Cal State LA Athletics

After leading the Golden Eagles back into the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in 2025, Vince Beringhele returns for his 19^th season as the Cal State LA head baseball coach. He has led the Golden Eagles to winning seasons in 10 of the past 17 seasons and built a program known for its competitive play and impressive resiliency.

That resiliency led to a resurgence in 2025 as the Golden Eagles reached the conference tournament for the first time since 2018 and had its best conference record since 2015. The inspired conference showing came at an opportune time for Cal State LA, which was tabbed to host the CCAA Tournament in 2025 for the first time since 2007.

Cal State LA finished the season with a 26-25 overall record and Beringhele was able to get the Golden Eagles to rebound nicely once conference play began. A tough start was made even more challenging by much-needed renovations that forced the Golden Eagles to play their first three scheduled home series away from Reeder Field.

Beringhele led the Golden Eagles to a 23-17 conference record that included the program’s first no-hitter since 2007 by sophomore Brandon Gutierrez and a clutch ending to the regular season with three wins in the first three games at conference-leading Cal State Dominguez Hills to clinch fourth in the conference race.

Cal State LA fell to Chico State, 5-3, in a well-played first-round CCAA Tournament game to end its season. The Golden Eagles had six players earn All-CCAA awards, including Ismael Quintero, who was the program’s second-ever CCAA Freshman of the Year and the first since 2007.

In his first 17 seasons at Cal State LA, Beringhele has led the Golden Eagles to a 396-418 overall record and a 318-320 mark in conference play. Cal State LA has had 76 players earn All-Conference honors, 36 players make All-West Region teams and seven players earn All-America recognition. Cal State LA has had an All-West Region player in 13 of Beringhele’s 17 seasons with the program, including a first-team selection in nine of those years.

One of the most recognizable coaches at Cal State LA, Beringhele’s teams annually lead the way in campus involvement. His squads generously support other Cal State LA activities and are among the most active in Student-Athlete Advisory Committee events.

The Golden Eagles, despite being picked to finish 10^th in the CCAA in 2024 by the conference coaches, were in the mix for one of the final two spots in the six-team CCAA Tournament before finishing one spot out of the postseason. Cal State LA completed the season with a 23-27 overall record and a 17-23 mark in conference play.

Cal State LA entered the final weekend needing a series win over Stanislaus State to earn a tournament spot, but fell short.

A pair of players, Isaiah Marquez and Matthew Piotrowski, earned All-West Region honors and four players earned All-CCAA recognition.

Cal State LA battled through some significant injuries and unprecedented rain that made a mess of the Golden Eagles’ schedule in 2023. Through it all, the Golden Eagles had some outstanding individual performances, including a CCAA Newcomer of the Year award for Piotrowski, a first for the program. Cal State LA had three players earn All-CCAA and All-West Region honors, adding to Beringhele’s impressive totals for awards during his career.

The Golden Eagles played well down the stretch, posting an exciting walkoff win against conference champion Cal State Monterey Bay in the opener of their final home series and then closing out the season by winning a series at Chico State. Cal State LA finished with a 19-29 overall record and a 14-25 conference mark.

Beringhele got the Golden Eagles back on the field in 2022 after the 2021 season was canceled due to COVID and that task was made even more challenging by extensive renovations to Reeder Field that made the field unplayable until the first month of the season. 

Cal State LA was forced to play its first eight games of the season on the road, but Beringhele did a masterful job of keeping the Golden Eagles in contention while splitting their first six series of the season, including the first three of conference play. The Golden Eagles fought through a tough stretch midway through the season and then finished strong by winning six of their last seven games, including a season-ending four-game sweep at San Francisco State. Cal State LA was 21-29 overall and 16-24 in conference play.

Beringhele guided the Golden Eagles through a difficult 2020 season that was halted after just 20 games and with the CCAA not even halfway through its schedule.

