Erik Scherer was named Head Coach of the Kingsmen Baseball program in the fall of 2023.
Scherer played for the program from 1992-95 and was named an assistant coach in 2000. He has been instrumental to the Kingsmen’s success and as the Acting Head Coach a year ago, he led the team to a second straight Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament Championship.
Scherer took over at the helm in February 2023 and guided the Kingsmen to a 29-16 (16-8 SCIAC) season. As the No. 4 seed, the Kingsmen swept through the SCIAC Tournament and into the NCAA Tournament, where they finished one game shy of playing for a regional championship.
With Scherer on staff, the Kingsmen have made nine NCAA West Regional appearances, won seven regular season SCIAC titles, and have appeared in ten SCIAC Tournaments, winning six SCIAC Championships.
Scherer’s time at Cal Lutheran can easily be highlighted by the run to the 2017 National Championship, with four members of the pitching staff earning post-season honors. The run to the 2017 National Championship saw strong contributions from the pitching staff, as they once again led the conference in ERA (3.54). SCIAC Newcomer of the Year Miguel Salud led the NCAA with 14 saves and was named Outstanding Player at the World Series. In addition to Salud, all three members of the starting rotation, Marshall Pautsch, Nate Wehner, and Scott Roberts received all-SCIAC honors as the Kingsmen won their fifth consecutive regular season championship, and fourth SCIAC tourney title in five years. Pautsch (who led the nation in starts), Wehner (World Series all-tournament team), and Salud (World Series Most Outstanding Player), were also recognized as all-West region nominees.
Since 2010, Scherer has coached 22 All-SCIAC selections with Jake Petersen (’14) earning SCIAC Newcomer of the Year and SCIAC Player of the Year in 2013 while becoming the first two-time ABCA First-Team All-America selection at CLU. Aaron Roth (’14) was named the SCIAC Pitcher of the Year in 2013 before tying for the DIII lead in saves (13) in 2014.
At the national level, he has coached numerous pitchers to All-West Region honors from both D3baseball.com and the ABCA with several All-America candidates as well.
Several of his pitching staffs have led the SCIAC in ERA, least walks allowed, and shutouts throughout his career.
A 1995 CLU graduate, Scherer was a member of the CLU baseball program from 1992 through 1995. He holds a Master’s degree in Physical Education from Azusa Pacific University and is a middle school teacher in Thousand Oaks. Erik resides in Valencia with his wife, Nicole. They have five children: Skylar, Tanner, Cole, Tyler, and Camden.
What are they saying about Coach Scherer
Andy Luttrell - Class of 2002, coached from 2005-07
“There is no better man to continue the tradition of Kingsmen Baseball than Coach Scherer. As a player, coach, and friend, I have seen how much time and effort Scherer puts into the program and the success speaks for itself. I look forward to watching the championship tradition continue and many years of success with Scherer leading."
Joseph Scalzo - Former Player - 2023 Graduate
"Coach Scherer is not just someone you want to play for but you hope to be in your life after baseball. Stepping up on short notice before our 2023 season opener, he led us to one of our best finishes in recent years. He not only makes his players better on the field, but he also makes a point to help players improve off the field. I am grateful to have played under him for 4 years and I know that the program will continue its excellent track record in his hands."
