Coaches Bio

Coach Embrey started the Del Norte baseball program when the school opened in 2009, and now begins his 10th year leading the team. A local product, he graduated from Poway High School in 2000, where he was a 2-sport athlete, earning 3 Varsity letters in both basketball and baseball. He earned All-League, All-North County Conference, and ALL-CIF accolades in both sports.

 

For college, Coach Embrey attended San Diego State University, where he earned a degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Physical Education in 2004. At SDSU he played 4 years of baseball, getting the chance to play for 2 Hall-of-Fame coaches in Jim Dietz and Tony Gwynn. During his time as an Aztec, Coach Embrey earned awards for both Most Improved Player (junior year) and Team MVP (senior year). He was also recognized 7 times as a Malik Award winner, honoring the male student-athlete with the highest GPA on campus. During his senior year, Coach Embrey earned First-Team All-Mountain West Conference honors and was recognized as a First-Team Academic All-American.

 

Following college, Coach Embrey got drafted by the San Diego Padres, and had a short minor league career that ultimately ended following a couple of wrist surgeries.

 

Prior to starting the Nighthawk program, Coach Embrey spent time as an assistant coach at Scripps Ranch HS, Westview HS, and Rancho Bernardo HS. In 2013, He earned his Master’s Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine. Currently, he’s a teacher in the Exercise and Nutritional Science department at Del Norte, teaching Health and P.E. classes. He lives in 4S Ranch with his wife and 3 young kids. In his free time, Coach Embrey is an avid reader and fly-fisherman.

Coach Gusich is in his 8th season working with the Del Norte baseball program, currently serving as the assistant varsity baseball coach. His areas of focus are: 1st base coach, assistant to the head coach, co-hitting instructor, lead outfield instructor, lead base running instructor, youth camp and program coordinator, and Del Norte Liaison to the 4S Ranch Little League.

 

He was raised in Glendale, Arizona where he succeeded as a dual sport Varsity Athlete in baseball/basketball at Deer Valley High School, earning a 1st Team All-Desert Valley Region selection as an outfielder in 1996. After high school, he took his love for the game of baseball to the next level, beginning his collegiate career at Missouri Valley College (NAIA 96-98). Coach Gusich later transferred to Colorado Mesa University (CMU) in the Fall of 1998.  As an outfielder at CMU, he was part of 2 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships (1999, 2001).

 

Following graduation in 2001, Coach Gusich joined the CMU coaching staff from 2001-02 through 2003-04. During his assistant coaching tenure at CMU, he served the Mavericks as lead outfield coach, assistant hitting instructor, and assistant to the head coach.

Following the 03-04 campaign, Coach Gusich turned to a different aspect of the game and became an umpiring official. Mentored by some of the top NCAA umpires and rules coordinators, he quickly became a top quality High School umpire. After 2 seasons in the HS ranks, Coach Gusich began to umpire within the Community/Junior College Scenic West Athletic Conference and was affiliated with the Mountain West Athletic Conference. He also began to umpire NCAA Division II non-conference affiliated games.

 

Coach Gusich moved to San Diego in 2011 with his wife and 2 sons where he quickly made an impact within the 4S ranch Community as a teacher and coach at Del Norte along with his volunteerism within the 4S Ranch Little League.

 

Coach Gusich is currently the assistant varsity baseball coach at Del Norte High School. His areas of focus are: 1st base coach, assistant to the head coach, co-hitting instructor, lead outfield instructor, lead base running instructor, youth camp and program coordinator, and Del Norte Liaison to the 4S Ranch Little League.

 

Coach Gusich continues to volunteer his time in the 4S Ranch Little League as a Manager in addition to his HS duties, and equally shares his love for the game as a Special Assistant and Head Coach for a local club baseball program.
 

Coach Adamson is in his 6th season on the Del Norte staff, and has served as Freshman Head Coach, JV Head Coach, and Varsity Pitching Coach.

 

He was born and raised right here in San Diego, and played his high school baseball at Clairemont High, where he was part of the school’s first CIF championship team. He went on to play at Pasadena City College where he pitched and played outfield. Coach Adamson finished his playing career at Linfield College in McMinnville OR where he majored in PE/Athletic Training with a minor in biology.

 

He started his coaching career at Temecula Valley High School as the varsity pitching coach and later as the head freshman coach. Coach Adamson had the pleasure of working with “The Coach” John Kentera for several years as both a camp and private lessons instructor for Valley School of Baseball in Sorrento Valley. 
 

Coach Heidenreich is in his 2nd year in the Nighthawk baseball program and will serve as the Freshman Freshman Head Coach after being the Freshman Pitching Coach last year.

He played varsity baseball at Temescal Canyon High School from 2006-2009, and was awarded Offensive Player of the Year as a senior. He was offered a college scholarship in 2008 to pitch at UC Riverside but opted to go in the draft, after being selected in the 4th round in 2009 by the Chicago White Sox. Coach Heidenreich was traded to the Houston Astros in 2012 for Brett Meyers, and played in the Arizona Fall League in 2013. He played a total of 8 seasons in the Minor Leagues, was a 3-time All-Star and a was awarded the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year in 2015. 

Coach Heidenreich retired in 2017 from playing, after being injured in 2016 season. He has coached travel ball from 2017- present.