Saddleback Loses Longtime Softball Assistant Coach

Released on: January 13 2003
Contact: Jerry Hannula - Saddleback SID, (949) 582-4490

Longtime Saddleback College women's fastpitch softball assistant coach Bruce Hamlin died on Sunday morning, January 12, at Saddleback Memorial Hospital due to heart failure his family reported to the college. Hamlin, 68, spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach with the women's fastpitch softball team, working primarily with the pitchers. He also spent countless hours outside the batting cages, offering batting instruction.

Hamlin and his son, Joe, came to Saddleback prior to the 1992 season as part of head coach Jack Robinson's staff. After three seasons, Robinson stepped aside and was replaced by former Orange Coast College head coach Nick Trani. Trani retained the elder Hamlin as an assistant and the two have been the workhorses behind the success of the Gauchos program for the past eight seasons. Joe Hamlin currently coaches at Woodbridge High School in Irvine.

Saddleback has won 20-or-more games in eight of the 11 seasons Bruce Hamlin coached at the college, qualifying for post-season play in five of those seasons. During those 11 seasons, Hamlin has been a part of 260 wins, or almost 60 percent of the 443 wins in the program's entire history. Saddleback's 1999 team placed second in the state and the 1996 team finished seventh in the state.

Memorial services are pending. More information will be available in the Saddleback College fastpitch softball office at (949) 582-4485 as it becomes available.