to go out and win a ball game. When we got moved to DI my senior year, we were ready for the challenge and it was some of the most fun I’ve had while also playing some high level baseball.”
The current 2021 Baseball team currently has 6 players who have committed to playing collegiate baseball. 4 seniors (Diego Alvarado, Ethan Garcia, Chase Banks, and Lee Trevino), 1 junior (Daniel Parker), and 1 sophomore (Joey Volchko).
Alvarado says, “I think Coach Hydash showed me how to play baseball the right way and fundamentally which helps as the college game speed is much quicker pace.”
Garcia adds, “I feel ready to play at the next level and I can thank the coaching staff for Redwood Baseball for preparing me for collegiate baseball. I am expecting to come together as a team and put up good numbers with all of the talent that we have and the chemistry that we have as a team
The team everyone wants to be a part of
Being the biggest school in Visalia comes with its advantage of having a greater pool to choose from when creating teams each season.
“When you have success, you have a lot of athletes who want to be a part of what you’re doing.”
Hydash says “The worst part of the job is having to cut kids because everyone who comes out wants to play and usually has put in a lot of time and energy into trying to play at the high school level but we can’t keep everybody.”
“It’s a good problem to have and I rather that be an issue than having to go out and recruit players to join the team,” he adds.
By having a Freshman, JV, and Varsity team, Hydash says it allows them to keep about 20 more kids in the program than most schools who only have a JV and Varsity level. But it does make it hard to find schools in the area with Freshman teams to play against.
He says, “We’ve put a lot of work in on and off the field, we’re set apart because if you talk about Visalia Baseball, Redwood is talked about the place you want to be. You’ll play against great competition, alongside great players, and coached by talented and smart coaches. You have a great amount of opportunity to move on to the next level and it’s our job to uphold that as long as we can.”
Typically, other schools will have a good season here and there with a talented bunch but something that stands out about Redwood is their consistency to have a good team each and every year.
“It’s not easy to do, you can have great talented players but they have to come ready to play every day. When you are routinely a really good team, other teams play you and want to beat you. Every inning counts. It’s a good problem to have I rather be the team everyone is chasing than the team doing the chasing,” says Hydash.
Team leaders lead to successful seasons
What a captain looks like: lead by example, do things the right way, be a good teammate on and off the field, know they are judged by all players on how they carry themselves in the highs and lows of the game, set the standard for the future captains on the team.
“Everytime we’ve had a successful season, it starts with the captains. We have to realize we are dealing with athletes from age 14 through 18 and I’m proud of the coaching staff I’ve put together across all levels but they can only do so much. But when peers and teammates are showcasing what they need to be doing and holding each other accountable, that is huge. The leadership sets the tone for the whole program.”
“We’ve had a lot of players who have played together since they were 8 or 9 years old. They are truly good friends outside baseball as well. And even though who aren’t when it comes to practices, games, and team bonding they all just come together. It’s important because when players get along they will want to follow, listen, and work hard for each other.”
The Redwood Baseball Booster’s Club has played a huge role in the sense of communitynwithin the team. Not only have they been able to provide the team with better practice equipment but also fud team bonding experiences such as minor league baseball games, taco trucks, and team meals across all levels.
Hydash says, “bonding is the most positive thing that the Booster’s Club could provide the team.”
This year, the team is lead by 3 senior captains who have also signed to further their academic and baseball careers. Oregon State commit, Diego Alvarado, ’21, who “is a hard worker and leader by example and expects excellence from himself. Dominguez Hills commit, Lee Trevino, ’21, who “plays the game the right way and is a natural leader, has worked hard to be the player he has become.” And Long Beach State commit, Ethan Garcia, ’21 who is “the leader on the pitching staff, has worked extremely hard to fine-tune his pitching mechanics and has set a positive example for the team regarding working hard.”
“Program, team, self”
That is the motto and expectation Hydash has set for the Redwood Baseball Program which he hopes will be the same structure that follows players past high school too.
Program, it’s the number one priority to Hydash and the players based on coaching decisions and the work put in by the athletes.
Team means “whatever you can do to help your teammates be successful and how to benefit the team as a whole.”
“We want them to have individual success but the main reason why we want that is to grow for the good of the team and ultimately the program as a whole. One of the most important things is to just be coachable and a good teammate and person overall.”
Hydash continues to say there are hardly any issues with students in the classroom because they know the expectations and know that in order to be a part of the program, players have to do things the right way. It’s something he’s always been proud of for the past 9 years at Redwood.
He adds, “The reason why you coach is honestly for those relationships with the players. It’s fun to win and it’s an awesome feat but I think we’ve done a great job of putting coaches in the position to communicate and get everyone on the same page, everybody knows their role. Communication is key to have such a cohesive program that’s like a family. Continuity, we haven’t had much overturn in coaching since I’ve been here and that familiarity builds well for trust, respect, and expectations over the four years of a player’s time in the program.”
Last season, the team was 2-7 going into League play before COVID canceled the remainder of the season.
On behalf of the 2021 season, Hydash says, “Firstly, we are extremely excited to get the opportunity to play. Even though we haven’t competed as a team in over a year, our expectations haven’t changed. Our goal is to defend our WYL championship and to win a D1 Valley Championship. We set high goals every year and put the work in to compete at a high-level year-in and year-out.”
He added, “I think every coach talks to the players and tells them to make sure they appreciate everything right now because high school doesn’t last forever and this year really showed us how easily things can be taken away from us. I think it will transfer over into a lot of dedication from the players even more than they’ve shown in the past.
Redwood has their first official game at home on Saturday at 1pm against Reedley High School. The VUSD has officially allowed one spectator per athlete to attend the game. Stay tuned for a recap of the game that will be published this weekend.
Running list of athletes who went on to play in college:
Corey Davis-COS/Sterling College (2014)
Jacob Labogin-COS (2014)
Nathan Keavy-Loyola Marymount University (2014)
Jon Mascorro-Santa Barbara CC (2014)
Joey Sierra-Butte College (2015)
Eric Charles-Palomar/Bakersfield State University (2015)
Rickie Garcia-FPU/FCC/Antelope Valley University (2015)
Kameron Trevino-FPU (2016)
Josue Mendivil-FPU (2016)
Mikey Saldana-William Jessup University (2016)
Jace Chamberlin-Cal State Fullerton/FCC (2017)
Parker Cantrell-FPU (2017)
Chris Gonzalez-COS/Sacramento State (2017)
Vincent Pratti-COS/Point University (2017)
Vincent Cervantes-Simpson University (2017)
Elijah Munoz-Monterey Bay University/COS (2018)
Mitch Silvas-Reedley College/FPU (2018)
Isaac Gonzalez-COS/FPU (2018)
Jaylen Rodriguez-COS (2018)
Donte Valdez-COS (2018)
Davis Beavers-COS (2018)
Jacobe Vargas-Porterville CC (2018)
Hunter Bryan-Texas Rangers (2019)
Bronson Chamberlin-FCC (2019)
Sam Bower-COS/Saint Mary’s (2019)
Cam Gallardo-Reedley College (2019)
Diego Alvarado-Oregon State University (2021)
Chase Banks-Willamette University (2021)
Ethan Garcia-Long Beach State (2021)
Lee Trevino-Dominguez Hills (2021)
Daniel Parker-Washington State (2022)
Joey Volchko-Stanford (2023)