OUR COACHES

Mark Strauch - Coach & Founder

Founder of San Diego Hawks Baseball, the largest travel ball organization in San Diego; also founded The Nest Baseball Academy and San Diego Baseball Alliance.
15+ years of experience including Little League, All Stars, and high school baseball; led the 4SRLL 10U team to District 31 and Section 6 titles in 2016.
Active adult league player and pitcher; helped run the SDABL for over a decade and continues to play competitively in the NABA World Series.
4 years of high school coaching experience at Del Norte High School and current manager of the Freshman team.

Philip Roe - Director of Baseball Operations

Former collegiate athlete at Columbia Basin College and West Coast League player with the Cowlitz Black Bears; served as head coach for Padres Camps and Program Director for Skyhawks, earning regional Coach of the Year honors in 2023.
Played semi-pro baseball in Western Australia while overseeing youth development and training; currently a scout for Prep Baseball and part of the Ballpark Operations Staff for the Seattle Mariners.
Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Gonzaga University in Sport Management; founder of PRoe Diamond Consulting, supporting U.S. and Australian athletes through the college recruitment process.

Brett Balkan - Hitting Director

Two time team defensive player of the year award at shortstop for varsity Carlsbad High School.
Rawlings Gold Glove award winner at shortstop for San Diego Mesa College (JUCO). Named best shortstop in the western region (California, Washington, Oregon).
Team defensive player of the year award at Division I Cal State University Northridge .982 fielding percentage senior year at shortstop.
Over .970 professional fielding percentage as a third baseman and middle infielder.

Azure Centeno - Coach

Starting third baseman for Del Norte High School varsity baseball team.
Earned starting position in senior year amidst a competitive roster of 27 players, including 21 seniors, through grit and hard work—first to arrive at practice, last to leave the batting cages, and consistently hustling on the field.
Turned down the opportunity to play baseball at the Division II level to pursue his passion for coaching.

John San Jule - Coach

4-year Division 1 center fielder at Columbia University, winning the 2022 Ivy League Championship and competing in the Blacksburg Regional Final.
Batted .506 and .551 during his high school career at Dunn School, with 22+ stolen bases each season and leadership roles in both baseball and basketball.
Now serves as a coach and mentor, bringing the lessons of collegiate athletics into both baseball and his career in business development.

Eric Kahnert - Coach

Coach Eric is in his 5th season with the San Diego Hawks. Over his career, his teams have amassed 190 wins and earned numerous championship titles. In 2024, he led the Hawks’ Cooperstown team to the organization’s most successful finish ever, placing 3rd out of 104 teams. Coach Eric has also recruited and developed talented players across all levels, from AA to AAA to D1 Majors. He currently coaches the Hawks 14U Prime team (D1 Majors) recognized as one of the top travel teams in SD County and SoCal.
Former 3-sport athlete and Division II hockey All-American at USC, where he was a 4-year captain and led teams to multiple championships.
Brings over a decade of coaching experience in youth baseball and hockey, including roles with 4S Ranch Little League and San Diego Ice Arena.
A 10-time Emmy Award-winning news anchor at CBS8, where he regularly promotes local success stories, including those from the San Diego Hawks.

Garrett Grant - Coach, Sports Chiropractor

Division I track athlete at Cal Poly SLO, setting multiple high school records at Del Norte High and posting personal bests of 3:55 (1500m), 1:55 (800m), and :49 (400m).
Sports Chiropractor specializing in arm care and pitching mechanics, with research experience on Tommy John surgery and a biomechanical approach to coaching.
Former team chiropractor for the Washington Commanders, DC United, and Georgetown University, and a youth baseball coach whose teams regularly reached the Virginia State tournament.

Gabe Reynoso - Coach

Over 18 years of playing experience and 4 years of coaching, with a passion for developing the next generation of ballplayers.
Versatile high school athlete who played all 9 positions in one season; graduated from Chandler High School after competing in Arizona’s top 6A division.
Focuses on instilling strong fundamentals, mindset, and enjoyment of the game—believing in hard work, perseverance, and learning through failure.

Brian Wilson - Coach, Senior Advisor

3-time CIF Champion at Mira Mesa High School; earned All-Eastern League and All-CIF honors, helping the team achieve a #1 state and #7 national ranking.
All-Pacific Coast Conference hitter at San Diego Mesa College before joining SDSU as a walk-on player.
Brings 8+ years of travel baseball coaching experience, along with 3 seasons as a high school assistant coach at Mira Mesa.

Kal Miller - Coach

LHP for 3 seasons at Folsom Lake College and played high school baseball at De La Salle.
Experience coach working with youth athletes since working youth camps every summer during his high school days.
Knowledgeable about injury prevention and rehab, dealt with a lot of injuries as a player and eager to share expertise on building good mechanics and arm care routines as the foundation for every young athlete.

