After the retirement of former Diablo Valley College baseball head coach Steve Ward, head softball coach Dennis Luquet has been chosen to coach baseball. The school confirmed his selection in a tweet this past Thursday. It’s unknown at the moment wether any other candidates were up for consideration, or who will replace Luquet.

Luquet coached DVC baseball during the 2012-13, then transitioning to softball after Ward was rehired by Viking Athletics in 2013. In his first season coaching softball, the team went all the way to Big 8 Championships, finishing second to Cosumnes River College. Despite the loss, this feat helped cement Luquet as a reliable coach.

Baseball at DVC has been in a rough patch for several years, losing six straight seasons since the 2013-14 season. This past year, the Vikings went 15-22 overall and 8-16 in conference. Additionally, softball suffered this past season, with an overall 9-27 record and 4-17 conference record. Though the slump has been real, Luquet’s familiarity and experience with both sports is encouraging for the program.