Casa coach reaches 300

<p>It is only a number — a big number — but for Casa Grande High School baseball coach Paul Maytorena more important than the 300 wins his varsity Gauchos have recorded are the thousands of memories and hundreds of players those wins represent.</p><p>The 300 win of Maytorena's coaching career came last week when Casa Grande defeated Vintage, 5-1.</p><p>“It means I've been doing what I like for a long time,” Maytorena said. “My worst days are better than most people's best days. There are a lot of different memories of great kids and great coaches.”</p><p>After the milestone had been reached, the players showered Maytorena with Gatorade. It is a shower he hopes to enjoy again later this spring. “I like those showers at the end of the season,” he explained.</p><p>Maytorena believes in a strong mental approach to the game. He teaches four basic principles he says apply to both baseball and life — be accountable, be on time, respect the game and respect the coaches. </p><p>The base for Maytorena's success is the program he has built on those principles. From the time players start at Casa Grande as freshmen until the time they graduate, they play baseball the Casa Grande way with a focus on the mental approach to the game and an emphasis on fundamentals.</p><p>It may be a cliche, but Maytorena says it is true that Gaucho baseball is really Gaucho family. There have been different coaches and different players over the years, but all have been assimilated into the Gaucho baseball family. </p><p>“When it's over, the biggest thing I'm going to miss are the coaches and all the fun we've had,” Maytorena says.</p><p> “I've formed some great friendships, and they have been behind me in some tough times.”</p><p>Those friendships extend to the players, whether they be Major Leaguer Jonny Gomes, professionals like Chad Fillinger, players who have moved on to play at the collegiate level or those who have gone on to be a success in other endeavors. All remain a part of a family, a family that is celebrating 300 wins. </p><p>On Maytorena's coaching resume are eight Sonoma county League championships, including three in a row from 2002 through 2004 and five in six years from 2002 to 2007. </p><p>Under his direction, the Gauchos have never finished lower than third in the SCL and only twice finished as low as third.</p><p>Maytorena-coached Casa Grande teams have won six North Coast Section champions, including an amazing four in a row from 2004 through 2007.</p>