The Last Inning (Aug. 31, 2020): Legendary Coach Rick Robinson is Back in the Club World

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Here’s our TLI for Monday, Aug. 31, 2020…

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Legendary Norco High, CA, coach Rich Robinson came out of semi-retirement to help as pitching coach for the OC Firecrackers 2023-Holcomb/Knight last season and this season he’s taking over as head coach.

“When co-Head Coach Gregg Knight informed me that he would be moving to Texas after PGF last summer I put the word on the street that I was looking for a new pitching coach to replace him,” former co-Head Coach Ted Holcomb said.

“I got a call from Doug Myers a couple weeks later saying I got a guy named Rick Robinson that might be interested. Almost fell out of my chair and said ‘The Rick Robinson‘ from Norco High and he said, yes. Rick had been out of travel ball for a year after retiring from the pitching coach role with Gary Fausett and the (So Cal) Choppers and was ready to get back into it. Guess I was just in the right place at the right time.”

MaxPreps honored Robinson as the high school Coach of the Decade for the 2010s, which saw him lead the Cougars to six Big VIII League titles and CIF-Southern Section Division 1 championships in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2019.

“They are very talented,” Robinson said of his new team. “I was really impressed by them. They want to learn. They are all in.”

The new squad, which features 11 returners, five newcomers and nine players in the Extra Elite 100 rankings, will be known as Firecrackers-Holcomb/Robinson 16U.

Here are the returning players:

• Taryn Clements, 2023, C/CI
• Laci Berrecochea, 2023, 1B/UT/P
• Julie Holcomb, 2023, OF
• Ilove’a Brittingham, 2024, C/OF
• Sophia Knight, 2023, CF/2B
• Sofia Hollingsworth, 2023, 3B/2B/OF
• Kaylin Garcia, 2023, SS/2B
• Emma Francisco, 2023, P/1B
• Regan Legg, 2023, OF/1B
• Joie Steinkamp, 2023, P/OF
• Marley Goluskin, 2023, P/SS/UT

Here are the new players:

• Allison “Gator” Robinson, 2023, SS/UT
• Giselle Lai, 2023, 3B/P/2B
• Nani Arreola, 2023, P/DP/1B
• Avery Duran, 2022, OF/UT
• Rori Degeer, 2023, 3B/C