SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Former University of San Diego baseball assistant coach, Rick Hirtensteiner, has been named the head coach of the Pepperdine University baseball program. Hirtensteiner, who coached at USD in the 1999 season under head coach Rich Hill, now becomes the fourth former Hill assistant coach to take on the head coaching reigns.

Hirtensteiner now joins Brian Green, head coach at New Mexico State, Eric Valenzuela, head coach at Saint Mary's, and Jay Johnson, head coach at Arizona, as former Torero assistant coaches to become head coaches.

In 1999, Hirtensteiner joined Hill's first ever Torero coaching staff, and the to put together USD's first wining season since 1994 with 28-27-1 overall record. USD posted a then team record 60 home runs, posted a season sweep over cross-town rival San Diego State, and had four Toreros taken in the Major League Baseball draft.

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