Encinitas native Griffin Teisher, hired on June 20 as Mission Hills High School’s new varsity baseball coach, is still six months away from his inaugural season at the helm, but he’s already breaking a sweat mowing the infield grass to get the field ready.
“With the football field under renovation and other sports utilizing the grass spaces for practice, I mow it out so it doesn’t get overgrown,” Teisher said.
Teisher brings a diverse coaching resume, including two years as the freshman head coach at La Costa Canyon High School, six years at the helm of the North County Mavericks travel ball team, and the previous two seasons leading Mission Hills’ junior varsity squad.
He succeeds Neil Jamison, who coached the Grizzlies varsity team from 2018 until stepping down after this season. During Jamison’s tenure, the team notched back-to-back 20-win campaigns, capturing the Valley League title in 2021 and the Palomar League crown in 2022.
“I was surprised when he told me, but I completely understand his reasons,” Teisher said of Jamison’s decision to step down. “He’s a high-quality, experienced coach, and I have a lot of respect for him. His success set a strong foundation, and I’m excited to build on what he started.”
Last season, Mission Hills finished with an 11-19 overall record and a 5-10 mark in the competitive Palomar League, placing sixth in the standings.
“Having spent the last two seasons as the junior varsity coach is super beneficial to me,” Teisher said. “I know where guys fit, I know their speed, I know their game. The more you see them play, the easier it is as a coach to put on different bunt schemes, steal bases, and use those strategies. But more than that, there’s already trust there.”
Rising sophomores are expected to play a major role next season. Daxton Hyde made five appearances on the mound as a freshman, gaining early varsity experience, while fellow freshman Micah Mecucci launched six home runs.
“What’s cool for us is that last year, our varsity team had some young guys contributing — freshmen, sophomores, juniors — so a lot of them got experience earlier than they typically would,” Teisher said. “I think we’re going to be a pretty strong club next year. We’ve got really good depth in the infield, behind the plate, and on the mound. We’re in a really competitive area, but I think we’ll be extremely competitive in our league and in our CIF division.”
Although Jamison’s departure took many by surprise, Teisher’s continuity has quickly reassured both players and parents.
“When Coach Jamison stepped down, I was surprised since he had been in the program for a while,” Daxton Hyde said. “Coach Jamison was a great coach, and I was shocked, but when I heard Coach Teisher was taking over, I felt reassured that our program is in good hands. I’m super excited for him to take over and coach our program, and I am looking forward to a big year.”
“From a parent’s perspective, he developed a great team atmosphere [at the junior varsity level] and culture through his own example of positivity, cheering, and clapping up kids,” added Daxton’s father, Daniel Hyde. “It was fun, energetic, and team-oriented. Every kid played and worked towards their development, which is what high school baseball is all about. So we were happy because Dax was happy. We look forward to that fun, energetic, team-oriented culture next year.”
Before coaching, Teisher, who bats left-handed and throws with his right, distinguished himself as an outfielder at La Costa Canyon High School — where he graduated in 2016 — before continuing his career at Cal State San Marcos, class of 2022.
At LCC, he was part of teams that won back-to-back Avocado West League Championships and played in two CIF Open Division finals. As a senior, he hit .306 with 25 RBIs and 22 runs scored.
Teisher’s collegiate career included a redshirt senior season, during which he started 46 games, batting .262 with one home run, nine doubles, and 27 RBIs. He also set the school record for most career sacrifice bunts and finished among the program’s leaders in walks, runs, and hits.
“My formative years were at La Costa Canyon, where the family atmosphere crafted by Coach [Justin] Machado and the staff left a lasting impression,” Teisher said. “Playing alongside Mickey Moniak, the first overall MLB draft pick, meant scouts were everywhere. Even if they were mostly watching him, it pushed all of us to raise our game daily. That competitive yet tight-knit vibe is exactly what I aim to build with my teams.”
In addition to baseball, Teisher, whose parents are both teachers, has long valued academics. He was named Encinitas School District Student of the Year in 2010, gave his elementary school commencement speech, and earned a spot on the San Diego Union-Tribune All-Academic Team in 2015.
At La Costa Canyon High, he maintained a GPA above 4.0 as a junior while enrolled in AP courses and was a Gold Level member of the school’s Renaissance Club. In college, Teisher majored in history and now teaches it at Mission Hills High School.
“My dad [Bobby Teisher] coached surf at San Dieguito High for over a decade, and growing up around that really shaped me,” Teisher said. “Those high schoolers felt like big brothers I never had. Seeing my dad coach taught me that sports are more than just games — they’re about mentorship and building community. That’s a huge part of why I chose teaching and coaching as my path.”
