tridents coaches
Brandon Trinkwon
Coach Trinkwon grew up in Orange County and attended Beckman High School from 2007 to 2010, where he established himself as one of the area’s premier players. During his high school career, he earned numerous honors, including Beckman and Pacific Coast League MVP after hitting over .500 in back-to-back seasons. He was named First Team All-State, CIF Southern Section, and All-City for both Tustin and Irvine.
Following high school, Coach Trinkwon accepted a scholarship to play at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he had an outstanding collegiate career. As a Gaucho, he was a two-time All-Big West selection and earned Preseason All-American recognition. In 2013, Baseball America ranked him the #1 infielder in all of NCAA baseball, following a standout performance in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League, where he was voted the starting All-Star shortstop. Upon returning from Cape Cod, Coach Trinkwon helped lead UCSB to its first NCAA Regional appearance in decades.
Coach Trinkwon’s college career culminated in June 2013 when he was selected in the 7th round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made an immediate impact in professional baseball, leading the Pioneer League in hitting during his debut season. Over four full seasons, Coach Trinkwon earned multiple All-Star selections, including MVP honors in the 2015 California League All-Star Game while playing for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He was later selected to compete in the Arizona Fall League, where he continued to excel against top-level talent.
In 2019, Coach Trinkwon founded the Tridents Baseball program, with a focus on player development, mentorship, and long-term athletic growth. He currently serves as the Head Baseball Coach at Sage Hill School, where he continues to share his experience, passion, and leadership with the next generation of athletes.
Nick Barte
Coach Barte is a 2002 graduate of Grandview Heights High School in Columbus, Ohio, where he was a standout multi-sport athlete. He earned 11 varsity letters across golf, football, wrestling, and baseball. As a team captain and leader, he was named All-Ohio in both wrestling and baseball his senior year. On the baseball field, he was recognized as both Conference and Central Ohio Player of the Year, setting school records for wins, ERA, and strikeouts. In recognition of his achievements, Coach Barte was inducted into the Grandview Heights Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
Following high school, Coach Barte earned a baseball scholarship to Eastern Kentucky University, where he became a starting pitcher for the Colonels. In 2006, he led NCAA Division I in home runs prevented—one of only two starting pitchers in the nation to not allow a single home run that season. During the summer, he played in the prestigious Great Lakes League for the Lima Locos, as well as for the So Cal Fire in Anaheim, California.
Coach Barte graduated from EKU in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education and began his coaching and teaching career the following year at Madison Central High School in Richmond, Kentucky. From 2008 to 2015, he served as the varsity pitching coach under Hall of Fame head coach Steve Roof, helping lead the team to a state tournament appearance in 2014. He was named KHSBCA Assistant Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2014. During the summer seasons, he served as head coach for the nationally recognized Elite Baseball Club and the Evoshield Canes.
From 2016 to 2022, Coach Barte served as head varsity coach at both Atherton High School and Fern Creek High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Over that span, he compiled a career record of 107–41, including four consecutive 20-win seasons and a District Championship in 2021. In 2022, he led Fern Creek to a 27-win season and was named KHSBCA Head Coach of the Year.
Coach Barte is now in his third year as the Varsity Pitching Coach and a mathematics teacher at Corona Del Mar High School, where he continues to bring leadership, experience, and a deep commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field.
Coach Vertigan
Born and raised in Orange County, Coach Vertigan attended Rancho Alamitos High School, where he excelled as a four-year varsity outfielder and pitcher. As a senior, he was named Garden Grove League MVP after batting .515 and setting multiple school records. A multi-sport athlete, he also played point guard on the basketball team and was honored as the school’s Senior Male Athlete of the Year.
Coach Vertigan began his collegiate career at Saddleback College, where he continued to stand out on the field. As a sophomore, he earned First Team All-Conference honors, batting .421 with one home run, eight triples, 47 runs scored, and 20 RBI. He was recognized as a Scholar Baller Athlete, set the single-season record for triples, and was later inducted into the Saddleback Baseball Hall of Fame.
He went on to play at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he had a standout career as a Gaucho. In his junior year, he was named First Team All-Big West and selected to the All-Region Team. That season, he hit .381—earning the Big West batting title—and recorded nine triples, still the program’s single-season record.
In June 2012, Coach Vertigan was selected in the 10th round of the MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics. He spent seven seasons in the A’s organization, reaching AAA in his final year. Over 662 minor league games, he compiled 635 hits, 335 runs, 130 doubles, and 100 stolen bases. Known for his strong defensive play, he posted a career .990 fielding percentage, committing just 13 errors in 594 games as an outfielder.
Throughout his professional career, Coach Vertigan made four playoff appearances (2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017) and won two Texas League championships at the Double-A level. He posted a career postseason batting average of .338, with a .394 on-base percentage and an .825 OPS.
In 2019, he transitioned to the American Association of Professional Baseball, where he played three seasons. During that span, he hit .284 and won another championship in 2020 with the Milwaukee Milkmen, earning Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Coach Vertigan is currently in his fourth year as the Varsity Hitting Coach at Corona Del Mar High School, where he brings professional-level insight and a passion for player development to the next generation of athletes.