Head Coach Alex Mascarenas enters his fourth season leading the Hope International University softball program and has quickly built a reputation for competitive excellence and program development. Under his leadership, the Royals have earned three consecutive NAIA Opening Round appearances (2023, 2024, 2025) and captured GSAC Regular Season Championships in both 2023 and 2025. In his debut season, the Royals posted an impressive 41–16 overall record and 18–6 mark in conference play, earning Mascarenas 2023 GSAC Coach of the Year honors. His emphasis on player development, accountability, and team culture has helped elevate HIU Softball into a respected and consistently competitive force within the NAIA.
Before joining HIU, Mascarenas served as Head Coach at Marymount California University, leading the Mariners to a 28–31 overall record and a strong 22–10 conference finish, finishing as Cal Pac Tournament runner-up. His leadership earned him Cal Pac Coach of the Year, and during that season, he coached four All-Cal Pac selections and two All-Defensive Team honorees.
Prior to Marymount, Mascarenas was the Interim Head Coach at Mt. San Antonio College, where he had spent five years as an assistant. In his first season as head coach, he led the Mounties to a stellar 18–1 record—one of the best starts in program history—while outscoring opponents 215–35 and achieving a team batting average over .400. In 2018, Mascarenas was named the California JC Easton/NFCA Assistant Coach of the Year for his work as Mt. SAC’s hitting and infield coach. He played a pivotal role in the program’s back-to-back CCCAA State Championships in 2018 and 2019.
A former multi-sport athlete, Mascarenas competed in football at UCLA for three seasons before transitioning to baseball at Santa Ana College, where he played as an infielder for two years. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History from UCLA and later a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology from the California University of Pennsylvania.
Softball is a cornerstone of the Mascarenas family. His wife, Bree Mascarenas (Maikai), is an HIU softball alumna who earned All-GSAC and Gold Glove honors. She now serves as HIU’s Assistant Coach, after previously serving as a graduate assistant from 2021–2022. His sister, Toni Mascarenas, was a three-time All-American at the University of Arizona, and his niece, Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza, continued the family legacy as an All-American for the Arizona Wildcats.
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