Mike Gillespie

Head Baseball Coach USC

Summarize your playing and coaching experience.

College Player at USC 1960-1962.
National Championship Team in 1961; runner-up in 1960.
   a.  High School in 1963-1964 Palos Verdes HS...Frosh Baseball;
Varsity Football Asst.
   b.  Rolling Hills High School 1964-1965...
   JV Baseball; Varsity Football Asst.
   c.  RHHS Varsity Baseball 1965-1966... thru 1970.  Football
Asst. 3     Championships.
   d.  COC 1971-1986...16 years, 13 Conference Champs inc. 3 State
Champions, 2 State runner-ups
   Football Asst. for 9 years
   e.  USC 1987 to present ...18 years

 

What is your most memorable moment in coaching?

USC National Championship-1998

 

Who are some of the bigger names that have come through your programs?

Casey Burrill, Mark Prior, Barry Zito, Bret Boone, Aaron Boone, Jeff Cirillo, Geoff Jenkins, Seth Etherton, and Eric Munson.

 

Who was your favorite player and why?

Mark Prior's combination of Academic Achievement (USC Degree),
Athletic Excellence (Golden Spikes Winner, Work Ethic, Personality, and demeanor sets him apart.

 

What do you look for in a high school baseball player and how important is academics?

Academic Achievement and preparation, ability and readiness to
play immediately, unselfishness, discipline, and work ethic.

 

What advice would you give a high school athlete?

Make a commitment to successful academic achievement and don't be
discouraged by set-backs.  Keep working, keep plugging, keep grinding. Always strive to be better, and let no-one limit you.   Find a way to stay at it.

 

Is it true that Casey Burrill had 17 bunt base-hits during his career at USC?

It is true.  He is perhaps the best bunter ever to play at USC.   He is also one of the best hitters to EVER play at USC (.408 in 1993, 4 th on USC's ALL-TIME LIST OF LEADERS, with 16 homeruns. An All Pac-10 Player and an All-American). He is an All-Universe Human Being and one of our All-Time favorite players and persons. West Ranch:  count your blessings...you are lucky to have him.

 

In your opinion, what makes baseball such a great game?

Baseball has no equal as it relates to the skills and strategies of the game.  Hitting truly is the most difficult skill in all of sport and pin-pointing a key strike is not far behind.  And the game has no clock. "It ain't over 'til it's over."

 

If you could have any three people, throughout all of history, over for dinner, who would they be?

Abraham Lincoln , Winston Churchill, and Harry Truman-accepting the responsibility of dropping the bomb amazes me. They'd all have to like a BBQ'd hamburger, 'tho!!