11/5/2026 12:37:00 PM | Baseball
MALIBU, Calif. - Pepperdine baseball is mourning the loss of Frank Sanchez, who served as the program's head coach from 1997-2003. Sanchez passed away on Wednesday, November 4.
Sanchez is one of the most influential figures in Pepperdine baseball history, having won 61.2 percent of his overall contests (257-161 record) while winning 72.1 percent of the conference games (150-58 record) in his tenure. The Waves made three NCAA Regionals (1999, 2001, 2003) and finished either first or second place in the conference each year. Sanchez guided the blue and orange to the consolation championship match in the 1999 Los Angeles regional.
Sanchez coached four Baseball America All-Americans, including pitchers Jay Gehrke and Noah Lowry, catcher Dan Sardinha, and utilityman Dan Haren (as a freshman in 1999). Gehrke, in addition to pitcher Jay Adams, were tabbed National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-Americans after the 1999 campaign. Under Sanchez's guidance, 18 Waves were selected in the MLB Draft during his time at the helm. In the 2001 MLB Draft, nine Pepperdine players were taken, tying the 2007 draft as the largest single class of Waves to be plucked off the board. Two of the program's top-10 career batting average and on-base leaders, in addition to two of the top-10 strikeout leaders, were coached under Sanchez. Away from the diamond, 10 different student-athletes earned conference All-Academic honors.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE BASEBALL
Pepperdine baseball has one of the richest traditions and success stories among mid-major baseball programs in the country. The Waves won the NCAA National Championship in 1992 and have made 28 NCAA Tournament appearances in total. Located in scenic Malibu, California, Eddy D. Field Stadium boasts one of the most remarkable views in college baseball and has seen 41 former Waves reach the MLB while seeing 41 All-American selections.
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To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine baseball news, follow the Waves on social media: Â @PepperdineBASE on Twitter/X, @pepperdinebase on Instagram, and Pepperdine Baseball on Facebook.
Sanchez is one of the most influential figures in Pepperdine baseball history, having won 61.2 percent of his overall contests (257-161 record) while winning 72.1 percent of the conference games (150-58 record) in his tenure. The Waves made three NCAA Regionals (1999, 2001, 2003) and finished either first or second place in the conference each year. Sanchez guided the blue and orange to the consolation championship match in the 1999 Los Angeles regional.
Sanchez coached four Baseball America All-Americans, including pitchers Jay Gehrke and Noah Lowry, catcher Dan Sardinha, and utilityman Dan Haren (as a freshman in 1999). Gehrke, in addition to pitcher Jay Adams, were tabbed National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-Americans after the 1999 campaign. Under Sanchez's guidance, 18 Waves were selected in the MLB Draft during his time at the helm. In the 2001 MLB Draft, nine Pepperdine players were taken, tying the 2007 draft as the largest single class of Waves to be plucked off the board. Two of the program's top-10 career batting average and on-base leaders, in addition to two of the top-10 strikeout leaders, were coached under Sanchez. Away from the diamond, 10 different student-athletes earned conference All-Academic honors.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE BASEBALL
Pepperdine baseball has one of the richest traditions and success stories among mid-major baseball programs in the country. The Waves won the NCAA National Championship in 1992 and have made 28 NCAA Tournament appearances in total. Located in scenic Malibu, California, Eddy D. Field Stadium boasts one of the most remarkable views in college baseball and has seen 41 former Waves reach the MLB while seeing 41 All-American selections.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine baseball news, follow the Waves on social media: Â @PepperdineBASE on Twitter/X, @pepperdinebase on Instagram, and Pepperdine Baseball on Facebook.
