Toby DeMello, a longtime assistant in college baseball, is set to take the helm of the Pacific Tigers, the program based in Stockton, California.
A Fresh Coaching Direction
DeMello spent five seasons on the staff of the Arizona Wildcats, where he helped shape a roster that struggled to find consistency, finishing with a 19‑34 record that ultimately led to his departure.
The Tigers have not posted a winning season since 2010 and have never qualified for the NCAA Tournament, a drought that has hung over the program for more than a decade.
Reed Peters, the coach who guided the team before his sudden passing in June, left a void that the administration is now looking to fill with a familiar face from the West Coast.
DeMello’s roots in the region run deep; he played collegiate baseball at Saint Mary’s, the same school whose alumni have recently joined the Tigers’ support staff, bringing a network of experienced assistants to the program.
The move also brings in former Arizona aides Chip Hale and Kendall Rogers, both of whom are expected to transition into roles that will complement DeMello’s leadership on the diamond.
Local observers note that the hiring represents a strategic attempt to blend West Coast recruiting expertise with the institutional knowledge of the university’s athletic department, a combination that could finally break the Tigers’ long‑standing ceiling.