Piraro, the Saints’ first baseball coach, won state titles in 1981 and 1983 for Mission College. At the time, Mission was a young school just off of Highway 101, established merely six years earlier in 1975. The Athletics program was added in 1979-80.  Mission went 190-70-3 during Piraro’s time with seven playoff appearances. The Saints won five Coast titles in seven years before Piraro took a job at San Jose State. He is a member of the California Community College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame (1996.)

Piraro led SJSU for 25 years (1987-2002, 2004-12), going 806.632-6 (.560), including a 2000 College World Series berth. He recently coached at Willow Glen High. 

“Coach Sam was like a father to many of his players that needed guidance, discipline, and direction,” said one of his former Mission players Steven Koontz. “To many of his former players, he is considered the ‘best coach they ever had’ and a needed mentor during their formative years.”