FALLS VILLAGE — Mike DeMazza, who has been head baseball coach at Housatonic Valley Regional High School for 24 years, has announced he will be stepping down.
In his more than two decades as coach, he brought the team to the state tournament 12 times and coached more than 500 games.
DeMazza started in 1985, when then-Athletic Director Ed Tyburski asked him to fill a vacancy as baseball coach. He kicked off the season with five freshmen starting on the varsity team. Using that as the base, he brought a team to the state tournament in nine of the next 11 years. Housatonic had until then only reached that level four times since 1965.
DeMazza says he has enjoyed every season, winning or losing, along the way.
“The worst day of coaching baseball is a good day, there’s always something positive,� he said.
He said he values the memories and is glad he can look back into the record books to recall highlights in Housatonic’s history — including teams that included students Steve Blass and John Lamb, who later played professionally for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
DeMazza spoke highly of his pitching staff this year. Two terrific pitchers are graduating: Jonathon Coe, known as “Broken Arrow,’�and Bobby Chatfield, who was one hit from throwing a perfect game this season. DeMazza said Tom Dignacco, a sophomore, will continue to be a great pitcher for whomever takes over next spring. As of now, he doesn’t know who that will be.
