'It's a witch hunt': Del Oro's Whitmore departs from baseball team

Just two months ago, Del Oro High School's baseball team was dogpiling on the pitcher's mound of Islanders Park in Lathrop after capturing its first Sac-Joaquin Section baseball championship in 34 years. The Golden Eagles overcame adversity all season after having to forfeit nine games due to an administrative error. Del Oro could have sulked and held a pity party, but instead, its players got to work, proving they were one of the best teams in the region, just as their record on the field reflected. "I believe this team can do anything," Del Oro coach Jordan Whitmore said after the section championship game. "I've never seen a more motivated team. These guys just have so much fight." Now that the honeymoon of the section title is over, the championship hangover has already set in as the Golden Eagles were delivered a massive blow Monday afternoon when Whitmore announced his departure from the program. Whitmore said in an official statement he stepped down as head coach and wished he had a better answer for why he was leaving. "We were under investigation from administration, we had an assistant coach get fired and while this whole weird deal is going on, we powered through it all," said Whitmore. "We went through every possible obstacle you can put in our way, we put it all together and we did it. This team won all those battles." Whitmore said that the investigation claims he created a toxic environment for the players, an accusation he refuted. The play certainly didn't reflect a toxic environment, as Del Oro won nine of its final 11 games to win the section championship and reach the NorCal Regional Tournament for the first time in program history. "Some people had all these things to say about our environment and this and that, but we got to put it on display in front of everyone," said Whitmore in an interview with the Auburn Journal on Monday. "I went into the meetings and answered all of their questions very honestly. The impression that I got from our principal (Nick Zerwas) when I walked in there was that we can't wait to get this over with, great season and looking forward to next year." Whitmore said the investigation also had allegations of a player using a nicotine pouch in the back of a bus after a game. While Whitmore said he didn't know if that was true, he pointed out that he was reprimanded in fall ball for disciplining a player without definitive evidence and questioned how he is expected to do the same if he didn't have definitive evidence in this instance either. Whitmore says he was called into another meeting last week where he was told he would not return as Del Oro's head coach. He said the investigation found a disconnect within the program, which he questioned. "I don't know where the disconnect is, to be entirely honest," said Whitmore. "I have a pretty strong pulse of the team and that was why this team was able to get through some of the things that we went through. I walked out of that meeting pretty much with my jaw on the floor." One finding of the investigation was that Whitmore allegedly disengaged from the team emotionally in losses. Earlier in the season, a Del Oro assistant coach was suspended indefinitely and then fired for what Whitmore said was engaging too emotionally after a loss. Whitmore said he made a note of it to work on his body language during games after his player evaluations from a year before. "I owned up to it and I adjusted," said Whitmore. "It's a witch hunt, but a witch hunt doesn't do it justice." This is not the first notable coaching change at Del Oro after a successful season. In December 2023, Mike Maben was dismissed as the football coach after two consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section semifinal appearances. Earlier this year, girls basketball coach MJ Masys stepped down after one season despite finishing in the top three in the Sierra Foothill League. On social media, Del Oro players and coaches from high school and college programs in the area gave Whitmore an outpouring of support and questioned the expectations of Del Oro's administration. Kael Lumbert, who was second on the team in RBIs and led the team in hits this season, supported Whitmore on X, saying, "Loved playing for you coach, truly a season I will never forget." Jackson Gray, a sophomore on this year's varsity team, said "Thank you for everything coach. These last two years have been incredible." Gold Mountain California News Media reached out to Zerwas, the Del Oro principal, for an interview. Zerwas said he was unable to do the interview as scheduled since his morning filled up but gave a statement on the incident, saying, "We are incredibly proud of what the Del Oro baseball program accomplished under Coach Whitmore's leadership over the past two seasons, including a historic section title. His passion and commitment to the team were clear, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors. As with all programs, we regularly evaluate leadership to ensure alignment with our long-term goals and values. While we won't comment on internal personnel matters, we remain committed to supporting our student-athletes and continuing to build a positive, competitive culture in all of our athletics."