Pepperdine University Athletics

Rick Hirtensteiner, who earned All-American, Academic All-American and WCC Player of the Year honors for the Waves as a student-athlete, enters his 25th season as a member of the Waves' coaching staff and his eighth as the program's head coach heading into the 2023 season.

Hirtensteiner was named WCC Coach of the Year in 2018 after leading the Waves to the conference’s regular-season title. During the COVID-19 shortened season of 2020, Pepperdine earned national recognition with its 12-3 start, including a ranking as high as #16 by Baseball America, the program’s best since 2014.
 
His seven-year record as head coach is 160-159 (.502).
 
In his time as head coach, the Waves have been honored with two All-Americans (A.J. Puckett in 2016 and Jordan Qsar in 2018), 17 All-WCC selections (eight on the first team) and 15 MLB Draft selections.
 
Hirtensteiner is the 17th head coach in the program's storied history. He was promoted after Steve Rodriguez left following the 2015 season.

During his time as an assistant, Hirtensteiner's responsibilities included serving as hitting instructor, coaching third base (which he continues to do) and working with the outfielders. He also organized Pepperdine's fundraising efforts and the Malibu Baseball School. During Hirtensteiner's 17 seasons as an assistant, Pepperdine posted an overall record of 578-423 (.577), won six WCC regular-season crowns and advanced to the postseason 10 times.

A graduate of nearby Buena High School in Ventura, Calif., Hirtensteiner cracked the Pepperdine lineup as a rookie in 1986 and still ranks #5 on the Waves' all-time games played list, appearing in 239 contests.
 
As a senior in 1989, he earned All-American first team honors from Baseball America and was the WCC’s Player of the Year. He also earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors in 1989 after earning a bachelor's degree in business administration. Hirtensteiner was also recognized as the WCC's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming just the second Pepperdine athlete to earn the prestigious award.

During Hirtensteiner's four years, the Waves won three WCC titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament each season, compiling a cumulative four-year record of 164-76-7 (.678), including an 80-15-1 (.839) mark against league foes. The Waves earned a national Top 20 ranking all four seasons.

The 1986 and 1988 teams advanced to the championship round in NCAA regional tournament play, while the 1987 team was ranked as high as #2 nationally and won a school-record 21 consecutive games.

A four-time All-WCC pick (three first team, one second team), Hirtensteiner had a .337 career batting average and is the Waves' all-time career leader in triples (17), and also ranks among the top five in base hits (295), runs scored (228), RBI (175) and at-bats (876).

As a senior in 1989, Hirtensteiner led the Waves with a .366 batting average and clubbed a team-best 12 home runs as a leadoff hitter. Hirtensteiner tied a single-game school record by slugging three home runs in a game at UC Santa Barbara. Additionally, Hirtensteiner emerged as the Waves' closer, often times tossing warm-up pitches in the outfield during conferences on the mound.

He also competed for Team USA in 1987, batting .333 in 40 games, going 43-for-129 with four homers and 21 RBI. He won a silver medal at the Pan American Games.

Hirtensteiner was an eighth-round draft pick by the California Angels in 1989, and he played professional baseball for seven seasons with the Angels, Florida Marlins and Montreal Expos organizations, reaching the AAA level with Montreal. Hirtensteiner also played in the Northern League with the St. Paul Saints, the Salt Lake City Trappers of the Pioneer League plus stints in Australia and Mexico.

After completing his professional career, Hirtensteiner opted to pursue a coaching job, landing an assignment as a volunteer assistant at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Hirtensteiner worked under head coach Jim Gilligan in 1996-97 while completing work for a master's degree in business administration.

In January 2007, Hirtensteiner was named to the WCC's 40th Anniversary Team. He was inducted into the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.

Hirtensteiner and his wife, Shannon, have five sons -- Cade, Cullen, Crosby, Colter and Cash -- and live in Agoura Hills.