Fresno Pacific University Men's Baseball

Hirschkorn has coached 28 all-conference players, three conference/region pitchers of the year, two region players of the year, eight All-Americans, two national Gold Glove winners and one player who went on to reach the major leagues. In September of 2011 Chris Schwinden made his major league debut with the New York Mets after earning Mets' minor league pitcher of the year honors and making the Triple-A All-Star Game. Schwinden, who was drafted in 2008, became Fresno Pacific's first big-leaguer in the program's young but successful history. "He made the calls. He got me seen by scouts so most of the credit goes to him. I was really close to being done with baseball. I can't say enough good things about Coach Oscar and Fresno Pacific," Schwinden would say after being called up to the Mets. Five other former Sunbirds have gone on to be selected in the MLB Amateur Draft, including pitcher Jesse Darrah in the 8th round of the 2011 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks (the highest pick out of any 4-year university in the Valley that year). Many others have been signed by major league teams or other professional teams after the draft. FPU baseball made its postseason debut in just its third season as a program (2008) with Hirschkorn being named conference coach of the year. Before joining the NCAA Division II, FPU qualified for four straight NAIA Championship Opening Round appearances from 2008-2011 and was ranked in the NAIA Top-25 for four consecutive years. In 2009, in just its fourth season, the Sunbirds reached the NAIA World Series, finishing fifth in the nation. In 2014, Hirschkorn led the program to its first World Series title, being named NCCAA national coach of the year. He repeated both accolades in 2015. Prior to starting the FPU baseball program, Hirschkorn was an assistant coach at Reedley College and Caruthers High School and was a head coach at Sanger High School, where he inherited a team that had gone 4-23 the previous season. Three years later, he guided the squad to the school's first postseason appearance in 19 years. Hirschkorns playing career began at Kerman High School and took him to Reedley College, Cal Poly-SLO, and Chico State.  While at Chico State, Hirschkorn, a pitcher, ranked among the top tier in the Northern California Athletic Conference in wins and was in the starting rotation on the schools first NCAA Division II National Championship team in 1997, a year in which the team compiled a 52-11 record. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1993 and again in 1994.  Hirschkorn was named GSAC coach of the year and region coach of the year in 2008, and national coach of the year in 2014 and 2015. He holds his B.A. (1998) and M.A. (1999), both in Physical Education, from Chico State. Coach Hirschkorn and his wife Trisha have three children: Houston, Holden, and Jensen. Oscar Hirschkorn has been the head baseball coach at Fresno Pacific University since the programs inception (2006). In ten seasons he's led the program to a 319-213 all-time record, seven regional postseason appearances, three World Series appearances (NAIA and NCCAA) and back-to-back World Series championships (2014-2015). The Sunbird baseball program has built a reputation for developing top-level talent and sending it to the next level. FPU has put 12 players into the professional ranks since the program's inception, including six players selected in the MLB Amateur Draft. In ten seasons at FPU, Hirschkorn has coached 28 all-conference players, three conference/region pitchers of the year, two region players of the year, eight All-Americans, two national Gold Glove winners and one player who went on to reach the major leagues. In September of 2011 Chris Schwinden made his major league debut with the New York Mets after earning Mets' minor league pitcher of the year honors and making the Triple-A All-Star Game. Schwinden, who was drafted in 2008, became Fresno Pacific's first big-leaguer in the program's young but successful history. "He made the calls. He got me seen by scouts so most of the credit goes to him. I was really close to being done with baseball. I can't say enough good things about Coach Oscar and Fresno Pacific," Schwinden would say after being called up to the Mets. Five other former Sunbirds have gone on to be selected in the MLB Amateur Draft, including pitcher Jesse Darrah in the 8th round of the 2011 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks (the highest pick out of any 4-year university in the Valley that year). Many others have been signed by major league teams or other professional teams after the draft. FPU baseball made its postseason debut in just its third season as a program (2008) with Hirschkorn being named conference coach of the year. Before joining the NCAA Division II, FPU qualified for four straight NAIA Championship Opening Round appearances from 2008-2011 and was ranked in the NAIA Top-25 for four consecutive years. In 2009, in just its fourth season, the Sunbirds reached the NAIA World Series, finishing fifth in the nation. In 2014, Hirschkorn led the program to its first World Series title, being named NCCAA national coach of the year. He repeated both accolades in 2015. Prior to starting the FPU baseball program, Hirschkorn was an assistant coach at Reedley College and Caruthers High School and was a head coach at Sanger High School, where he inherited a team that had gone 4-23 the previous season. Three years later, he guided the squad to the school's first postseason appearance in 19 years. Hirschkorns playing career began at Kerman High School and took him to Reedley College, Cal Poly-SLO, and Chico State.  While at Chico State, Hirschkorn, a pitcher, ranked among the top tier in the Northern California Athletic Conference in wins and was in the starting rotation on the schools first NCAA Division II National Championship team in 1997, a year in which the team compiled a 52-11 record. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1993 and again in 1994.  Hirschkorn was named GSAC coach of the year and region coach of the year in 2008, and national coach of the year in 2014 and 2015. He holds his B.A. (1998) and M.A. (1999), both in Physical Education, from Chico State. Coach Hirschkorn and his wife Trisha have three children: Houston, Holden, and Jensen.