Beringhele picked up a milestone victory during the 2019 season, recording his 300^th win in a dramatic 10-7 win at UC San Diego in the first game of a doubleheader on April 20. All-Region outfielder Adam Gordon hit three home runs to key the victory.

An outstanding offensive coach, Beringhele has led the Golden Eagles to some outstanding feats during his tenure. Notable in the 2019 series against UC San Diego, the Tritons entered the four-game set with a 70-game streak of not allowing 10 or more runs in a game. The Golden Eagles accomplished double digits twice while splitting the four-game series. Cal State LA finished with a 19-26 overall record and an 18-23 mark in conference play.

Beringhele held together a short-handed team in 2018 and led the Golden Eagles to a return engagement in the conference tournament. Cal State LA finished fifth in a tightly-bunched conference race and finished the season with a 28-24 overall record and a 24-20 mark in conference play. The Golden Eagles recorded their most wins since 2013.
 
The Golden Eagles had back-to-back sweeps of Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills to highlight the regular season and then had a nice come-from-behind win over San Francisco State to highlight their play in the conference tournament.
  
Beringhele led the Golden Eagles to a 27-24 record in 2017 and Cal State LA’s first appearance in the CCAA Championship Tournament since the Golden Eagles won the title in 2013. The Golden Eagles had 11 more wins in 2017 than they did in 2016. The Golden Eagles won the last three games of a four-game series against national runner-up UC San Diego late in the season to earn its way into the CCAA Championship Tournament.

The Golden Eagles had a win over Cal State Monterey Bay in an elimination game to highlight their tournament appearance.
 
After the season, Christian Broussard (22^nd round, Minnesota Twins) and Sean Watkins (30^th round, Giants) were selected in the Major League Baseball draft and Gabriel Gentner was signed as a free agent by the St. Louis Cardinals.
 
Cal State LA was hit hard by injuries in 2016, but still finished strongly and battled to the final weekend for a spot in the CCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles were 6-2 over their final eight games to pull into postseason consideration.
 
The Golden Eagles showed dramatic improvement in 2015 when they won 12 more games than they did in 2014 and were one of the most improved teams in the NCAA Division II. Cal State LA finished with a 28-20 overall record and a 23-17 mark in CCAA competition.
 
The team’s earned run average dropped from 5.84 in 2014 to 3.87 in 2015 and the team’s batting average rose from .262 to .298. The Golden Eagles scored 59 more runs than in 2014 and allowed 90 fewer runs. The 3.87 earned run average was the lowest for Cal State LA in more than 25 years.
 
Beringhele led the Golden Eagles to a historic season in 2013 when they won their first-ever CCAA Championship Tournament title and earned a trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time since 2007. The Golden Eagles posted a 35-22 overall record that included a sparkling 28-12 mark in CCAA play.
 
Cal State LA finished second in the CCAA during the regular season, just one game out first place. The 35 wins were the most for the program since 2007 and the third-highest total since 1977. The 28-12 conference record was the best for the program since 2007 and the second-best since 1977.
 
Beringhele directed the Golden Eagles to a dominating run through the CCAA Championship Tournament that enabled Cal State L.A. to punch its ticket to the NCAA playoffs. Cal State LA went 4-1 in the double-elimination tournament. After splitting its first two games against Chico State and Sonoma State, the Golden Eagles beat Cal State Monterey Bay, 14-3 and Sonoma State twice by scores of 15-3 and 7-1 to win the championship. In the five tournament games, Cal State LA outscored its opponents, 49-12.
 
The Golden Eagles advanced to the NCAA playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the West Region and dropped its two playoff games to conclude the season.
 
Cal State LA earned seven All-Conference selections, the most for the program since 2009, including five first-team picks, which were the most since 1998. James Wharton was named the CCAA Player of the Year, giving the Golden Eagles their second straight Player of the Year award and a major conference award for a third straight year.
 
Beringhele led the Golden Eagles to its second straight winning season in 2012 and to the brink of a spot in the four-team CCAA Championship Tournament. Cal State LA finished with a 26-22 overall record and a 21-17 mark in conference play.
 
