HAYWARD, Calif. -- Cal State East Bay head baseball coach Bob Ralston has stepped down from his position, director of intercollegiate athletics Joan McDermott announced Thursday. Ralston spent the last five years at the helm of the Pioneers along with associate head coach Darren Lewis, who has also stepped down.

Ralston compiled a record of 134-114 during his stint at CSUEB. His .540 overall winning percentage is the highest in program history, and he's the only Pioneer head coach to post a winning record during his tenure. In his second season in 2013, Ralston led the Pioneers to 32 victories, which matched the school record at the time. In the last four years, his teams have posted three of the four 30-win seasons in program history.

"I want to thank Coach Ralston and Coach Lewis for their hard work and dedication in service of Cal State East Bay student-athletes," said McDermott. "They elevated our baseball program to new heights in Division II and had a great deal of success in an extremely competitive conference. Bob and Darren will be very difficult to replace, and we wish all the best for them and their families in the future."

The past spring, Ralston's Pioneers broke the program record with 33 victories, captured a share of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division championship for the first time, reached the title game of the CCAA Tournament, qualified for the NCAA Division II West Regionals for the first time in 39 years, and produced the University's first CCAA Most Valuable Player in any sport in senior All-American Rudy Navarro. 

Ralston was voted 2016 CCAA Coach of the Year by the league's head coaches and was named West Region Coach of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Ralston took over the Pioneers after spending 13 years at Clayton Valley High School and four years at Saint Patrick-Saint Vincent High School in Vallejo, accumulating a 344-95 record at the prep level. He also spent two years as the head coach at Diablo Valley College. Following a 13-year Major League career, Lewis coached at the professional and high school levels for nine seasons before joining Ralston in Hayward. Both coaches are natives of the East Bay area.