Southern Jaguars baseball

The Southern Jaguars baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.[6] The team is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The team plays its home games at Lee–Hines Field in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Southern Jaguars
2024 Southern Jaguars baseball team
FoundedProgram discontinued after 1931 season but revived in 1948[citation needed]
UniversitySouthern University
Head coachChris Crenshaw (4th season)
ConferenceSWAC
Western Division
LocationBaton Rouge, Louisiana
Home stadiumLee–Hines Field
(Capacity: 1,500)
NicknameJaguars
ColorsColumbia blue and gold[1]
   
NCAA Tournament champions
none, but won 1 NAIA national championship (1959) and 2 blackcollegebaseball.com[2] & 1 blackcollegenines.com[3] black national championships (2003, 2005, 2019)
NCAA Tournament appearances
2019, 2021
Regular season conference champions
27 official (1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2019[4]) and 4 unofficial (1949, 1950, 1955, 1956[5]) SWAC championships

Background

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The Jaguars have more SWAC titles than any school. They also have more national and black national titles than any SWAC school. Though Southern was forced to discontinue its baseball program during the uncertain times of the Great Depression and World War II years (specifically from 1932 to 1947), its program was largely stable in the subsequent post-war decades; only four head coaches coached Southern between 1949 and 2017.[7][8][9]

In 1959 Southern, led by future National Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock, became the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to win the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship. In 1987 Southern became the first HBCU to win a game in an NCAA Division I regional tournament by defeating #2-ranked Cal State Fullerton. In 1996 Southern became the first HBCU to win a game in an NCAA Division I play-in series by defeating Austin Peay.[10] In 2003 and 2005, Southern won blackcollegebaseball.com black national championships;[2] in 2019 Southern won a third black national championship, this time designated by blackcollegenines.com, for its Large School Division.[3]

Southern in the NCAA Tournament

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Year Record Pct Notes
2019 0–2 .000 Starkville Regional
2021 0–2 .000 Austin Regional
TOTALS
0–4 .000

Head coaches

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Robert Henry ("Bob"[11]) Lee, a graduate of LeMoyne College,[12] served as head coach between 1949[citation needed] and 1962, before moving on to become coach of the football team.[13] He compiled a 207–51[14] (.802) overall record as baseball coach. In addition to coaching Brock and the 1959 team to an NAIA national title, he also led the Jaguars to the 1960 NAIA World Series[citation needed] and 2 official[11] and 4 unofficial SWAC titles (for the 1949, 1950, 1955, and 1956 seasons).[5] The Jaguars' baseball stadium is named in part for him.

Emory Wellington Hines, a Texas College alum who had coached the football teams of Grambling State—before the famed Eddie Robinson had assumed the reigns—as well as Samuel Huston College,[15] served as Southern's baseball coach between 1963[16] and 1976.[citation needed] He led the Jaguars to 2 NAIA Area 5 titles—World Series appearances,[citation needed] 4 NAIA District titles,[citation needed] 9 NAIA District tournaments, 1 NCAA Division II tournament,[citation needed] and 8 SWAC titles.[11] He finished his career at Southern with a 373–130–1[17][18] (.741) record. His most noteworthy player may have been Danny Goodwin, the only player to have ever been drafted first overall in two Major League Baseball drafts and the first documented Southern player to win a national college baseball player of the year award (from the Sporting News, in 1975). The Jaguars' baseball stadium was later named in part for Hines.

When Southern's athletic director had to step away from his service due to surgery, Hines was promoted in his place, and Hines recommended that Southern alum[19] and assistant coach Lee Flentroy replace him as acting coach.[20]

Southern alum Leroy Boyd[21] later served as acting coach once the 1977 season began and was then promoted to permanent coach after the season[22]—a title that he held through 1984.[citation needed] He led the Jaguars to 6 SWAC West titles, 2 SWAC titles,[11] 3 NAIA District tournaments,[citation needed] and a 255–157–4 record,[23] for a .618 winning percentage. His most prominent player may have been Reggie Williams.

