Brett Balkan

A native of Carlsbad, California, Brett was a two-year varsity starting shortstop at Carlsbad High School and a three-year varsity soccer player, earning All-League honors in both sports.

Brett continued his baseball career at San Diego Mesa College, where he transformed into one of the top junior college players in the country. As a sophomore, he hit .384, won the conference batting title, earned First Team All-American honors, First Team All-Conference honors and received the Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the top defensive shortstop in the Western Region.

His success earned him a Division I scholarship to California State University, Northridge, where he competed in the Big West Conference. During his senior season, Brett hit .285 overall and .329 in conference play while earning All-Big West Honorable Mention and the team’s Best Defensive Player Award.

After college, Brett played five seasons of professional baseball, winning two championships and earning multiple All-Star selections. He won a post season MVP and regular season MVP in his final season of his career. Throughout his professional career, he maintained a batting average above .300 while establishing himself as one of the league’s premier defensive shortstops.

Currently, Brett Balkan is the Head Varsity Baseball Coach at Pacific Ridge School, where he also serves full-time in the Athletic Department as a Physical Education Teacher, Academic Advisor, and Athletic Program Development Lead. In his first season as head coach, Brett led the program to its first league championship in four years and helped earn promotion to a higher league.

For more than a decade, Brett has coached hitting, infield play, and player development throughout San Diego County. He is the founder of Balkan Hitting and specializes in video analysis, mental performance training, and individualized player development. He also serves as the Hitting Director for Holistic Baseball⁠; which includes The Nest Baseball Academy, the Online Hitting Academy, and the San Diego Hawks Baseball Club.

Brett holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from California State University, Northridge (2014) and a Master’s Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine (2019).