Aptos High taps Jason Biancardi as baseball coach – Santa Cruz Sentinel – Santa Cruz Sentinel

Jason Biancardi was ecstatic to be awarded his first high school baseball coaching position Tuesday. The fact that it’ll be for Aptos, his alma mater, makes it an even more joyous undertaking.

The former Mariners and Cabrillo College infielder — one of four siblings who graduated from the Aptos — takes over a program that graduated just one senior from a 6-20 team last season.

“I feel great,” said Biancardi, an excitable 32-year-old. “I want to bring my energetic attitude to the field. … I want to get out there and build a respectable program that Aptos usually has. At the same time, I want to compete right away.”

Biancardi replaces Dave Heinevetter, who stepped down after 11 seasons with the program, including six as the varsity head coach.

Aptos is a three-time Central Coast Section playoffs finalist. Biancardi, who played second base as a junior and shortstop as a senior, helped the Mariners reach the postseason in 2000 and 2001 under then-coach David White. He batted .346 as a senior, while his twin brother Jeremy led all Santa Cruz County hitters with a .473 batting average.

“We’re a young team, but I also know we have talent as well,” Biancardi said. “I want the kids to play hard, and I want the kids to play disciplined. But I also want them to be loose, as well. It should be fun.”

Biancardi also played two seasons for Rich Weidinger at Cabrillo.

Biancardi was informed of Aptos’ opening by former Mariners teammate and current professional Tyler LaTorre, who has played minor league baseball since 2006. Biancardi applied the following day.

Biancardi has many fans and some of them are his former teammates, like current New York Mets relief pitcher Carlos Torres, also an Aptos alum.

“I felt like he was a hard worker,” Torres wrote in a text message Tuesday evening, “one of those guys who came to work no matter what his role was on game day. He did everything he could in practice to put himself in the position to succeed, no matter what that role was. A true team guy.”

Like most coaches in the area, Biancardi said the calling card for success is pitching and defense. He hopes to have two varsity assistants and two or three junior varsity coaches. He also wants to see player turnout increase so that Aptos can have a freshman team again, which will help develop arms.

Biancardi has coached youth players for Rawhide Baseball Group and has given pitching and hitting lessons to younger players on the side.

“I couldn’t be more excited for Jason and the Aptos High baseball program,” LaTorre wrote in a text. “I’ve played and coached with Jason, and he has such a passion for baseball and teaching youth. Aptos High has a storied baseball history and I hope for more great things to come with Jason at the helm. With the caliber of baseball being played in the Aptos community, I look forward to seeing Jason develop great student-athletes for years to come.”

So does Aptos athletic director Mark Dorfman.

“He’s a great guy from a great Aptos family (I coached him and all of his brothers at one time or another), full of enthusiasm, passion, and baseball knowledge,” Dorfman wrote in an email announcing the hiring.

Biancardi said several friends have already reached out to offer help. He also plans to utilize several local talents unable to give a full-time commitment, including LaTorre, former minor leaguer Kevin Eichhorn and Dave Anderson, father of Aptos alum and current minor leaguer Kyle Anderson.

He also hopes his youngest brother, Andrew, a four-year player at Santa Clara University, will help out when he’s free.

Contact Jim Seimas at 831-706-3256.