Apopka High School Athletic Director Aaron Crawford says the search for a new baseball coach is progressing, although more slowly than the rapid search to fill the school’s open football coach position.
In early June, Apopka’s former coach, Bobby Brewer, stepped down after six seasons at the helm of the program. After compiling a 91-48 record, a 2022 regional semifinal appearance, and three district championship game appearances, Brewer cited a loss of joy as his reasoning for stepping down.
“You got to have fun doing this,” Brewer said. “It’s just to the point where things ain’t like they used to be.”
Crawford told The Apopka Chief last week that the school had just begun the process of searching for a new baseball coach. He said that he and Principal Lyle Heinz have many quality candidates.
Crawford said the interview process would start in July. Crawford said his tentative goal is to have someone in place for baseball by the end of July so he can start in time for fall ball.
“We have received resumes from several qualified candidates for the head baseball position,” Crawford told The Chief this week. “Our goal is to thoroughly review them at the start of July and have a coach in place in time for the fall season, which starts on the Tuesday after Labor Day. We feel that the position is an attractive one, especially with the unique history of the program, combined with what we feel is one of the best communities in Central Florida to support it.”
Crawford clarified that the school and the athletic department still need to establish a new time frame for finishing the new baseball and softball complexes before proceeding with the coaching search.
The new Apopka baseball and softball complexes were supposed to be finished and operational by the start of the 2025 season, but that didn’t go as planned for Apopka High School.
By the start of the season, both field and complexes were far from being completed, leading to Apopka baseball and softball teams playing on the road for the first half of their seasons. The softball team played its first 10 games of the season on the road, posting a stellar 8-2 record. The baseball team played 14 straight road games to start the season and compiled an 8-6 record.
By March, Apopka baseball and softball had yet to play a home game. Apopka High School and the Orange County Public Schools acting chief facilities officer, Rory Salimbene, stated that the facilities were still unfit for occupancy.
Beyond delayed construction issues, players, parents, and fans of the baseball team raised other concerns. Problems with design and construction consistency, a lack of safety features like foul netting, and the removal of a viewing window in the concession stand left those in the Apopka baseball community unhappy.
By late March, Apopka baseball and softball were allowed to use their fields, but they were far from finished products. Also, at the end of March, OCPS and Apopka High School said they would take the summer to fix all the remaining problems with both facilities.
Coach Mike MacWithey of the Apopka softball team was very happy with how their field and complex turned out even after the delay. He said that now that the facility is so amazing, the quality of play needs to be improved as well.
“We challenge our players to put a product and team on the field that matches the quality of the facility,” head coach Mike MacWithey said after their first home win of the 2025 season. “We’ve done our part (in building the complex); you need to do your part on the field. It’s your responsibility to do that part.”