The Jaguars were most recently led by head coach and Southern alumnus Roger Cador. He completed his coaching career, which spanned from 1985 to 2017, with a 913 wins, 597 losses,[24] and 3 ties[25] (.604), 22 SWAC West titles, 14 SWAC titles,[24] 8 NCAA Division I tournament appearances, 3 NCAA Division I tournament play-in appearances,[10] and 2 blackcollegebaseball.com HBCU national titles.[2] He also holds the distinction of having coached the first HBCU player to win a Baseball America College Player of the Year Award, Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year award, Dick Howser Trophy, Golden Spikes Award, or Rotary Smith Award (Rickie Weeks Jr., in 2003). Cador struggled with health concerns during his later seasons and, due to issues with his pacemaker, the final three weeks of the 2010 season had to be coached by acting head coach Fernando Puebla[26]—although the results of those games are officially credited to Cador (Puebla himself later had issues acquiring full U.S. citizenship and had to step down from the coaching staff shortly before the start of the 2014 season, resulting in Cador assuming additional coaching duties as the season approached[27]). Cador later suffered from a bout of pneumonia late in the 2017 season, and assistant coach Dan Canevari filled in for him as acting head coach while Cador recovered.[28]

Due to poor record-keeping by athletic department personnel between 2010 and 2015, 218 student athletes from 15 sports teams at Southern were linked to rules infractions by the NCAA;[29] it is not immediately clear how many, if any, of Cador's 137 wins[citation needed] from that time period may have been vacated by the NCAA. However, with various unresolved Academic Progress Rate issues, the NCAA limited recruiting efforts, scholarship awards, practice time, and postseason participation for the incoming head coach.[30]

On July 26, 2017 Southern announced the hiring of Kerrick Jackson as coach.[31] He attended St. Louis Community College–Meramec and then Bethune–Cookman, but later transferred to Nebraska. He led Southern to a 9–33 (.214) record in his first season at the helm.[citation needed] His second team went 32–24[32] (.571), won the SWAC Western Division, the SWAC,[4] the blackcollegenines.com Large School Division HBCU national championship,[3] and qualified for the BCSG 360 HBCU World Series (which was later canceled due to inclement weather).[33] Southern also made a return to the NCAA tournament.[4] His third team was 6–10[34] when the NCAA canceled all spring sports competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[35] Jackson resigned on November 30, 2020, and Chris Crenshaw was named the interim head coach.

Since 1949 (when Lee became coach) and through the 2019 season, the team's overall record is 1,795–1,002–8 (.641) on the field—before any wins from 2010 to 2015 that may have been vacated by the NCAA are factored in.

Southern Jaguar Head Coaches (since 1949 only)
No. Name (alma mater) Seasons Games Won Lost Tied Percentage
1 Bob Lee (LeMoyne College) 1949–1962 258 207 51 0 .802
2 Emory Hines (Texas College) 1963–1976 504 373 130 1 .741
3 Lee Flentroy* (Southern)
4 Leroy Boyd* (Southern) 1977–1984 416 255 157 4 .618
5 Roger Cador (Southern) 1985–2017 1,513 913** 597 3 .604
6 Kerrick Jackson (Nebraska) 2018–2020 114 47 67 0 .412
1 Chris Crenshaw (Bethel (TN)) 2021–present 108 47 61 0 .435
Totals 7 coaches 73 years 2,193 1,843** 1,093 8 .627

Notes: *—Flentroy served as acting head coach between the 1976 and 1977 seasons, and Boyd served as acting head coach during the 1977 season; **—up to 137 wins between 2010 and 2015 are subject to be vacated by the NCAA (it is not yet clear how many, if any, of these wins included ineligible players)

