Steve Ward, the DVC athletics Hall of Fame director will be the interim baseball coach for the 2012 season while the school looks for a more permanent solution for the team.

“I’m just going to be head coach for one year to allow Christine Worsley, dean of Physical Education, Athletics, Dance and Athletic Director, the time she needs to go through the process of hiring someone for spring 2013,” Ward said in a news release.

 Steve Ward was originally hired at DVC to be the baseball coach in 1976 and held the position until 1999. In 1994 Ward became the Athletic Director too, and until 1999 he was both the baseball and AD. In 2000 Ward resigned from baseball to solely be the AD for DVC.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have such a qualified and experienced baseball coach on our staff, and I am grateful that he is willing to step up and help us by filling this position. This position is very important to our DVC athletics program,” Worsley said in a news release. “DVC’s 2011 team was ranked no. 1 in Northern California for four weeks this past spring, and we are thrilled to have a coach who can help build on this momentum.”

Steve Ward will be taking over the position of head baseball coach in the absence of former coach Mike Neu, who recently was hired on as a pitching coach for UC Berkeley’s baseball program.

Coach Mike Neu, led the Vikings baseball program from 2009-2011. Neu led the Vikings baseball team to a record of 87-61 in three years, with two Big 8 Conference titles. His 2011 squad was ranked No. 1 in Northern California for four weeks this past spring, and his pitching staff led all the California Community Colleges with a 2.13 team ERA.