Sept. 18, 2001
San Diego - San Diego State head baseball coach Jim Dietz has been selected for induction into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame. He is one of five prep and collegiate coaches who will be honored at the annual ABCA Hall of Fame/Coach of the Year Banquet at the national convention in Orlando, Florida, on January 4, 2002.
The 63-year-old Dietz will enter his 31st and final year as coach of the SDSU Aztecs next spring, having announced his retirement effective at the conclusion San Diego State's 2002 season. He is only the third head baseball coach in SDSU history since the sport was elevated to varsity status in 1936. He currently ranks seventh among active coaches in victories with a career record of 1188-727-18 (.619).
During his Aztec coaching career, Dietz has won six Western Athletic Conference Division titles, three WAC regular season championships, three WAC Tournaments and one Mountain West Conference crown. He has taken the Aztecs to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to the Regional final on two occasions (1984 and 1990).
Among his honors and awards are Region VII Coach of the Year (1990) and Western Athletic Coach of the Year (1986 and 1994). He received Collegiate Baseball's 1983 Super Star Award for outstanding effort and achievement in the field of amateur baseball. The City Club of San Diego also honored Dietz as a Citizen of the Year in 1994.
During the 1970s, he became one of the most successful summer league coaches in history, spending seven years with the Fairbanks Goldpanners of the Alaska League. He compiled a 348-151 record there, taking each of his teams to the NBC National Finals and winning four national summer championships. He was named the NBC coach of the Decade for his work with the Goldpanners.
A native of Eugene, Oregon, Dietz coached high school baseball in his home state and also served as the freshman and jayvee baseball coach and freshman basketball coach at the University of Oregon prior to arriving at San Diego State in 1972.
Among the players he has coached at SDSU are Bud Black, Mark Grace, Tony Gwynn, Travis Lee, Bobby Meacham and Dave Smith. Six of his former athletes are currently playing in the major leagues.
Joining Dietz in this year's class of ABCA Hall of Fame inductees are Bill Holowaty (Eastern Connecticut), Harlow Parker (Poly Prep Country Day School - Brooklyn, NY), Gary Grob (Winona State) and Jack Smitheran (UC Riverside).