Thousand Oaks names Frank Mutz its new head baseball coach

By Steve Ames

Special to the Acorn

Frank Mutz As Frank Mutz takes the reins as head baseball coach at Thousand Oaks High, he doesn’t expect to waste any time getting the Lancers back in the postseason.

“My greatest desire is to get to the playoffs in our first year and be competitive in the first year,” Mutz said. “And I think that’s realistic.”

The former Oaks Christian head baseball coach and T.O. resident replaces Rod Stillwell, who stepped down voluntarily from the job. Stillwell has been named the Lancer golf coach and will continue teaching at TOHS.

“What’s interesting about this program is that it’s not far from (the playoffs),” he said. “It’s not like we’re taking over a losing program. I’m taking over a very successful program.”

The Lancers will field a team that will include 11 returning players and six seniors. The seniors are outfielder Jeff Briones, outfielder Ian Brown, pitcher Adrian Glenn, outfielder/catcher Cole Kahle, first baseman/outfielder Michael Ricatto and pitcher Marcus Whithorne.

Thousand Oaks completed the ’05 season with a 13-11 overall record and a disappointing fifthplace finish in league.

Mutz, 40, was Oaks Christian’s first baseball coach when the program was created in 2001. He was at the helm for four seasons before resigning last year.

During his tenure with Lions Mutz’s teams compiled a 68-23 record with Frontier League championships in 2003 and 2004. The Lions lost in the first round of playoffs ’02, ’03 and ’04.

Mutz, an ‘83 graduate of Granada Hills High was a shortstop and catcher in high school before making a switch to the mound in college. In addition to spending several years in th minors, Mutz even saw some professional action as a replacement player for the Oakland Athletics during the 1994 strike.

The new coach has served as a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos. He also has managed in the Alaskan League and was pitching coach at Master’s College.

The man he replaces, Stillwell, leaves after four seasons with the Lancers. In 2003, he was named the Marmonte League and CIF Coach of the Year for leading T.O. to a CIFSouthern Section Div. II title.

“(Stillwell), he knows the game,” Mutz said. “Every coach I’ve talked to said that not only is he a good coach, he’s a good guy. He just needs the opportunity for the players to be open, Mutz said.

The new Lancer coach said he isn’t familiar with any of the players other than Collin La Voie, who was at Oaks Christian Middle School.

Mutz, who hasn’t seen the summer Thousand Oaks American Legion team play, said he will be going out and watching them during the next couple of weeks.

“I really won’t have much contact with them until as far as coaching goes until September in the baseball class at Thousand Oaks High,” he said.

Mutz said his philosophy is to be honest with his players and always let them know where they stand.

“For the most part, I’ll play the best nine guys and give us an opportunity to win,” Mutz said. “If you teach kids to communicate with the coach things go a lot smoother. You’ve got to be approachable by the players. The players need be able to knock on the door. When you say, ‘My door’s always open,’ you’ve got to mean that in good times and bad.”

The past two years Mutz has coached his daughter Heather’s softball teams.

“What I learned,” he said, “is the way you treat a 10-year-old girl should be—emotionally— the same way you should treat an 18-year-old boy. They are young adults. You’ve got to treat them with the same respect and dignity as a 10 year old.

“The players appreciate that and respect that. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned the last couple of years coaching kids.”