STINGS STORY: The Journey

At Stings Baseball, we believe great baseball starts with great people. We are looking for the right players. Players who are coachable, respectful, competitive, and committed to growing both on and off the field. Just as important, we want families who value the journey. Families who want to spend meaningful weekends together, build lasting friendships, and be part of something bigger than wins and losses. We want to build a family feel. Our goal is to create an experience that is special, memorable, competitive, and most importantly, fun for every player and family who wears the Stings uniform. I was lucky enough to have parents who wanted the same for me, and my journey molded who I am today. 

I grew up in a small apartment complex in downtown San Rafael. My parents were very young when I was born, and while we didn’t have much, we had love, trust, loyalty, and a passion for sports. I was a big and awkward kid growing up. The one place I felt at home was the baseball field. The diamond was where I first realized I was good at something; Little League practices and games were things I always looked forward to. It’s also where I learned how to deal with failure, where I made my closest friends, and where I learned to believe in myself and become confident in my own skin.

Growing up, my dad worked construction and was my baseball coach from 8u through 12u. He was a high school football coach at Archie Williams (formerly known as Drake) and as a youngster, you could find me on the sidelines. He hung up the whistle and picked up a fungo when he learned his boy loved, and was good at, the game of baseball. He loved coaching football but made that sacrifice for me and my journey. Even though he worked long days, he was always prepared, on time, and held a high standard for effort, toughness, and competing. Three things I also expect of my players. He ran a tight ship, but he loved his players and they loved him back. He celebrated small victories in a warm and fun way, explained details in a clear and simple manner, balanced seriousness and fun, and never missed an opportunity to teach a life lesson. Sometimes I think I learned most of my coaching skills and philosophies between the ages of 6 and 12.

When Little League came to an end, my dad and a few other local parents started one of Marin’s first ever travel ball teams, the Mill Valley Stars. We were a 12u summer team, and the roster was composed of two All Star players from every Little League in Marin. We were a solid team and won a ton, but we had parent coaches, and while we were winning on our talent, we didn’t feel as if we were developing much. After a few seasons, I wanted more of a challenge; something new and with players who would push me out of my comfort zone. When I got to eighth grade, I joined a team called the CA Connexion out of Antioch and Pittsburg. This team would change my game, and my life. They played hard, intense, and in your face, and they were also extremely talented. We had 14 players on our roster, and of those 14, seven played Division I baseball and two played professionally. After work, my dad drove me to and from practice in Antioch twice a week. We traveled the nation beating up on every team that dared take the field against us. We played over 100 games from March-August, losing less than 10 games all year. In the 2002 Canton, Michigan USSSA World Series tournament, with over 300 teams entered, we placed sixth, losing the quarterfinal on a walk off error by the right fielder, me.

When we all went to high school, the CA Connexion team went their separate ways. I then joined Northern California’s most elite college development program, NorCal Baseball. We learned how to prepare, how to execute the smaller nuances of the game, and how to play the right way: with respect, class, and by leaving everything you had on the field. The class ahead of me had players like Tyson Ross, Brett Wallace, Diallo Fon and Brandon Crawford. These guys were on another level, and I wanted to walk like them, talk like them and play like them. Everything I learned at NorCal, I brought back to my high school teammates at San Rafael High School.

I was a four-year starter on the varsity baseball team, earning All-League honors during my sophomore, junior, and senior years. We played in two NCS championship games and one MCAL championship, never winning any. Out of high school, I was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 2006 MLB Draft, but I declined their offer to become the first person in my family to attend college and accepted a scholarship to California State University, Fresno. I sat and learned during my freshman year, only getting ~40 at bats. All three of our starting outfielders got drafted that year, so I knew sophomore year was my chance to win a spot.

I earned the starting right fielder position in 2008; the magical year Fresno State went on its incredible postseason run and went from Underdogs to Wonderdogs. We beat six of the top 20 NCAA Division I teams during our run, finishing the job by beating the University of Georgia. In the championship deciding Game 3, I had the game of my life, going 4 for 4 with two home runs, a double, all six RBIs, and caught the final out of the 2008 College World Series.

I graduated from Fresno State in 2011 and played five years of independent minor league baseball. I played in New Mexico, New York, and Canada, and I was the first player signed to my hometown’s new independent team, the San Rafael Pacifics. I played two years for the Pacifics, and worked in their front office for three years, eventually becoming the Assistant GM. My playing career came to an end in 2013. I then picked up coaching at my alma mater, San Rafael High School. I coached nine years at SRHS, five of which were as the head coach. I also coached five years at Novato High as an assistant. I coached 15 years of travel ball, coaching for Future Prospects, California Lightning, Novato Stallions, and joining the Stings partnership in 2019.

As of 2026, I am now the sole owner of Stings Baseball. We have a new, dedicated coaching staff devoted to helping kids fall in love with the game while simultaneously developing players and people. One thing I know to be true is that your player’s baseball experience is directly correlated to your team’s coaches, not the jersey they wear. The coaching I received molded me into the player I became and the person I am today. My staff and I are ready to take everything we’ve learned and pass it along to your athletes. Our coaches will only coach one team per season so we can put our full energy and effort into your player’s journey. We will only have one travel team per age group and offer developmental leagues for everyone else.  

My family made huge sacrifices to help me achieve my goals and dreams, and when you accept a Stings roster spot, we know you are willing and ready to make similar sacrifices. My staff and I will never take that for granted. This is your journey, and we want to make sure it’s an experience that inspires confidence, creates memories, and stays with you long after the final out. Stings Baseball is not your typical travel ball experience; we’re doing it the right way. 

Go Stings!

Steve Detwiler

Stings Sports President