Throwback Thursday: Remembering Mark Campbell… the Club & High School Coach’s Legacy Remembered
By
@BruntjensElla
May 19, 2023
Mark Campbell coached an OC Batbusters 14U team to a national title and helped as assistant to Mike Stith’s 18U team which won a pair of 18U PGF titles.
This is Brentt Eads of Extra Inning Softball.
It’s interesting how one image, one passing moment, can take you back in life to so many memories… and happy experiences… with people important in life.
This year (2023) was the second year of the Mark Campbell Collegiate Invitational.
On Wednesday, I saw a Mark Campbell Collegiate Invitational sweatshirt and it suddenly and unexpectedly took me back to so many memories of the late, great club and high school coach who was one of the most well-respected people I’ve ever met in the fastpitch softball world.
In February, the second year of the tournament named after Coach Campbell was held and–as detailed in our preview of the 2023 Invitational–the event was founded by PGF President Dan Hay and Oklahoma Head Coach Patty Gasso as “a yearly opportunity to, as the tournament websitesays it, ‘honor a great ambassador to our sport.’”
I was privileged to have known Coach Campbell and, just this morning, I did a search on ExtraInningSoftball.com to see how many times–in how many articles since we started EIS in 2018–that Mark was mentioned. The answer: 113 times.
That is just a very small indicator of the impact this beloved man had on the sport and its people, especially young players he taught and developed. Watch the video below highlighted in RED and you’ll see the coach who impacted so many at the high school and club levels, but what really caught my attention is how much his players really loved Mark. You can see them joking with him and it is simultaneously an expression of love and respect.
Today and moving forward, Coach Campbell will be honored through the college event that bears his name, but remembering him over the last 24 hours has reminded me how important he was to the sport and how important it is for all of us–especially those who are new or just entering softball–to get to know the legacy and history of this man who impacted so many.
Our world needs and is blessed by the Mark Campbell’s who cross our paths… here’s a tribute to him going back to his way-too-early passing in 2019, but more importantly, a refresher of his amazing accomplishments and why he is still so beloved today… and, forever, will be.
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Remembering Mark Campbell: the Club & High School Coach’s Legacy Revisited In “Game Ready” Tribute
Originally published May 1, 2020, on Extra Inning Softball
Click HERE to see the start of the Coach Campbell tribute in Episode 7 of Game Ready
If you followed club and high school softball, especially on the West Coast, you knew of Mark and all he did for young softball players everywhere.
And seeing that Game Ready footage reminded us of how much we liked him… and greatly miss him since his passing a little over a year ago.
Mark won championships with the OC Batbusters and Victory USA at the club level and with Pacifica High in Garden Grove, California, but his lasting legacy will be the impact he had on those fortunate enough to have played for him or just simply been able to know him… including those of us at Extra Inning Softball.
Mark Campbell was one of the most influential club and high school coaches in the country, but you wouldn’t know it talking to him.
Coaching great Mark Campbell being interviewed during a PGF Nationals championship.
He was a down-to-earth coach who had a good sense of humor and was well-liked by everyone that I knew.
In March of 2019, the softball world was shocked when he was hospitalized and then suddenly passed away. Within hours, I had coaches, players and even parents calling me from all over the country expressing their sorrow and sharing “Mark” stories.
My lasting memory involving Mark will be a nice conversation I had with him literally minutes before the 2018 PGF 18U National Championship when he was helping Mike Stith coach the OC Batbusters.
Mark was as relaxed as he could be and we talked about everything except softball prior to the game that would be televised on the ESPN channels.
The coach was like that, he was a retired detective and could talk intelligently about just about everything so you’d sometimes forget how influential and successful he was in developing and coaching softball talent.
Dejah Mulipola in August of 2016 following her final appearance with the Batbusters.
Another time I went to Pacifica High and he wanted me to meet this young and always-smiling catcher with braces who would become a force for the Mariners and one Coach Stith would said would “someday play in the Olympics.”
Her name: Dejah Mulipola and she did make Team USA which will play in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games next year (2021). Dejah was one of many players, especially catchers, who Mark would coach and develop and lead to great success on-and off-the softball field.
Campbell’s loss was felt by all those who knew him, but through his selfless work, his legacy will live on forever with all those who knew him.
Here are several Extra Inning Softball articles and tributes on Coach Campbell we published last year… note: these are published in reverse chronological order.
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UPDATED: Legendary OC Batbuster & Pacifica High Coach Mark Campbell Died Monday Morning
Originally published March 17, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
Mark Campbell won championships as a coach at the club and high school levels.
UPDATED Monday 6:10 am PST: We’re sad to report that Mark Campbell has passed away Monday morning… here’s the news from the OC Batbusters Facebook page:
We spoke to OC Batbusters organizational head Mike Stith Monday morning later after Coach Campbell’s passing as Stith was on his way to the hospital to be with the Campbell family.
Asked what his memory would be of Mark Campbell, he stated:
Mike Stith
“When you’re in our (softball) world, there’s not a lot of people you can fully trust. With Mark you could.
We’re very similar in that we don’t like being the center of attention and he was a hard ass, but that’s why our players did what they did.
We expected more of them and they of themselves and ultimately that’s who we are.”
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Originally posted Sunday evening, Monday, March 17, 2019
Breaking News: Legendary OC Batbuster & Pacifica High Coach Mark Campbell “Fighting For Life” After Surgery
One of the most successful and highly-regard coaches in the club and high school world, Mark Campbell–who has won championships coaching the OC Batbusters and Pacifica Mariners’ softball program—is in the hospital reportedly “fighting for this life” after undergoing surgery Sunday afternoon to stop internal bleeding.
