High School Baseball: Pajaro Valley names Matt Manfre, 23, its coach – Santa Cruz Sentinel

Twenty-three-year-old Matt Manfre was named Pajaro Valley High’s baseball coach Friday, ending the school’s three-month search and making him the youngest head coach in Santa Cruz County.

Manfre, a former player at Aptos High and Sonoma State, replaces Charles Johnson, a resource officer at P.V. who stepped down because of a work conflict.

The first day of practice for all spring sports in the Central Coast Section began Monday. Manfre worked his first practice Friday.

“The kids were excited,” said Manfre, a 6-foot-6 former pitcher. “The kids were very into it and that fired me up. I want the kids buying in, that’s what it’s all about for me.”

Manfre, a communications major, completed his senior season with Sonoma State last spring.

A lifelong baseball player, Manfre landed a job in Healdsburg after college, but he returned home to Watsonville to be closer to family and friends. After reading about P.V.’s need for a coach in the Sentinel, Manfre quickly applied to Joe Manfre, the school’s athletic director and Matt’s cousin.

“I love baseball and I help him out,” Manfre said. “My goal is to give them all fundamentals, things that I learned, and structure, being on time and working hard, and help set a foundation for P.V. “

The Grizzlies produced the best season in Johnson’s three years as coach in 2015, going 6-19 overall, 0-18 in the Monterey Bay League Pacific Division.

“We’re excited,” Joe Manfre said. “Matt’s young and he has a lot of energy and enthusiasm. One of his biggest things this year is teaching the kids fundamental baseball, which they needed.”

While P.V. marks Manfre’s first coaching position, he said he picked up valuable experience running youth camps with teammates for the Seawolves and plans to implement drills he acquired while playing for Dave Heinevetter at Aptos and John Goelz, a 1,000-game winner, at Sonoma State.

“I wish this happened a long time ago,” Grizzlies player Jarred Chappell said. “P.V. has a young coach that just got out of baseball. We have a lot of newcomers. He taught us a lot in just one day. I’m pretty excited and the team is excited to work with him, too. I’m hoping we have a good season. My goal is to have fun and do what you can to make it better.”

While P.V. doesn’t have a junior varsity team, Manfre’s varsity staff has already filled out. Alex Valenzuela has offered to serve as a full-time assistant and Joe Manfre, an assistant last season, and Johnson plan to help when their work schedules permit.

As a player, Manfre helped the Seawolves win the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in 2013 and ’14 to advance to the NCAA Division II Regionals. The Seawolves won the CCAA regular-season crown in ’13.

At Aptos, he and the Mariners took second to champion Scotts Valley in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League in 2010 and advanced to the CCS quarterfinals.

Contact Jim Seimas at 831-706-3256.