Voelkel Stepping Down as Pali High’s Baseball Coach

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

All good things must come to an end and for Mike Voelkel that day was July 7 when he submitted his resignation as the head baseball coach at  Palisades High.

In his 18 seasons at the helm Voelkel built the Dolphins into one of the LA City Section’s most consistent programs, posting an impressive 316-196-3 overall record, 11 Western League titles and an Open Division championship appearance at Dodger Stadium in 2019. Even more than the on-field success, however, was the way he conducted himself and represented the school, culminating in his being selected a CIF State Model Coach of the Year for 2024-25.

“I understand you’re judged by won-loss record but the Model Coach Award means more to me than winning 300 games or making the Hall fo Fame,” he said. “It justifies I tried to meet those high standards, pursuing victory with honor and playing by the rules. I didn’t recruit. Our players always had high GPAs. I developed the talent we had and that’s what I’m most proud of.”   

Although he is stepping away from baseball, Voelkel continues his job in the athletic department  and will teach six P.E. classes for another two years until he retires. In the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in January the baseball field has been cemented over to create space for portable classrooms as part of campus rebuilding efforts.

“I do understand the situation created by the fire, I just wish they could’ve had another plan for the bungalows,” said Voelkel, who despite having to move his practices to Cheviot Hills Rec Center and rescheduling for all road games in the spring, guided the Dolphins to an 18-11 record and into the Division I quarterfinals.  “Given the forecast of running a program under the circumstances  I just don’t have the energy to see this team through years of renovation. It’s time for someone new.”

He leaves big shoes to fill. On his watch the Dolphins made the upper division playoffs 14 times, won 20 or more games six times and reeled off 72 consecutive league wins from 2017 to 2024.

The 63-year-old has coached every level starting in 1983 and cherishes relationships he has built in his 40+-year career: “Coaching and teaching are tough jobs and those are your priceless rewards. The only thing I regret is not winning an Open Division title. We got close, but it’s the one box I wasn’t able to check.”