Chaparral Baseball
Coaching Staff
Varsity
Head Coach
Alan DiGiosio
2025 Regional Qualifiers
2024 Regional Champs
2023 Regional Champs
2023 Chaparral High School Coach of the Year
2022 Continental League Coach of the Year
2022 Continental League Champs
2022 Regional Champs and 5A Final Four appearance
2019 Regional Champs
2018 Regional Qualifiers
2017 Regional Qualifiers
2016 Chaparral High School Coach of the Year
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Coach DiGiosio is a Colorado native, having grown up in Arvada and graduated from Pomona High School in 1991. He attended the University of Northern Colorado, receiving his teaching license and undergraduate degree. He received his Masters Degree in 2000. He has been teaching high school social studies for 29 years, 20 of which have been spent at Chaparral High School.
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Prior to becoming head coach in 2015, Coach DiGiosio spent 9 years as a Chaparral varsity assistant coach under head coaches Steve Eaton initially and then Tony Persichina. Seven of those years he served as the pitching coach. Coach DiGiosio's previous baseball coaching stops consists of 6 years of being a head coach with various programs - Jefferson County Hardball (1997), Highlands Ranch High School (2001-2004) and Elizabeth High School (2004-2006). He has also been an assistant coach at Pomona High School (1993-1995), Greeley West High School (1996), Wheatridge High School (1997), and Columbine High School (1998-2001).
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Coach DiGiosio has been married to his wife Danelle for 27 years. They have 2 children - daughter Shea who was a Chap grad in 2020, and son Damon who graduated from Chap in 2023.
Assistant Coach
Ryan Serena
Ryan Serena is our lead defensive instructor/strategist in addition to coaching first base on gamedays. Ryan is the co-founder and current owner of Rogue Baseball Performance in Englewood, guiding Rogue's business operations, serving as the Program Director of Colorado Rogue Baseball Club, and working with infielders in Rogue's training environment.
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Ryan began his coaching and instructing career in 2009, and has coached high school baseball in some capacity since. Ryan spent the 2013-2014 school year as an assistant coach at top junior college program Lamar Community College working with infielders, hitters and assisting with recruiting, before returning to the metro area to launch Rogue Baseball in early 2015. In 2022 Ryan was hired by the Chicago Cubs as minor league infield coordinator, overseeing all infield training and player development initiatives throughout the Cubs system.
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Ryan is very passionate about developing Colorado baseball players, preparing high school players to compete at the college level, and working with high level infielders to develop skills that will allow them to be elite defenders. In addition to enhancing each player's ability on the field, he gets his greatest joy from developing relationships and being a resource for them throughout their baseball careers and lives.
Ryan grew up in Parker, CO and graduated from Chaparral High School in 2006 where he was a team captain, an honorable mention All-State shortstop and helped lead the Wolverines to the 5A final four. Ryan continued his playing career at Lamar Community College and then Colorado Christian University, where he earned NCCAA first team all region honors as a senior. Ryan graduated from CCU in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Social Science. He currently resides in Parker with his wife Sienna, their daughter Colbie, and son Charlie.
Hitting Coach
Mike Fiscus
Mike Fiscus has been coaching and instructing baseball in Colorado for 27 years. He has coached at various levels from 10 yr old competitive through graduated senior/college prep levels. He got his start on the High School side in the late ‘90’s at Fairview HS in Boulder, CO., coaching the Freshman and Sophomore teams and assisting with the JV and Varsity. In the summer he coached at the Legion C and B levels, assisting in a Legion B state championship during that time.
In 2000, he moved to Parker and though not actively coaching with a school, he continued giving private instruction while fostering ambitions to someday get back to his passions of coaching. Beginning in 2009, he began to actively pursue being involved in the game, eventually gaining a position at Rock Canyon HS as a “C” team head coach.
From there he was a Varsity Assistant at Heritage HS, which lead to Chaparral HS in 2014. During the Summer and Fall he coaches competitive club at the 16u-18u levels and gives private instruction year round. He currently lives in Parker with his very understanding and loving wife, Amy, and his two daughters, Paige and Rachel.
Pitching Coach
Matt Gilliland
Born in Denver and growing up in Aurora, Matt is a Colorado native who currently resides in Parker CO. Growing up with a passion for baseball Matt spent his time in youth organizations throughout the Denver Metro area playing the game he loves. After graduating from Gateway High School in 1994 Matt attended Otero Junior College in La Junta CO where he continued to play baseball for 2 years and earning his Associates degree. After Junior College Matt returned to Aurora continuing to play in local men’s baseball leagues around the Denver Metro area. Matt is a local businessman who in his spare time since 2010 has coached baseball at the youth level helping mentor and develop young athletes into young men. Matt has been with us since 2020.
When Matt’s not thinking or talking about the game he loves, he focuses on what he is most passionate about, his family. Matt has been married to his High School sweetheart Shannon since 2001 and they have been blessed with 3 amazing children, sons Cooper, Brady and daughter Payton.
