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7/7/01: Snow Retires ; His replacement will be Weathers

Dirtbag Baseball has not lost a beat since Mike Weathers took over in 2001, as the 49er skipper has guided The Beach to a 225-131(.632) mark in six seasons. Over that time, LBSU has reached back-to-back Super Regionals (2003, 2004), produced just the second back-to-back 40-win season in school-history (2003-04) and hosted the program’s first-ever, second and third NCAA Regionals (2003, 2005, 2007) and Super Regional (2004) at Blair Field. The Beach produced three-straight Big West Pitchers of the Years. In 17 years as a head coach Weathers has compiled a 504-411-2 (.551) record at Utah, Chapman and Long Beach State. He was named the Big West Coach of the Year in 2003. Weathers has been with the LBSU program since 1993, resulting in two College World Series, and 13 NCAA appearances.

In the summer of 2007, Weathers was the field manager for Team USA, completing a trifecta in which he played for the Americans in 1970, was an assistant during the summer of 2003 and manager in 2007. He won silver medals three times, each time to the Cubans. In 2003 and 2007 the Americans were runners-up at the Pan Am Games, while in 1970, Weathers played on the World Cup team. The 2007 team finished 25-12.

The 2007 season may have been one of his finest efforts. Not only did he win his 500th career game late in the year, but he also led a team, featuring 21 underclassmen to a 39-20 mark and second place Big West finish. This was following a 2006 campaign in which the team fell one win short of an NCAA Regional (29-27) playing the toughest schedule in the country.

In 2005, The Beach led the nation in ERA (2.53), producing the lowest ERA since 1956 as LBSU went 37-22 and hosted an NCAA Regional at Blair Field. The Dirtbags kept rolling in 2004, as they were led by National Pitcher of the Year, Jered Weaver, and went 40-21, reaching their second-straight Super Regional, after getting by Stanford in the Regional in Palo Alto. The Beach at one point were ranked No. 4 in the nation and routinely played to near capacity crowds. LBSU finished fourth in the nation in ERA and sixth in fielding percentage, and saw eight players drafted, led by Weaver (12th overall), fellow starter and 2005 Major Leaguer Jason Vargas (2nd round) and outfielder John Bowker (3rd round).

In 2003 the Dirtbags produced its first 40-win season since 1998, its first regular season Big West title since 1997 and first-ever hosted NCAA Regional at Blair Field. Weathers earned his first Big West Conference Coach of the Year honor after guiding the team to an 16-5 conference mark. The team finished the year in Palo Alto in the Super Regional, at 41-20. Statisically, the Dirtbags led the nation in fielding percentage (.980), setting a new school-record in the process, as well as ranking fifth in the nation in ERA (2.99). During the playoffs, six players were drafted, led by two second round selections-- Abe Alvarez and Todd Jennings. Alvarez and fellow All-American Jered Weaver produced a collegiate first in 2003, as the first set of teammates ever to be named co-conference Pitchers of the Year.

Following the 2003 season, Weathers joined Team USA as an assistant coach for the summer, as the team earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic, thanks in large part to the National Pitcher of the Summer, Weaver.

In his first season at the helm of LBSU baseball, The Beach went 39-21, and finished in second place in the Big West, one of the nation's toughest conferences. The 39 wins were the most for the program since the College World Series year of 1998. The Beach advanced to the Regional Finals, before being eliminated in Palo Alto. LBSU ranked amongst the nation’s leaders in both team ERA (11th-3.54) and batting average (22nd-.323) and produced eight draft picks, including second round pick, and current Mariner Jeremy Reed.

On August 1, 2001, Mike Weathers became the sixth head coach in Long Beach State history, taking over for legendary Coach Dave Snow. Weathers previously served under Snow from 1993 to 2001, the final year as the associate head coach. Weathers is a big reason why the 49ers have remained at the top of the national collegiate baseball picture. As the team’s second in command, Weathers was assigned to coordinating the 49er offense while working with the infield defense.

Before joining the 49ers, Weathers served nine years as the head baseball coach at his alma mater, Chapman College (1984-1992) and two years as the head baseball coach at the University of Utah (1980-81). He also was an associate athletics director for six years at Chapman.

Weathers led Chapman to three playoff appearances and helped facilitate the team from its change from Division-II to Division-I. Weathers turned Chapman into a national Division II contender, posting a 47-14-2 record, and an NCAA playoff berth, in his first season (1984). The Panthers were 239-241-2 (.496) in his eight years, including another NCAA playoff appearance in 1990. At Utah, the Utes went 40-39 from 1980 to 1981.

Interestingly enough, Weathers first Division-I win was against Long Beach State, while at Utah, a 14-9 triumph over the 49ers in 1980 as Utah improved to 8-3. Weathers first career win came on April 11, 1980 in the Utes second game over Grand Canyon, a 4-3 win.

Weathers is a 1971 graduate of Chapman, where he was a two-time All-American in baseball. Weathers was chosen to represent the U.S. in the World Games in South America in 1970. He was drafted by the Oakland A’s in 1971 and played as high as AAA until 1976. Weathers was in the A’s organization from 1971 to 1978 and also played in the Blue Jays system in 1977. The Toronto Blue Jays selected Weathers in the 1976 expansion draft, but then traded him back to the A’s before spring training in a multiple-player deal that included Ron Fairley. Weathers played for two more years in the Oakland organization before beginning his coaching career as an assistant at Fullerton College from 1978 to 1979. After two years at Utah, Weathers was an assistant coach at Chapman from 1982 to 1983.

Weathers’ baseball relationship with former head coach Dave Snow began when they were teammates at Cerritos College. Weathers and Snow were key players on the highly successful Falcon teams of Coach Wally Kincaid’s in the late 1960’s.

Weathers has one daughter, Jennifer, two step-daughters, Caroline and Paige, and one grandson, Cory. Mike and Charlotte Weathers reside in Irvine.

TEAM YEAR OVERALL PCT CONF
Utah 1980 17-19 .472 5-12
Utah 1981 23-20 .575 15-9
Chapman 1984 47-14-2 .746 23-7
Chapman 1985 21-30 .412 9-21
Chapman 1986 20-32 .385 12-18
Chapman 1987 26-29 .473 14-16
Chapman 1988 25-27 .481 NA
Chapman 1989 24-28 .462 12-18
Chapman 1990 32-21 .603 18-12
Chapman 1991 15-36 .294 10-20
Chapman 1992 29-24 .547 NA
LBSU (Ast) 1993-01 343-211-2 .619 2 CWS, 8 NCAAs
LBSU 2002 39-21 .650 17-7 (2nd)
LBSU 2003 41-20 .672 16-5 (1st)
LBSU 2004 40-21 .656 14-7 (2nd)
LBSU 2005 37-22 .627 14-7 (2nd)
LBSU 2006 29-27 .518 12-9 (2nd)
LBSU 2007 39-20 .661 15-6 (2nd)
Career 17 years 504-411-2 .551 206-174

 

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