Watsonville High this week announced it promoted Patrick Rodriguez as the newest head coach for the softball team.
The 37-year-old Watsonville native will take the helm after former coach Pete Legorreta told the school he was retiring from coaching following the 2024 spring season.
Rodriguez was chosen out of three candidates, including himself, who applied for the position.
“The intent was for me to come in and be the head coach sooner or later,” he said. “I’ve been patient, waiting for my time. I know I am a lot younger than other coaches that have been coaching at the high school level, and around here. But I’ve been pretty stoked about it.”
Rodriguez was an assistant under Legorreta and former head coach Scott Wilson, who led the ‘Catz to a Central Coast Section Division I championship in 2021.
Wilson also delivered the program’s and Santa Cruz County’s first-ever section title in 2017. Watsonville has eight league crowns, including last season’s Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division title run under Legorreta.
Watsonville finished with a 15-5 overall record and went 11-1 in league play in 2024.
“I won’t say there’s a sense of pressure. But in my mind, that’s my expectation, is to win league titles and compete with the best of them. Go for a CCS title,” Rodriguez said.
Prior to Legorreta’s departure, he recommended Rodriguez to Watsonville Athletic Director Becky Clark, who took the idea into consideration.
“It was one of those things that was put on my radar, which I appreciated because I didn’t want to scramble at the last minute,” Cark said.
Clark said they liked Rodriguez’s enthusiasm and willingness to take on a successful program he wants to see grow even larger than where’s it’s at now.
“It was very clear to us that Patrick was the one,” Clark said.
Rodriguez has 10 years experience of coaching travel ball clubs starting in the now defunct Central Coast Athletics softball organization of Monterey. He’s currently a coach at the prestigious Suncats Jimenez softball program.
Rodriguez believes he’s the right fit for the head coaching position because of his experience working with younger age groups before transitioning them into high school. That includes his daughter, Esperanza Sigala, who is an incoming sophomore at Watsonville and an All-PCAL First Team selection at shortstop.
“I honestly feel, in my opinion, I’m the most qualified,” he said. “I’ve coached around very good softball coaches in the area and organizations, and I’ve seen from the best, learned from the best.”
The eventual objective for Rodriguez is having players continue to compete at the high school level, especially after the ‘Catz were promoted to the PCAL Gabilan Division—the highest tier of the four divisions within the league.
“Our biggest thing is competing in league,” he said. “Obviously trying to win league, but competing for CCS titles. I feel like that’s one of the biggest goals.”