Teams

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Southern Jaguar Season Records (since 1974 only)[citation needed]
Season Overall Conference Note(s)
Emory Hines (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (1963–1976)
1974 28–16 14–4 SWAC champ, NAIA District participant
1975 33–8 14–3 SWAC champ, NCAA Division II Regional participant
1976 21–21–1[36] 13–4[37] SWAC champ, NAIA District participant
Leroy Boyd (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (1977–1981)
1977 29–16–1 8–2 SWAC West champ, NAIA District participant
1978 42–29[23] 11–1[38] SWAC West champ, NAIA District participant
1979 32–16–1 10–0 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, NAIA District participant
1980 32–17–2 8–3–1[25] SWAC West champ
1981 41–20 11–6[25] SWAC champ
1982 25–24 13–4[25] SWAC West champ
1983 26–15* 13–5*[39]
1984 28–20 14–4[25] SWAC West champ
Roger Cador (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (1985–2017)
1985 21–24 11–5[25]
1986 22–26–1 14–6[25] SWAC West champ
1987 31–22 20–4[25] SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Regional participant
1988 28–21 16–8[25] SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Regional participant
1989 17–24 13–11[25]
1990 26–17 17–5 SWAC West champ
1991 31–12 17–3 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ
1992 31–12 19–5 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ
1993 24–14 12–6 SWAC co-champ
1994 30–14–1 18–6 SWAC West champ
1995 29–12 21–3 SWAC West champ
1996 34–7 18–2 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Play-in participant[40]
1997 32–17 21–3 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Play-in participant[40]
1998 31–16 22–4 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Play-in participant[40]
1999 29–16 23–7 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Regional participant
2000 30–16 21–8 SWAC West champ
2001 43–12 28–4 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Regional participant
2002 45–10 27–3 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Regional participant
2003 44–7 31–1 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Regional participant,
blackcollegebaseball.com HBCU national champ
2004 26–14 19–7 SWAC West champ
2005 29–18 17–7 SWAC West co-champ, SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Regional participant,
blackcollegebaseball.com HBCU national co-champ
2006 26–20 17–8
2007 26–18 15–9
2008 28–18 18–6 SWAC West champ
2009 30–17 17–6 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, NCAA Division I Regional participant
2010 24–22–1** 16–6–1**
2011 29–19** 16–8** SWAC West champ
2012 33–16** 17–7** SWAC West champ
2013 21–23** 14–10** SWAC West champ
2014 10–26** 6–16**[41]
2015 20–23** 13–8**
2016 14–32 6–14
2017 17–27 10–14
Kerrick Jackson (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (2018–2020)
2018 9–33 6–15 §
2019 32–24 18–6 SWAC West champ, SWAC champ, BCSG 360 HBCU World Series qualifier†,
NCAA Division I Regional participant, blackcollegenines.com Large School
Division HBCU national champ
2020 6–10 3–0[34]
National title Conference title Conference division title

Notes: *—total includes game forfeited by Prairie View A&M, due to the use of an ineligible player;[39] **—up to 137 wins between 2010 and 2015 are subject to be vacated by the NCAA (it is not yet clear how many, if any, of these wins included ineligible players); §—team ineligible for postseason play, due to a violation of NCAA rules concerning Academic Progress Rate scores;[30] †—game canceled, due to inclement weather;[33] ‡—season canceled by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic[35]

Players

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In 1985 Brock was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. In 2011 Goodwin became the first former HBCU player inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 2012 Brock became the second.