Beringhele led a team that featured All-American Daniel Duran, who set a new program record by hitting .451 on the season. Duran was named the CCAA and NCAA Division II West Region Player of the Year. Duran became the Golden Eagles’ first CCAA Player of the Year since 1998 and the first West Region Player of the Year since 2007.
 
Cal State LA wound up with a 27-23 overall record and was 21-19 in conference play in 2011. The Golden Eagles finished just one game out of a spot in the CCAA Championship Tournament and were ranked in the national top-25 polls during the regular season.
 
Gabriel Asakura was also named the CCAA Co-Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first Golden Eagle to claim that award since 1998, and earned All-America honors.
 
Cal State LA was 32-17 overall in 2009 and posted a 22-11 record in conference play. The Golden Eagles earned the No. 3 seed in the CCAA tournament. Cal State LA lost to Sonoma State in the opening round, beat Cal State Dominguez Hills in an elimination game and then lost to Sonoma State later in the day, 10-9, to exit the tournament. The win over Cal State Dominguez Hills was the first victory in a CCAA Tournament game for Cal State LA.
 
The Golden Eagles, who were ranked fourth in the NCAA Division II West Region entering the final week of regular-season play, surprisingly slipped out of the top four following the CCAA tourney.
 
Beringhele, who was a successful assistant coach at two NCAA Division I programs and also a former assistant at Cal State LA, led the Golden Eagles to a 29-22 record in 2008 in his first year as head coach with a young and inexperienced squad. The Golden Eagles had only five players returning from their 2007 team and had lost 19 seniors. Beringhele led Cal State LA to a 23-12 record in the CCAA and the Golden Eagles missed qualifying for the four-team championship tournament by just one-half game.
 
Before coming to Cal State LA in 2007, Beringhele spent four years at Loyola Marymount as an assistant to head coach Frank Cruz. He was promoted to the associate head coach position prior to the 2006 season. The Lions captured the West Coast Conference title in 2005. During his time at Loyola Marymount, Beringhele coached third base and worked closely with the Lions’ offense. Chris Pettit, one of the players Beringhele worked closely with, was the organizational Player of the Year with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2007.
 
Beringhele joined Loyola Marymount in 2004 after 15 years with UCLA. Serving as the hitting instructor and recruiting coordinator, Beringhele worked with Garrett Atkins, Troy Glaus, Chase Utley, Eric Byrnes, Eric Valent, Ben Francisco, Michael Moore, Chris Pritchett, Joel Wolfe and Paul Ellis, all of whom were drafted in the first five rounds of the Major League Baseball draft. During his time at UCLA, Beringhele was credited with bringing the top high school talent in California to the program. UCLA’s class in 1997 was regarded as the best in the nation by Collegiate Baseball and the 2003 recruiting class earned a top-five ranking from Baseball America.
 
Beringhele helped guide the Bruins to the College World Series in 1997 after they battled back to win five games in a row at the regional to advance to the Series. The Bruins also advanced to a Super Regional in 2000.
 
He began his college coaching career as an assistant coach for two years at Cal State LA in 1988-89. He got his introduction to coaching as an assistant for Cruz at University High School before going to Cal State LA.
 
Beringhele also worked with Cruz in the summer of 2004 during the selection process for the gold-medal winning USA Baseball National Team.
 
Before beginning his college coaching career, Beringhele played in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ minor league system for three years in Lethbridge, Vero Beach and Bakersfield. In 1983, he batted .338 at Lethbridge and tied for the league lead in hits (94) with teammate and former Dodger Jeff Hamilton. In 1984, Beringhele was a Florida State League All-Star for the Vero Beach Dodgers. He completed his career in 1985, playing for both Vero Beach and Bakersfield.
 
Beringhele earned his bachelor of arts in sociology from UCLA.
 
He and his wife, Trudy, have one daughter, Betina.