California: Saints coach an advocate for San Diego Lions Tournament
St. Augustine’s da Luz has competed both as a player and a coach in nation’s largest prep baseball tourney.
Friday, March 26, 2010
By: Bill Dickens
MaxPreps.com
Craig da Luz of St. Augustine (San Diego, Calif.) has seen the San Diego Lions High School Baseball Tournament from both sides now.
As a player in the early 1990s, da Luz did every thing but lose. Fact is, he and his St. Augustine Saints teammates mostly won. That included 1992 and 1993 when the Saints swept to the Class A championship of the Lions Tournament.
The driving force behind the Saints’ surge those days was da Luz, who was the Harbor League MVP, an All-State infielder and a two-time All-San Diego Section pick.
da Luz recalls some of his fondest memories of playing in the Lions Tournament nearly 20 years ago included the tremendous mix in competition.
“I enjoyed playing against all the out-of-state teams,” he said. “It wasn’t a case that they were all so good, but more a case of a chance for us to see new faces and a different style of play. Basically, it was something more to shoot for.”
Da Luz noted that the Saints were more than ready to handle the visitors.
“I’m not sure we lost a single game to an out-of-state team,” he said.
Some parents and players believe a spring recess get-away would be more beneficial to the ballclub. There are plenty of tournaments in Las Vegas, Arizona and La Vegas.
Are these tournaments built around vacations? da Luz believes baseball comes first – period.
Thus leaving San Diego to stroke slot machines is not part of da Luz’s agenda.
“If you want to go on vacation go ahead . . . everybody deserves to do that,” da Luz said. “But at this time of year, baseball comes first. It’s a short season and we need to play as much as we can.”
“I can’t see any advantage of doing that,” the coach said of spring tournament travel. “The Lions Tournament brings the best in here to play us.”
While da Luz was a player at St. Augustine, the Saints reached the San Diego CIF Division 2A finals before losing to Mission Bay (San Diego, Calif.) 6-0 in 1992 and then falling to La Jolla (La Jolla, Calif.) 4-3 in 1993.
“That was disappointing to be sure,” da Luz admitted. “But overall, we had some great years and playing in the Lions Tournament was a big part of it.”
da Luz’s career as a player continued on to the college baseball field where he performed for Fresno State.
Upon conclusion of college, da Luz was drafted in the 26th round by the Detroit Tigers and played four years in the organization’s minor league system. At that point he tested his wings as a high school coach at his alma mater.
He spent four seasons under the tutelage of veteran St. Augustine skipper Mike Stephenson before taking the reins in 2009.
“I like what goes on here at St. Augustine, so I cannot see any reason for leaving,” da Luz said.
da Luz is a member of the Saints Athletic Hall of Fame.
