New Serra manager Mat Keplinger earned his first career win in style.

The Padres opened the 2024 baseball season Tuesday with a 14-1 win at Sacred Heart Prep. Serra rallied for two runs in the first and went on to score in six of the seven innings. On the mound, Sam Kretsch returned to action after missing his junior year due to injury. All he did was fire four perfect innings while striking out seven to earn the win.

“Very, very happy with how the team came out in the first game,” Keplinger said. “Energy was off the charts. The guys were excited. It was kind of funny, we didn’t know if we were going to get the game in because of the weather . . . that kind of added to the anticipation of Opening Day.”

Keplinger took over the Serra program following the offseason departure of Chris Houle, who stepped down last July. Houle managed the Padres for six seasons.

“It’s really credit to how hard our players have been working,” Keplinger said of win No. 1." “It’s nice to win your first one and get that out of the way. But our sights are set much higher than that.”

Like many county baseball teams, the Padres have been scuffling with stormy weather to find practice time. Serra played scrimmages against James Logan and Menlo-Atherton, but otherwise got onto Frisella Field for just three practices since the start of the month.

“We’ve been kind of confined to the (batting) cages,” Keplinger said.

The intensive hitting regime showed up on the field Tuesday. Leadoff hitter Joey Damelio opened with a double down the left-field line, and Jake Downing promptly drove him in with an RBI triple up the left-center gap. Josiah Rodriguez followed with an RBI groundout to second base, an at-bat about which Keplinger raved.

“It really set the tone,” Keplinger said. “We came out and scored two runs and Sam Kretsch, he came out and struck out the side. It was really just as good a start as you could hope for, and, really, we just built upon that every inning.”

Damelio added a three-run home run in the sixth, a booming shot to left field. The senior was three for four, with a homer and four RBIs on the day.

Kretsch, a tall, power right-hander, was one of several Serra pitchers lost to injury in 2023. The senior is committed to play at Saint Mary’s College. He needed just 39 pitches Tuesday to navigate four perfect frames.

“He did his job and he really set the tone for us,” Keplinger said. “As good as the offense was, he got us back in the dugout in a hurry. And it was really fun to watch him compete [Tuesday].”

Senior left-hander Mason Wehmeyer entered in relief and walked one but kept the no-hitter intact with two scoreless innings. SHP sophomore Rallin Covey broke up the no-hitter in the seventh with a double off Serra sophomore Riley Lim.

Covey took the loss on the mound, allowing five runs on five hits through four innings of work. The right-hander, who posted a 2-3 record with a 2.14 ERA in eight appearances as a freshman last season, walked one and struck out six.

Serra is set to host its home opener Thursday. The Padres face Foothill-Pleasanton with senior right-hander Braden Agosta scheduled to take the mound. First-pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. A two-game homestand concludes Saturday against Carlmont at 11 a.m.

“I think we’re going to play them,” Keplinger said. “The infield, the mound, home plate, everything’s great. The outfield is a little soggy, but we’ve got a nice stretch of sun here. So, I think it’s going to be playable … and the conditions will be just fine.”

A 2006 graduate of Lincoln-Stockton, Keplinger went on to play at University of Nevada-Reno. He coached at San Joaquin Delta College-Stockton for seven years before moving to University of San Francisco from 2019-21 and was named interim head coach of the Dons in 2021. He worked as an assistant coach at San Jose State in 2022.

Keplinger had no Serra ties prior to his hire as the Padres’ 11th all-time head baseball coach in July 2023. He has, however, added two Serra graduates to the varsity coaching staff in Mickey McDonald and Tyler Villaroman.

McDonald, a 2013 Serra graduate, went on to play at University of Illinois-Chicago. He was drafted by the Oakland A’s in 2017 and played five professional seasons in the organization, including a cup of coffee for four games with the big league squad in 2022.

Villaroman, a 2016 Serra graduate, played four years at University of San Francisco from 2017-2020.

“I am just so thrilled to have Mickey and Tyler,” Keplinger said. “Their work has been outstanding. Obviously, Serra alums that want to give back. I couldn’t be more grateful that this is something they want to do, and it’s really going to help elevate the program.”