The OC Batbusters put out a post on Facebook Sunday saying the following:
“Mark Campbell had a successful surgery to stop the internal bleeding. He must remain stabilized for 24 hours to deal with blood clots found in his lungs. He is fighting for his life and the family asks for your continuous prayers and positive thoughts.”
At 2:45 pm PST Sunday, the retired police officer known as a great developer of catchers in particular, had the surgery and the next day will determine the extent of his health issues.
Working with Mike Stith, who oversees the OC Batbuster organization and also the Sports Training Complex in Anaheim, California, Campbell has accomplished the following (per the STC website):
Head Coach Orange County Batbusters 14U, 2013 – Present.
PGF National Champions 2015
Team Mizuno 14U Head Coach 2013
PGF National Champions 2013
Head Coach Pacifica High School 2007-Present
C.I.F Division 1 Champions 2014.
Empire League Champions 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017.
Head Coach Victory USA 10’s 12’s 14’s 2000-2005.
ASA National Champions 2001, 2003, 2005
Head Coach Victory USA 2006-2011.
ASA National Champions 2007, 2009, 20011.
One notable softball figure who is a Pacifica alum and won a CIF title for the Mariners prior to Campbell being the head coach is Amanda Freed, who went on to win a national championship at UCLA and a Gold Medal in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Amanda commented upon hearing the news:
“Huge prayers for Mark Campbell and his family during this time. Mark has deeply impacted our softball community for many years not only coaching some of the most elite high school and travel ball athletes around but through his passion to prepare them for life post softball.
I hope he (and his family) know how much they are loved, appreciated, and thought of during this time.”
Below are some of the social media reports from the OC Batbusters organization and others in the club world offering thoughts and prayers.
On behalf of all of us at Extra Inning Softball, we wish the very best to Mark and his family and all those who he has made an impact on in the softball world…
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
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Please keep OC Batbuster Coach Mark Campbell in your prayers. Mark is battling for his life. As of 2:45pm pst he is in surgery. Please respect the family’s privacy. We will update you all when we know more.
Video: The Orange County Register Honors Coach Mark Campbell
Originally published March 18, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
Mark Campbell seen here coaching at Pacifica High in Garden Grove, California. Photo: Orange County Register.
The softball world, particularly the high school and club communities, is still in shock over the sudden passing of Mark Campbell, who had a long and well-respected career in the sport.
As we detailed earlier today, he not only won championships, but he touched, influenced and shaped a lot of lives in the sport.
The Orange County Register produced a brief video today mentioning his passing, and paying tribute to his successes… below is the clip.
We will continue to honor Campbell in the upcoming days and weeks…
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Video: A PGF Championship Tribute to Mark Campbell
Originally published March 24, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
Mark Campbell coached an OC Batbusters 14U team to a PGF national title and helped as assistant to Mike Stith’s 18U team which won a pair of 18U PGF titles. Photos courtesy of PGF.
Funeral services were held today in Cypress, California for Mark Campbell, the highly-successful and much loved fastpitch high school and travel ball coach who died unexpectedly last Monday morning.
Coach Campbell led his OC Batbusters 14U team to the 2015 PGF National Championship and also won a CIF Div. I title coaching the Pacifica (Garden Grove, California) High Mariners in 2014.
Mark won many other titles, tournaments and other events on the field, but where he will have a lasting impact is the lives he touched.
Gary Haning, who headed the OC Batbuster organization for over three decades, put it perfectly in his Facebook post shortly after Coach Campbell’s passing:
I was fortunate to know Mark and whenever I asked his opinion he was kind, funny, patient and honest about the strengths and weaknesses of his team and players.
Mark Campbell interviewed during PGF Nationals.
I will always remember talking to him last July 28, just about 30 minutes before the Batbusters 18U team would go out and play in the PGF National Championship game against Georgia Impact-Lewis, who would win 6-4.
Before the game, waiting to enter the stadium in Bill Parker Park in Irvine, California, I spoke with Mark for about 10 minutes and was relaxed and funny, the always witty guy who was blunt, but likeable and insightful, but easy to talk to.
He was a great developer of players and people and the responses to his passing have shown that. I’ve talked to former players and many have said the same thing: “we feel like we’ve lost a father figure.”
His brother, Craig Campbell, started a Mark Campbell Memorial GoFundMe account On March 20 and with a goal of $30,000 it was just $630 short in three short days. That’s indicative of how loved Mark was not just in the softball community but by everyone who knew him.
Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) release a wonderful video compilation this weekend of some of the coach’s on-air footage during PGF Nationals the last couple years. You’ll get a sense of who he was in these clips as announcers Darren Sutton and Amanda Freed interview Mark.
As it says in the closing slide, “Your contribution to the game will live on forever….” We would add: “The impact you’ve had in the lives of thousands will live on forever too.”
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Video: Jersey Presentation to Mark Campbell’s Family at Quest for the Best
Originally published June 19, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
The family of Mark Campbell was presented a jersey created in his honor. The presentation took place last Saturday night during the Quest for the Best Invitational.
One of the highlights of this past weekend in club ball took place on the softball field, but it had nothing to do with runs, pitches or at-bats.
The finale for Saturday’s night’s festivities at the Quest for the Best Fastpitch Invitational, held at Cal State Fullerton and featuring 10 of the top 18U teams in the nation, was the presentation of a jersey created by 4 the Heroes, Play with Honor and Blackstar athletics to the family of the late travel ball legend, Mark Campbell.
Campbell passed away suddenly on March 18, 2019 and left a legacy of championship teams in the OC Batbuster organization, but more importantly a long-lasting positive impact on thousands of young athletes.
Here’s a video highlight of the jersey presentation as organized by BBFC Events—a Batbusters and Firecrackers partnership…
