Staff

Blue Wave’s key asset over the years is the combined experience and strength of its management team, coaches, trainers, and staff.

Blue Wave coaches and trainers have come from some of the top colleges, MLB teams, and high school coaching staffs in Southern California over the years, including: Cal State University Fullerton, Long Beach State, Stanford, Sacramento State, Fresno State, Vanguard, OCC, IVC, Angels, Rockies, Red Sox, Mets, Mariners, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Phillies, and more.

Blue Wave has been fertile proving grounds for coaches in Southern California as well, producing many notable high school and club coaches as well.

Blue Wave coaching alum include Bret Kay (JSerra), David Bacani (Santa Margarita Catholic HS), Rich Pohle (Brea Olinda), Matt Sorensen (Golden Valley), Bishop Griggs (Saddleback HS), Bret LeVier (El Toro), Jason Smith (Fullerton JC), Ben Owens (Tustin HS), Benny Bonilla, Derric Merrell, Louis Baltierra, Mike Fuchs, Charlie Phillips, and more.

And former Blue Wave players are now also making their way into the coaching ranks, including Justin Viele (LA Dodgers), Matt Florer (USD), Jon Hurst (Diamond Bar HS), and Dew Hillman (Laguna Hills).

Our present staff includes:

Steve Kruse

General Manager
President/Founder

(949)202-7748

Steve Kruse is general manager of Blue Wave Athletics, one of the oldest and most respected club baseball organizations in California.

Over the past 25 years, he has managed more than 150 teams ranging from 9U to high school and collegiate level that have played more than 7,500 games and won more than 150 league and tournament championships, as well as dozen national event championships to date.

His teams have also produced 350+ collegiate and nearly three dozen professional players as well.

Besides growing Blue Wave, Kruse has an impressive background in management and growing companies as well in the PC software industry with more than 25 years of successful executive-level experience as a President, CEO, COO, and CMO, including a stint as a key executive for PICK Systems in Irvine, CA from 1987 to 1992.

Kruse started his career as a Journalist, newspaper Editor and Publisher in the Pacific Northwest, where he garnered 16 national awards for writing, editing, and Journalist excellence from 1972 to 1982.

He started Blue Wave in 2004 as a “hobby” and has 40+ years of experience coaching or managing successful club teams in Football, Basketball, and Baseball.

Aron Garcia

Head Coach & Trainer
Vice President & Board Director

(562)301-6516

Longtime Orange County youth baseball Coach Aron Garcia is director of player development at all levels for Blue Wave’s highly regarded High School Player and Collegiate Preparation Programs that are focused on developing players for the next level for any ballplayer at any age.

Garcia is one of the top youth team coaches in the Western region and excels at preparing players for high school, college and beyond. In his 18 years as a coach, several hundred of his former players have gone on to play college and professionally.

Garcia’s teams are consistently competitive and highly ranked every year, he has more than 70 tournament and league titles to his credit, as well as 14U national championships in 2009 and 2010. His high school varsity-level teams have won numerous tournaments and showcase events.

His 14U team was 67-14 in 2010, ranked 18th in the nation by Perfect Game national scouting service, and finished first or second in more than a dozen tournaments over a five-month span. His 11U team won 7 out of eight tournaments they entered in 2015 and were ranked No. 1 in Southern California and No. 10 nationally by USSSA.

Garcia’s 2018 Blue Wave 12U team won eight tournament titles in eight months, compiling a 53-8-2 record that was capped off with the Cooperstown All-Star Village Week 9 Championship.

Garcia is also well experienced in playing in national tournaments; he was a member of the 1987 Northwood Little League team that played Taiwan in the Little League World Series.

He was featured in a feature article in the OC Register about his experience in the LLWS, as well as when he was featured in a June 27, 1988 Sports Illustrated as “The Comeback Kid.” And, in case you missed it, you can read the online version here HERE.

He was also a four-year varsity starter at Irvine High School, where he played shortstop. After high school, he attended Saddleback College, where he played baseball and football. He has coached baseball and football since 1996 at Irvine High School, Mater Dei Northwood High School, and currently at Crean Lutheran High School, Irvine.

Matt Sorensen

Director of Player Development,  Head Coach, Board Director

(424)326-2807

Coach Matt Sorensen has more than 10 years’ experience coaching high school varsity baseball, with head high school coaching stints at Golden Valley, Estancia, Brea Olinda, and Cathedral City as well.

Sorensen serves as Blue Wave’s Director of Player Development and coaches major showcase events and assists in promoting players to collegiate programs.  He is also a member of the Blue Wave Athletics Board of Directors.

Sorensen is highly popular with the players, his peers, and well-respected by collegiate coaches as well.

Sorensen was a highly successful starting pitcher in his days for the Oklahoma Sooners as well as Cal State Fullerton, where he pitched for two seasons under head coach George Horton and established a 17-0 record over two years.

His 12-0 sophomore mark was the second-best in school history, earning him first-team All-Big West Conference honors in 1999. He led the team in innings pitched (126.0) in his first year, beat all-Big West foes at least once as a sophomore, and captured the Titans’ only College World Series win in the 1999 series after going 8.1innings against Texas A&M.

Sorensen was drafted twice in his collegiate career, by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998 and the Blue Jays once again in 2000.

He was a three-sport letterman for Warren High School in Downey, where he was named the high school’s “Athlete of The Year” and named First-team CIF and San Gabriel Valley League Player of the Year. He was also named to the Press Telegram Dream Team and selected First Team All-League three times.

Sorensen has coached many highly successful Blue Wave 18U Connie Mack teams over the years and many of his players and students have gone on to play college and professional baseball, including Dylan Moore (Mariners).