Good Sports: Fresno City College baseball pitching coach Eric Solberg

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For the last 27 years, there have been two constants for the Fresno City College baseball program: head coach Ron Scott and pitching coach Eric Solberg. But for all the headlines and accolades coach Scott receives, he says he wouldn't have gotten any of them without his best friend and right hand man.

"First thing I did when I got the job was go ask Eric if he wanted to join me and we've been connected at the hip ever since," Scott said. "Besides my best friend, he's just a super baseball coach, great pitching coach, and I've been real fortunate for all the success we've had here."

"I love Fresno," Solberg said. "Ron and I became great friends and I think of us as kind of a team and so I just never really looked to move on out of Fresno."

In Solberg's time at FCC, five of his pitchers have reached the Major Leagues with more on the way. Fresno Grizzlies pitcher Tyson Perez says he still uses what Solberg taught him.

"Getting to pitch for coach Solberg, the pitching coach there, I learned almost everything I have I learned from him," Perez said.

Fast forward to this season and another Solberg protege earned CVC Pitcher of the Year honors. Liberty High School grad Connor Brogdon has gone 10-and-0 this year, giving much of the credit to Solberg.

"I came out here and I knew right away coach Solberg was probably the best pitching coach I've had of my career," Brogdon said. "I'm sure I'll be in Tyson's shoes someday if I advance to the next level. I'll still be trying to do what coach Solberg has taught me thus far and I mean it's worked out for me so far."

The Fresno native also coaches the men's soccer team at FCC, making it to the postseason in all 16 seasons with the Rams. And after so many years of so much success, he says he gets asked all the time about his future.

"My kids are all older now and out of the house and so there are opportunities for me to do something now that there weren't 10 or 15 years ago," Solberg said. "But at this point I'm real happy what I'm doing here."

And so many of the Valley's best young pitchers are grateful to have him.