Bryce Barajas - Coach

Right-handed pitcher with college experience at Park University at Gilbert and San Diego Christian College (2019–2022).
Son of MLB veteran and World Series Champion Rod Barajas, and brings a strong ability to connect with young pitchers.
Coaching experience includes San Diego Stars (2023) and current roles with San Diego Hawks 9U & 13U teams.

CJ Broussard - Coach, Director of Strength & Injury Prevention

1st Team All-Conference Utility Player at Cal State LA, CCAA All-Tournament Team, and All-American Honorable Mention before being drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 22nd round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
Played two-way roles at San Diego City College and Cal State LA, and competed in summer ball with the Palm Springs Power.
Now focuses on player development and injury prevention through PowerFuel Athletics, and serves as a College Advisor with SportsForce helping athletes with recruitment and scholarships.

David Silva - Coach

Coach David Silva has been coaching youth baseball and softball for the past 8 years, helping athletes develop their skills, confidence, and love for the game. A former varsity baseball player, David was the starting shortstop during his junior and senior years of high school.

In softball, he coached All-Star teams at The Ranch for 3 years, helping lead teams to three USA Softball SoCal State Championship appearances and one Western National Championship appearance. In baseball, he has coached at 4S Ranch Little League, where his team won the AA Championship.

Known for his positive coaching style, focus on fundamentals, and passion for player development, Coach David is dedicated to helping young athletes improve both on and off the field.

Christian Benson - Coach

My journey in the game has taken me through roles as a player, coach, mentor, administrator, and program builder, and each experience has strengthened my commitment to developing young athletes both on and off the field.
In addition to my coaching experience, I have served as the Athletic Director at Rock Academy, a private K-12 school, for the past four years, giving me extensive experience in program management, leadership, event operations, coach development, and student-athlete growth.
Playing experience at Mt. Carmel HS, Del Norte HS, Cal State San Marcos, and the San Diego Mavericks.

Jacob Benson - Coach

4 year baseball player at Mt. Carmel High School, 3 year starting infielder for the varsity baseball team.
Back to back defensive MVP for Mt. Carmel Varsity baseball team in 2015 and 2016. Won it once as a 2nd baseman and once as a Shortstop.
4 year starting Shortstop and 2nd baseman for the University of La Verne Baseball team.
Captain of the University of La Verne baseball team from 2018-2020
2nd all time assists leader for a shortstop at the University of La Verne
1 year of professional baseball experience in France playing for the Clermont-Ferrand Arvernes
Helped with player camps and personal hitting instruction in France as part of my contract

Mike Limtiaco

Multiple years of high school coaching experience at Del Norte High School, leading student athletes in both tennis and baseball programs.
Played all four years at Mount Carmel High School and was part of a CIF runner up team and Championship team. Played two years at Palomar College and made the San Diego Junior Collegiate All Star team.
Coached all levels of Little League from T-Ball through Juniors.
Experienced travel ball coach with multiple year of leading youth teams.

Emmet Lucey - Coach

North County Coastal League Honorable Mention as a senior at Del Norte High School
Grew up in 4S Ranch area, playing for 4SLL and the Hawks.
Catcher growing up, 1B/DH junior and senior seasons at DNHS.
Started coaching career through various baseball camp leadership experiences while at DNHS.
Considering JUCO options as a player while starting his post-high school coaching career with the Hawks!

Michael Davis - Coach

Two year varsity letterman pitcher and outfielder at Scripps Ranch High School.
Pitcher at San Diego Mesa College
Trained at Tread Athletics in North Carolina, gaining a deeper understanding of pitching mechanics, mental preparation, and physical development.

Jalen Cameron - Coach

2-year varsity letterman at Rancho Bernardo High School, hitting .310 as a senior while also earning All-Coastal league honors.
Continued his playing career at San Diego City College, appearing in 46 games and hitting leadoff for the Knights in all but 5 of his collegiate starts.
Excellent defender, with only three errors total over his two seasons playing at SDCC.
Multiple years of experience coaching 8U-14U.
Currently, Jalen attends San Diego State University where he is studying communications. In the future, he hopes to earn his degree and pass down his knowledge of baseball to the younger generation.

Max Merlan - Coach

Max Merlan is a former four-year collegiate baseball player who completed his playing career at the University of Saint Katherine in 2024. During his amateur career, Max was recognized by Perfect Game as a High National Follow in the Class of 2020 and was ranked among the Top 100 Outfielders in Southern California.
In 2022, Max earned First Team All–Palm Springs Collegiate League honors, showcasing his ability to compete and perform at a high level.
After concluding his collegiate career, Max transitioned into coaching as an Assistant Coach at The Rock Academy during the 2024–2025 season. Working primarily with hitters and outfielders, he played a key role in player development while helping lead the program to a CIF Division 5 II-A Championship.
Max is passionate about developing complete ballplayers by emphasizing sound fundamentals, confidence, and a competitive mindset. His experience as both a collegiate athlete and coach allows him to connect with players of all ages and help them reach their full potential on and off the field.

Coaches