Winning seasons are measured by championships and postseason appearances. Winning programs are measured by something harder to define.

Spend time with Saint Mary's head baseball coach Eric Valenzuela, and head softball coach Sonja Garnett, and one thing becomes clear: neither spends much time talking about wins. They talk about people, culture, and relationships. About helping young athletes become better teammates, leaders and people.

This spring, that philosophy produced one of the most successful years in Saint Mary's athletics.

The Gaels baseball team captured its second consecutive West Coast Conference Tournament championship, returned to the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked No. 20 in the final Perfect Game poll - the highest national ranking in program history. Along the way, Saint Mary's earned the program's first NCAA Tournament victory and stunned No. 1 UCLA twice in regional play.

Just across campus, the softball team claimed its third straight WCC regular-season championship and advanced farther in the NCAA Tournament than any team in program history, continuing a remarkable rise under Garnett's leadership.

The accomplishments are impressive.

The coaches are even more so.

Eric Valenzuela doesn't see himself as the beginning of Saint Mary's baseball.

He sees himself as part of its story.

As he reflected on the season, he spoke as much about former coaches, alumni and the players who came before this year's team as he did about championships. Success, he believes, is something each generation inherits and has a responsibility to leave stronger than they found it.

"We just kind of took the torch and kept it rolling forward," he said.

That perspective explains why relationships sit at the center of everything he does. Recruiting isn't simply about talent. It's about finding players who embrace the culture, trust one another and understand what it means to represent Saint Mary's.

The results speak for themselves. Conference championships. National recognition. NCAA milestones. Players earning individual honors. Yet Valenzuela is already looking ahead. The season may be over, but recruiting, player development and building the next team never really stop.

His greatest pride isn't a ranking or a trophy.

It's watching players leave Moraga prepared for whatever comes next.

If Valenzuela's philosophy (as a peer mentor to Garnett) is centered in legacy, Sonja Garnett's begins with belief.

"Half of it's belief, and sometimes it's getting them to believe in themselves," she said.

That simple idea has helped shape one of the West Coast Conference's most consistent softball programs.

Garnett understands that confidence doesn't simply appear on game day. It's developed through preparation, trust and creating an environment where student-athletes feel supported while being challenged to grow.

Recruiting follows the same philosophy.

Every athlete, she says, gets one opportunity to choose where they'll spend their college years. Finding the right fit matters just as much as athletic ability because the goal isn't simply to win games - it's to help young women flourish during one of the most important chapters of their lives.

Her players know that commitment extends beyond the field.

"I feel like my family and my team are one and the same," Garnett said.

It's a statement that explains why former players remain connected to the program long after graduation and why today's athletes continue building on the culture she has established.

The conference championships are evidence that the philosophy works.

The relationships are the reason it endures.

Saint Mary's has become one of the West Coast Conference's most respected athletic programs because coaches like Eric Valenzuela and Sonja Garnett understand that success isn't built in a single season, it's in the every day.

In weight rooms before sunrise. On buses after difficult losses. During recruiting conversations with families. In practices where accountability matters as much as talent. And in quiet moments when a coach helps an athlete believe in something bigger than the scoreboard.

For the Moraga community, these teams are more than conference champions.

They are a reflection of what Saint Mary's does best: develop young people who compete with purpose, represent their college with pride and leave the program stronger for those who follow.

The banners and trophies will always mark this remarkable season.

The cultures these coaches continue to build may prove to be their greatest victories.