Former Trojan returns home to lead Pahrump Valley baseball program
Eleven years after playing baseball for Pahrump Valley High School, former pitcher Drew Middleton is back where it all began—this time as the new head coach of the varsity program.
A 2014 graduate of PVHS, Middleton’s journey in Pahrump is all but a familiar road down highway 160.
Following his last four successful seasons on the Diamondback’s coaching staff at Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas, Middleton finds himself leading the very program he once represented while teaching in the halls he walked as a student.
“It’s surreal,” Drew said. “Being around teachers who either taught me or taught alongside me, mowing the field every day, making the decisions—it’s real now.”
The replacement comes after years of familiarity under former recently retired program director Roy Uyeno, who served as the Trojans head coach from 2021 to 2025, capturing the only 3A State Championship title in the program’s history in 2023.
As a former Diamondback JV coach, the transition to head coach has brought both a sense of pressure and excitement.
“There’s a lot on my plate, but it’s a lot of fun,” Middleton said. “Being the guy everyone comes to, making the final decisions—that’s a challenge that I’m excited for.”
Building early, building different
One of Middleton’s immediate priorities has been changing the program’s culture of preparation.
Historically, Pahrump Valley baseball has had limited fall competition. This year, that changed.
The Trojans played nine fall games, gaining inside experience against outside competition while giving Drew an initial assessment of his roster.
“Putting them in real game situations now is only going to help us when the season starts,” Middleton said. “A lot of what we’re doing is new to them—systems I have learned at Desert Oasis. But the sooner they experience it, the better.”
Middleton gives immense credit to DO coaches, including Paul Bubolts, Gas Burton, Shane Langvad, Matt Mailhot, Cody Schmidt, Nate Smith, Joe Campo and Darren Love for the things he’s learned the last five season in Las Vegas.
“Being around a group of guys that grinded every day and always looking for a way to make the program better will stick with me,” Middleton said.
Like many other smaller school programs, multi-sport athletes make up a large portion of the roster, meaning Drew hasn’t yet had all of his players available.
“But any way you can get better, you find a way,” Middleton said.
A risk worth taking
Drew’s return to Pahrump wasn’t without risk.
He and his fiance, Brittany, purchased a home in Las Vegas this summer, and leaving Desert Oasis—where his fiance still coaches girls basketball—was not an easy decision.
Still, the opportunity to return home to Pahrump proved ultimately too meaningful to pass up.
“This place means a lot to me,” Middleton said. “I’ve bled Trojan colors for a long time.”
Drew has deep roots in the program, having coached local Little League, summer ball, and previously serving on the high school staff before leaving for Desert Oasis.
“If I never came back, I would’ve always wondered, ‘What if?’” Drew said. “Now I don’t have to.”
Pitching, competition, and culture
As a pitching coach by trade, Drew is embracing what he sees as the team’s biggest question mark—and potentially its underlying greatest strength.
“If pitching is our biggest concern, I like that,” Middleton said. “That’s my wheelhouse.”
Drew’s philosophy is clear: attack the strike zone, work quickly, and trust the defense.
But beyond mechanics and strategy, Middleton is focused on instilling a mindset he learned during his time at Desert Oasis: compete every single day.
“You can’t control everything in baseball or in life,” Middleton said. “But you can always control your effort. I’ll take 100% effort with mistakes over 50% effort any day.”
The mindset is directly reflective in the schedule.
Intentionally loading the upcoming season’s schedule with tough competition including notable 5A programs Green Valley, Shadow Ridge and Desert Oasis, Drew believes it will prepare his team for league play and the postseason.
“You either win or you learn,” Middleton said. “We’re not running from competition.”
Rebuilding from the ground up
Off the field, Drew has taken on the task of rebuilding a program with what he calls limited resources.
Equipment upgrades, field maintenance, and fundraising have become part of his daily routine.
Outfield sponsorship banners currently are helping fund new nets, baseballs, and cage equipment while Middleton has already invested some of his own funds to restock supplies.
“It’s a climb,” Drew said. “But every little bit helps.”
Waiting for opening day
Despite months of preparation, Drew knows the moment it truly becomes real is still ahead.
“I don’t think it’ll hit me until opening day,” Middleton said. “Standing on the first baseline during the national anthem—that’s when I’ll realize I’m the head coach at Pahrump Valley.”
When that day arrives on February 26 at home against rivals Moapa Valley, the former Trojan player will stand not as a student or assistant, but as the leader of the program he once dreamed of representing.
“I can’t wait,” Middleton said.
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
