Meet Coach Irvine
Brandon Irvine started his baseball career in Port Angeles at the age of 8. He started pitching at the age of 10 and by the time he was 17, had secured a scholarship to pitch at the University of Washington. As a junior in high school, he made the area code games which consisted of the best pitchers in the states of Oregon and Washington and received All-State recognition in the Junior Mariner Magazine. He graduated in 1993 from Port Angeles High School as one of the top three pitching prospects in the state. At the University of Washington, he was a two-time Pac Ten Champion. He pitched in two regional wins as a freshman and played on a team that ended one game away from the College World Series. After his college career, Brandon taught 12 years of Elementary Physical Education in Hillsboro School District in Oregon (2006-2017). He has a Masters in Physical Education from Emporia State University (2014) and completed his thesis on how to take care of your arm as a pitcher. He has coached baseball at Central Washington University (2005) and at Heritage High School in Vancouver, WA (2006), assisting this team to their first ever state playoff appearance.
What is the goal of the pitching program? A note from the Coach.
My goal is to develop young pitchers in Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula to allow them to grow and gain confidence in their pitching abilities. I will focus on developing an attitude for both winning and losing, helping kids to learn from all outings on the mound. I like to challenge kids and get the most out of them on and off the field. I’ve been at the top of my game but I’ve also been at the bottom and learned the most when I wasn’t the best. While on the mound, a vast majority of the time you won’t have all your stuff, and you have to learn to adapt. Great pitchers know how to win games when they don’t have their stuff. Great high school pitchers usually dominate but then fall down when they come up against better competition. In my philosophy, this is when you see what you are made of. Handling defeat and developing resilience is a life lesson, both on and off the mound. A core tenet of my philosophy is to learn from every outing, win or lose, and move forward, enriching your game and adding more to your “stuff”. Of course, we all want to win. That’s why we’re competitors! However, my philosophy focuses on a “preparation favors chance” mentality so that winning takes care of itself. As a coach, my focus is on getting better. The most important thing for a pitcher to consistently throw strikes is their routine, which allows them to keep their mind out of the game and remain in the zone. Pitchers need a routine that comes naturally to them and keeps their mind out of the way. I will teach kids everything I have learned throughout my life and baseball career. I will also focus on being a competitor with great sportsmanship. It’s the small things that make someone great. Let’s teach kids to be great by getting better every day.