Assistant Coach - Catchers
Darren Withey
Dr. Darren Withey is looking forward to another year at Chaparral. Darren grew up playing baseball in Northern Virginia and then continued his career as a walk-on at Elon College in North Carolina. He was able to be a bull-pin catcher for a year until he transferred to the University of Arizona. He stopped playing baseball there but began coaching while attending college. He took a semester to live in Spain where he could coach an intramural high school team. Upon his graduation, he moved to Colorado and coached at Aurora Central High School for 3 years, 2 of them as a head coach. In 2002, he joined the Mountain Vista coaching staff as their freshmen coach and catching coach. After 2 years at MVHS, Coach Withey left to pursue another coaching venture at Rock Canyon High School. In 2009, Coach Withey transferred to Legend High School where he assisted on all levels in the program focusing on hitting and catchers. In 2018, Coach Withey left coaching to become an Athletic Director until this year. Now, Coach Withey is excited to return to the field and join this amazing coaching staff and the perennial state playoff team! He brings his enthusiasm and love for the game to the Chaparral Family!
Junior Varsity
Head Coach
Garrett Catron
Bio coming soon
Assistant Coach
Carter Siweck
Bio coming soon
Assistant Coach
LJ Mims
LJ Mims has been coaching, instructing, and scouting for approximately 20 years. He has coached and instructed various levels, to include the age 9 years old to the college level. Coach Mims has volunteered with the Wolverines off and on since 2008, and has coached with each of the head coaches in the program's history.
As a prep, Coach Mims played for Steve Eaton for four years. As an All State and All Conference performer, Coach Mims developed a passion for the game of baseball, and the importance of a positive process in mentoring future generations.
Collegiately, Coach Mims earned the opportunity to play baseball at Central Arizona Junior College, and the University of Iowa. Coach Mims utilizes lessons learned through the experiences collegiately in order to guide his passionate coaching style of leading on and off the field.
Currently, Coach Mims utilizes an energetic, and accountable approach in developing various levels of high school age student-athletes. He takes the most pride in developing relationships with the youth, and providing insight in order to prepare each student-athlete with positive, constructive, and honest feedback."
Assistant Coach
Jesse Branson
Coach Branson is excited to return to the Chaparral High School baseball staff this spring. He brings a wealth of coaching experience across all levels of the game—from tee ball and youth development programs to high school and collegiate baseball. Prior to his time at Chaparral, he coached high school baseball in Columbus, Georgia.
Coach Branson recently retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel and is thrilled to once again devote his full time and energy to coaching. As a player, he began his collegiate career as a proud JUCO Bandit at the College of Southern Idaho (CSI), where he played catcher and outfield under Coach Skip Walker. He later continued his playing career at Eastern New Mexico University, competing at the NCAA Division II level.
He earned a B.S. in Physical Education/Health from Eastern New Mexico University and later completed a Master of Science in Kinesiology at Indiana University. During his graduate studies, he gained valuable coaching experience working as an assistant to legendary coach Bob Morgan with the university’s club baseball program.
Coach Branson currently teaches Physical Education at Cherry Creek Academy in Englewood. He lives in Parker with his wife, April Branson, a Social Studies and History teacher at Chaparral, and their son Luke, a senior baseball player for Chaparral and a Colorado Thunderbirds hockey player. Their daughters, Bella and Mia, both attend Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.
Sophomore
Head Coach
Mike Miller
Bio coming soon
Assistant Coach
Ken Franc
Born and raised in Colorado, Coach Ken Franc brings decades of baseball experience as both a player and coach. A 1990 graduate of Mullen High School, he earned All-State honors as a catcher before continuing his playing career at Western Oklahoma State (1991–92), Colby Community College (1992–94), and Hastings College (1994–96), where he was recognized as an All-Conference catcher. Ken also holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Hastings College in Nebraska.
After his playing days, Coach Franc devoted his career to developing young athletes. He has spent the past 14 years coaching both basketball and baseball across organizations such as CSAL, GameDay, the Frassati Hounds, Colorado Wolves, and Parker Missions. His coaching background includes serving as Youth Head Coach for Frassati Hounds Baseball, Assistant Coach with the Gameday/Colorado Wolves, and Head Coach of the Parker Missions youth and high school summer league teams. Ken also coached his oldest son’s Gameday team from 11U through 14U.
Ken is excited to learn and grow with the deep baseball knowledge shared by the Chaparral baseball coaches, valuing the opportunity to continually improve and connect with fellow passionate mentors in the sport. When he’s not at the ballpark, he focuses on his greatest team—his family. Married for 31 years, Ken and his wife have three children: Andrew, who currently plays college baseball, and twins Sam and Lilly current Chaparral students.
Freshman
Head Coach
Seth Williamson
Bio coming soon
Assistant Coach
Michael Olson
Michael grew up playing baseball in the PNW, pitching and serving as a utility position player through high school in Vancouver, WA. With the opportunity to pitch collegiately after high school Michael choose to serve a mission for his church and spent the next two years doing so in Sweden. With ambitions to return to playing baseball, he found his real purpose in life in starting a family and turning his focus to teaching and coaching. Michael has since coached 20+ seasons of baseball at multiple competitive levels in Vancouver, San Diego, Columbus and Centennial. He has followed his passion of athletic and professional coaching, ensuring that as he has developed baseball players, he is also developing successful people prepared for life outside of baseball. He believes in hard work and creating your own luck. “I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it” ― Thomas Jefferson.
Outside of baseball, Michael is blessed to have been married to Tracey for 18 years. They enjoy spending time outdoors and exploring this great world we live in with their 4 kids, Brett, Owen, Graham and Allison.