By Ryan Leon, Sept. 3, 2024
Cal Poly Pomona’s baseball program announced the promotion of Bronco alumnus Anthony Mizrahi from program associate to assistant coach for the upcoming season.
Mizrahi was a relief pitcher for the Broncos baseball team from 2017-2019. He appeared at the mound in 23 games, throwing 2.1 innings and accounted for 18 strike outs for a 1-1 record.
With years of experience as a student-athlete and coaching under his belt, Mizrahi adds another layer of expertise to the Bronco baseball’s coaching staff.
Head coach Randy Betten said that he recognizes that Mizrahi’s familiarity with CPP and his knowledge of the game will benefit their team.
“He sat in those seats,” said Betten. “That’s what I told the team on the first day. I wanted to make sure we had alumni on staff that could really relate to the kids on a day-to-day (basis) of what it’s like. He understands what it takes, and I just think he’s going to help continue that with the players.”
As an assistant coach Mizrahi intends to foster individual and team success and emphasizing the importance of performing in academics for his student-athletes. Mizrahi said that his goal is to improve his players on the field while pushing them to succeed.
“When it comes to goals, it’s to graduate as many players as possible,” said Mizrahi. “Sure, we want everyone to play 10 years, 20 years in the bigs. That’s incredible. But when you have that degree to fall back on, especially from such an amazing university like CPP, that’s really the ultimate goal.”
A relationship between coaches and their players is vital for a comfortable learning environment and establishing trust.
Catcher Johnny Pappas experiences first-hand what it’s like to have a player-coach relationship with Mizrahi.
“He gave me the ability to play without stress knowing that I have guys in my corner who have been there,” said Pappas. “I may not know what’s going on, but they know what’s going on, and if I have anything I’m unsure about, I can go ask Mizrahi.”
Mizrahi aims to contribute to CPP’s baseball program through his drive to make his players better individuals on and off the field, providing a promising future for new student-athletes joining the program.
Pappas said that his relationship with Mizrahi allows him to see out how integral he is to this team. Beyond daily activities, Pappas’ respect and admiration for Mizrahi’s proves his ability to lead a team.
“He would stay and grind his butt off for us even though, maybe for his life at that moment financially or in any other circumstance, it may not have been the smart decision, but all that extra hustle, the extra-long days, doing it because you love it, has now really paid off for him,” said Papas. “I’m genuinely proud of him because I know he’s wanted this for so long. It could have been so easy for him to walk, and he never did. I’m just so pumped up to see all the great things he’s gonna provide to our team now.”
Moments like this highlight the importance of having a strong and capable coach on staff to ensure team success. While he is just starting his assistant coach position, Mizrahi has already impacted the program as a program associate.
He joined the CPP baseball staff in 2020, helping the Broncos to an overall record of 109-74 and three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
Mizrahi said he couldn’t be happier about his new role in the program as an assistant coach. His past experiences with coaches and players have fueled his excitement about this upcoming season.
“There’s no place I’d rather be,” said Mizrahi. “From the top down, it’s a unique, special place that people don’t truly get to understand until they’re a part of it. We can tell stories about it, but until you really get to live the green and gold, it’s really different, the kind of care that everyone gives.”
Photos courtesy of CPP Athletics
