Randy Betten

Randall Scott Betten

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.
• School Azusa Pacific University, Thomas Edison State College, Arizona State University, Riverside Community College
• High School New Life Christian High School

• Born July 28, 1971 in Highland, CA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Randy Betten played professional baseball for six years, including three years at the AAA level.

College playing career

Betten spent two years in junior college. He hit .296 with 11 steals and 50 runs as the starting second baseman for the Arizona State University team that made it to the 1994 College World Series. In '95, he was a team captain for ASU. He batted .320 with 51 runs, 26 triples and 7 triples (the most in the Pacific-10 Conference). He made All-Pac-10 in the outfield alongside players such as Geoff Jenkins, Jacque Jones and Eric Byrnes. The California Angels took Randy in the 26th round of the 1995 amateur draft.

Minor league playing career

The Californian made his pro debut in 1995, appearing that year for the Boise Hawks (3 for 8, BB) and Cedar Rapids Kernels (.233/.365/.267, 6 SB, 2 CS in 36 G). In '96, he was a utility man with the Lake Elsinore Storm (.259/.320/.369 in 74 G) and Midland Angels (.171/.218/.195 in 28 G), stealing 14 bases in 18 tries overall. Betten bounced around in 1997 and hit .305 with 15 steals between three stops - Lake Elsinore (.345/.437/.474 in 35 G), Midland (.291/.357/.418 in 57 G) and the Vancouver Canadians (.279/.353/.393 in 23 G). He played all four infield positions as well as the outfield that season. The former ASU leader was not nearly as good in 1998, struggling with both Midland (.230/.300/.354 in 76 G) and Vancouver (1 for 10, 2 BB) and stealing just four bases in 86 games. He also earned his bachelor's degree that year, from Thomas Edison State College. He ended his playing career in 1999 with Lake Elsinore (.327/.375/.423 in 15 G), the Erie SeaWolves (3 for 20) and the Edmonton Trappers (11 for 29, 2B).

Overall, Betten had a batting line of .266/.334/.370 in 375 minor league games, with 45 steals in 63 tries, 163 runs and 140 RBI. He played over 100 games at third base and over 50 at second base, shortstop and the outfield.

Minor league and college coaching

Remaining in the Angels chain, Betten was field coach for Cedar Rapids in 2000 after Tyrone Boykin was promoted to manager. He had begun coaching part-time even while still playing, working as assistant coach at Riverside Community College from 1996-2003. He was an assistant at California Baptist University in 2004 under Gary Adcock, who he had worked with when they were both assistants at Riverside Community College. From 2005-2010, he was assistant coach at UC Riverside.

In 2011, Betten became the fifth head coach in Cal Poly Ponoma's 51-year history, succeeding Mike Ashman, another former minor league player.

Sources

• 1995-2000 Baseball Almanacs
• [http://polycentric.csupomona.edu/news_stories/2011/01/randy-betten-baseball-head-coach.html