Twenty-four years after he last laced up the cleats for Sonoma State, Derek Bell's name is still all over the CCAA record books. The power-hitting shortstop was a three-time All-CCAA selection and the 2000 CCAA Player of the Year.
That season has gone down as one of the greatest in conference history. Despite missing the first seven games, Bell hit .382 with 23 home runs, 71 RBI, and a .816 slugging percentage. His 23 home runs shattered the previous Sonoma State record by 10 and were the third-most in the over 60-year history of the CCAA.
Bell succeeded not just individually, but he also helped Sonoma State capture a pair of conference championships. In the final year of the Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC), SSU won the conference title before capturing the CCAA Tournament Championship during its first season in the conference. Sonoma went 112-69 in his three seasons with two NCAA Regional appearances.
The switch-hitter was voted the West Region Player of the Year, first team ABCA/Rawlings All-America, and runner-up for NCAA Div. II National Player of the Year. Bell was selected to compete in a home run derby at the Division I College World Series, where he placed third against Div. I competition.
After graduating from Sonoma State, Bell was drafted by the San Francisco Giants and spent time at spring training. He played five seasons of professional baseball before beginning coaching full-time at his alma mater with his former coach, John Goelz. Bell is currently an assistant coach at Cal State Monterey Bay.