Major League Baseball

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Southern has had 96 Major League Baseball Draft selections since the draft began in 1965.[42]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Southern University Style Guide (PDF). Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Black College Baseball Poll". blackcollegebaseball.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Michael Coker (May 21, 2019). "Current/Contemporary HBCU Baseball News: 2019 Black College Nines HBCU Top 10 Final Poll Rankings". blackcollegenines.com. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Brian Holland (June 1, 2019). "Southern's season ends in NCAA Baseball Regional appearance". myarklamiss.com. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Episode Three – Meet Coach Dan Canevari". The Coach Roger Cador Show. March 11, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  6. ^ "Southern Jaguars". d1baseball.com. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  7. ^ "Former Southern Coach Robert 'Bob' Lee to be inducted into National College Baseball Hall of Fame". gojagsports.com. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  8. ^ "NCAA Baseball Coaching Records" (PDF). ncaa.org. 2017. p. 8. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  9. ^ Gegenheimer, Mike (June 1, 2017). "Iconic Southern baseball coach Roger Cador retires, to stay with Jaguars in different capacity". The Advocate (Louisiana). Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Coaches". subr.edu. 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d "All-Time SWAC Champions List" (PDF). grfx.cstv.com (p. 4). 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  12. ^ "Final Rites Set Today For Bob Lee". Baton Rouge State–Times (sec. C, p. 6). December 8, 1970.
  13. ^ "Southern Jaguars". cfbinfo.com. 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  14. ^ Joe Planas (April 7, 1983). "Southern seeks No. 800 against McNeese". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate (sec. C, p. 3).
  15. ^ Joe Planas (July 5, 1981). "Emory Hines: End of an era at Southern". Baton Rouge Sunday Advocate (sec. C, p. 1).
  16. ^ "Jaguars to Meet Alcorn 9 Today". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate (sec. C, p. 4). March 8, 1963.
  17. ^ "Jaguar Baseball Club Faces 44-Game Slate". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate (sec. F, p. 5). February 12, 1976.
  18. ^ "Over Jags: Jackson State Gets 8–1 Win for Crown". Baton Rouge Sunday Advocate (sec. C, p. 3). May 16, 1976.
  19. ^ "Louisiana digest: Braden in SU Hall of Fame". New Orleans Times–Picayune (sec. D, p. 2). May 14, 1988.
  20. ^ Edward Pratt (September 16, 1976). "Natural Gas Field May Lie Under SU, Board Panel Told". Baton Rouge State–Times (sec. B, p. 1).
  21. ^ "Jaguar Nine to Open Slate". Baton Rouge State–Times (sec. B, p. 4). February 25, 1971.
  22. ^ "Board Fails to Resolve SU Faculty Discontent". Baton Rouge Sunday Advocate (sec. A, p. 17). August 14, 1977.
  23. ^ a b "In NAIA Tourney: Jags Eliminated". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate (sec. F, p. 2). May 12, 1978.
  24. ^ a b Mike Gegenheimer (June 1, 2017). "Iconic Southern baseball coach Roger Cador retires, to stay with Jaguars in different capacity". theadvocate.com. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Joe Macaluso (December 27, 1989). "Other Sports: Non-revenue had whole new meaning". Baton Rouge State–Times (sec. D, p. 4).
  26. ^ Perryn Keys (June 3, 2010). "Getting back to business: Cador ready to recruit, rebuild SU". Baton Rouge Advocate (sec. C, p. 5).
  27. ^ Les East (January 24, 2014). "Greene, Partida join SU baseball staff". Baton Rouge Advocate (sec. C, p. 7).
  28. ^ Jacques Doucet (May 16, 2017). "Southern's Cador to sit out SWAC Tournament opener". wafb.com. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  29. ^ Luke Johnson (November 16, 2016). "NCAA cites 'lack of institutional control' at Southern, imposes heavy penalties on athletic department". theadvocate.com. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  30. ^ a b Jim Kleinpeter (April 3, 2019). "You want an extreme makeover? Look at the job Kerrick Jackson has done at Southern". theadvocate.com. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  31. ^ "Kerrick Jackson named SU Head Baseball Coach". gojagsports.com. July 26, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  32. ^ "Miami eliminates Southern 12–2 in Starkville Regional". wbrz.com. June 1, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  33. ^ a b "NCAT, Southern Canceled". meacsports.com. May 22, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  34. ^ a b "2020 Baseball Schedule". gojagsports.com. March 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  35. ^ a b Stacey Osburn (March 12, 2020). "NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships". ncaa.org. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  36. ^ "Over Jags: Jackson State Gets 8–1 Win for Crown". Baton Rouge Sunday Advocate (sec. C, p. 3). May 16, 1976.
  37. ^ "Jags Accept NAIA Invite". Baton Rouge State–Times (sec. B, p. 2). May 8, 1976.
  38. ^ "Jags Open Playoff Series Today". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate (sec. E, p. 3). April 29, 1978.
  39. ^ a b "State college roundup: Southern". Baton Rouge State–Times (sec. C, p. 4). May 14, 1983.
  40. ^ a b c Scott Gremillion (May 18, 1998). "Long wait without playing hurt SU". Baton Rouge Advocate (sec. D, p. 1).
  41. ^ Zena Lewis (May 2014). "Southwestern Athletic Conference: 2014 Baseball Season Tournament Notes" (PDF). admin.xosn.com. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  42. ^ "MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, LA)"". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
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