Following a successful athletic career at Los Altos High, Dino Quintero made a decision in 1998 to play baseball at a junior college and see how far his athletic ability would take him.
Through hard work and a desire to succeed, Quintero took advantage of the junior college ranks and landed an NCAA Division I scholarship.
In two seasons at Mission College in Santa Clara, Quintero racked up some impressive numbers and helped Mission to a Coast Conference championship this season. He will take a big step to the NCAA Division I level next year as a member of the San Jose State baseball program.
Quintero recently completed his sophomore season at Mission, where the versatile center fielder earned All-American and first-team Coast Conference honors by hitting a staggering .440.
He slugged 10 home runs, hit 15 doubles and three triples. He also drove in 63 runs and led the state with 63 runs scored.
In addition, Quintero was tabbed as Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year after committing just two errors the entire season.
Quintero’s game rapidly improved from last summer when he helped a Santa Clara-based Palomino team for 17-18 year-olds to the World Series title in Greensboro, N.C. He slammed two homers in the title game and went 7-for-14 in the tournament.
Quintero also made a few key adjustments in the off-season.
“I worked on hitting during Christmas break and worked out the kinks,” said the Mountain View resident, who also played football and basketball at Los Altos High. “I worked on hitting the outside pitch and learned different aspects of the game which made me a better hitter and base runner.”
Quintero said he would either play shortstop or in the outfield for a rejuvenated San Jose State team, coached by Sam Piraro, that has surprised the NCAA field this year by reaching the College World Series for the first time.
“I love the program,” Quintero said of San Jose State. “It was the last place I wanted to go a year ago. But after receiving the recruiting trip, I liked it a lot.”
Quintero will join his older sister Sabrina, who is a member of the Spartans’ softball program and possibly younger sister, Samantha, who is a senior at Los Altos and is planning on competing in softball at either San Jose State or Sacramento State next season.
Quintero’s father, Bernie, is the longtime Los Altos softball coach and will assist the Eagles varsity football program in the fall.
After playing through a fractured shinbone which he suffered last January, Quintero will heal the injury, then head to either Michigan or Virginia in mid-July to play summer baseball.
