Deck steps up as new Agoura baseball coach

By John Loesing Acorn Staff Writer

WILL COACH AT AHS--Scott Deck is the new varsity baseball coach of the Agoura Chargers.

Scott Deck, an assistant coach for Thousand Oaks’ Southern Section Division II championship team last season, is the new head baseball coach at Agoura High.

Deck, 29, replaces Zach Miller, who moved to Las Vegas.

"We really liked his enthusiasm to work with the kids and we followed the success he had at Thousand Oaks with last year’s team," said Jason Rosenthal, Agoura athletic director.

"We had five great candidates and it was a tough choice. I think in the long run this will be the best fit for him and the school," Rosenthal said.

Deck spent three seasons as the top assistant coach at Westmont College in Santa Barbara before moving to Thousand Oaks, his current home.

His duties at Agoura High will include special education teaching.

Deck was a three-sport letterman at Clovis High School in Fresno and went on to earn two-time Central Valley Player of the Year honors at Fresno City College. He completed his degree at Westmont where he was second-team Golden State Conference in baseball.

Deck later played minor league ball in Canada.

He said he became an offensive-minded coach while working with the hitters at Westmont, but learned to broaden his tactics during his one season at Thousand Oaks.

"The hitting aspect is more my expertise, but after coaching at Thousand Oaks last year, I realized that your pitching and defense is going to win you championships," Deck said. "I want my pitching and my defense to be solid and consistent. The hitting is going to come around, I have no problem with that."

J.T. Trelatsky, one of the Marmonte League’s top throwers, will anchor Deck’s pitching staff at Agoura. The team also returns stars Jonathan Fersht and Grant Hirnese.

Deck said he’s anxious to meet with the team and establish his ground rules.

"The No. 1 rule is we’re going to hustle all over the field and we’re going to work hard," he said.

"My main goal is to do the little things right, hit and run, moving the guy over, doing the things right to help your team win games. Guys are going to be asked to be selfless and work toward one common goal of playing in Anaheim in the final game (of the California Interscholastic Federation).

Miller, a popular coach at the high school since 2000, was honored by the Agoura players at last week’s Agoura Hills City Council meeting.

"This was a complete family effort and one of the best cities to live in," Miller told his audience. "I’m just moving on to another page."

•Agoura High announced Justin Litvak will be the new boys’ water polo coach this year, replacing Jason Rosenthal, who’s now athletic director.

Litvak played four years under Rosenthal and graduated from Agoura in 1998.

The boys’ team won the Marmonte League last year and advanced to the playoff quarterfi-nals.

Rosenthal will remain as the girls’ water polo coach.