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Coaching Staff
Eric Albright
Varsity Head Coach
Coach Albright joined the Basha Bears coaching staff in 2021, his first year of High School coaching. After playing college and professionally with the Chicago Cubs Organization, Albright started coaching at the youth level and has been involved in youth and club baseball in the area for more than 10 years. During that time, the passion has grown to coach at the next level.
Coach Albright's playing career:
Los Alamitos High School, graduated 96 (Orange County, CA)
- Sunset League All-League 1996
- Offensive player of the year 1996
- Sunset League All Star Team 1996
Golden West Community College (Orange County, CA) 1997 - 1998
Chapman University (Orange, CA) 1999 - 2000
- Second Team All American 1999
- First Team All Region 2000
- First Team All American 2000
- College World Series appearance 2000
- Drafted by the Chicago Cubs (Pitcher / Third Baseman)
Chicago Cubs Organization (3 years)
- 2000 - Short season A Ball (Eugene, Oregon) Northwest League
- 2001 - Long season A Ball (Lansin Michigan) Midwest league
- 2002 - High A Ball (Daytona Beach, Florida) Florida State League
After Coach Albright's playing career, he began his family with his wife, Heather. They have been blessed to have five kids: Cannon, Brooklyn, Logann, Hudsyn, and Eastyn.
"This game has given me so much joy in the past and I cant wait to work with the boys and help them grow as young men and baseball players. Thank you to coach Schilling and staff for the opportunity!" - GO BEARS
Kurt "Pops" Popkins
Varsity Assistant Coach
Coach “Pops” was an Assistant Varsity Coach at Basha from 2016 to 2023 and returns for the 2023 season. Before that he was an Assistant Coach at McClintock High School for 10 seasons. He was part of Coach Harold Bull’s staff that captured the 2007 State Championship.
A 1979 graduate of McClintock, Coach Popkins went on to play Junior College baseball at Phoenix College before heading to California to play collegiately at San Jose State University.
Kurt and his wife Carrie have been married for 30+ years and are the proud parents of Kylie and Connor.
“I enjoy teaching kids. It’s very gratifying to work with a player and then watch him improve. This instills a relationship of trust between the player and coach, which I enjoy. The kids keep me young. There is never a dull moment coaching 16 – 18 year old kids.”
Victor Olivares
Varsity Assistant Coach
Coach Vic enters his 15th year coaching high school baseball, his second with Basha.
Coach Vic started coaching in 2011 at Ironwood Ridge in Tucson, AZ. He was apart of two final 4 teams. He coached there for 6 seasons.
After Ironwood Ridge, Coach Vic coached at Vista Grande in Casa Grande, AZ. In his first season he helped lead the Spartans to their first state playoff appearance. Vista Grande made the playoffs each year he coached, including a final four appearance in 2019 and a quarter final appearance in 2021. He coached there for 7 season.
Since high school Coach Vic has coached and ran baseball camps of all ages across the nation. In the summers of 2008-2015, Coach Vic coached at a Nike Baseball Camp in Boston, MA where he was an assistant coach (2008-2011) and then the baseball camp director/head coach (2012-2015). Other camps he worked were Metro State College of Denver, Univ. of Indiana Purdue Ft. Wayne, Tucson Youth Baseball Academy, and Brandon Crawford Baseball Camps.
In high school, he was a two sport athlete and team co-captain for the football and baseball teams. In football he was 2004 Pre-Season All-State Safety and received All-City honors in 2003 and 2004. In baseball he was an All-City infielder in 2003 and 2004. Coach Vic received a baseball scholarship to Pima Community College, where he played for two years. After Pima he attended Metropolitan State College of Denver where he studied Sports Industry Operations and Sports Marketing. He also was apart of the baseball operations for the baseball team.
Coach Vic is in Medical Sales, is married to Clare and they have three kids, Avery, Benny and Corey.
Baseball has always been an outlet for me, especially in high school. I love this game and I love teaching it, I want to share the same passion, lessons, knowlege, and grit to our players just like my coaches did for me.
Hayden Witmer
JV Head Coach
Bio coming soon
Kevin Bergstrom
Freshman Head Coach
Bio coming soon