Bobby Pacheco wasn’t recognizable.

For starters, he was in Peoria’s softball dugout Saturday in a playoff game. Pacheco was known for taking another program, St. Mary’s, to the playoffs and did so with great success.

Pacheco also lost some weight — about 85 pounds. What hasn’t changed for Pacheco is that the wins keep coming.

Just when it seemed like his Peoria (20-9) team was headed to a first round loss Saturday, Peoria walked off with a win in Pacheco’s first playoff game with Peoria.

The veteran coach and former detective stepped down after 23 years at St. Mary’s.

“I think I had experienced everything I was going to experience at St. Mary’s,” said Pacheco, who guided St. Mary's to three state title games.

Pacheco thought about taking some time off from softball, but when Peoria High officials reached out to Pacheco in December, it seemed like a perfect fit for the 57 year old.

Pacheco lives in Peoria, and when he joined Peoria’s staff he kept running into school staff members he had already met during his coaching career.   

“My wife said that that it felt like I was at home (at Peoria High),” he said. “Yeah. She was right.”

Peoria plays at Raymond S. Kellis on Tuesday in another elimination Division II state tournament game.