Alcorn State Braves baseball
The Alcorn State Braves baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, United States. The program's first season was in 1959, and it has been a member of the NCAA Division I Southwestern Athletic Conference since the start of the 1963 season. Its home venue is the Foster Baseball Field at McGowan Stadium, located on Alcorn State's campus. Bretton Richardson is the team's head coach starting in the 2016 season. The program has appeared in 1 NCAA Tournaments. It has won one conference tournament championships and 0 regular season conference titles. As of the start of the 2018 Major League Baseball season, 1 former Brave has appeared in Major League Baseball.
| Alcorn State Braves | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1959 |
| University | Alcorn State University |
| Athletic director | Derek Horne |
| Head coach | Bretton Richardson (6th season) |
| Conference | Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division |
| Location | Lorman, Mississippi |
| Home stadium | Foster Baseball Field at McGowan Stadium (Capacity: 500) |
| Nickname | Braves |
| Colors | Purple and Gold[1] |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| 2011 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| 2002, 2011 | |
| Conference champions | |
| 2002 | |
History
Early history
The program's first season of play was 1959.
Conference affiliations
- Southwestern Athletic Conference (1963–present)
Foster Baseball Field at McGowan Stadium
The stadium is named for Willie McGowan, head baseball coach from 1972 to 2009.[2][3] In 38 years as Alcorn State's coach, McGowan won over 700 games.[4] The field and stadium were officially dedicated on September 4, 2010. Plaques commemorating the dedications were added on May 6, 2011.[2]
Head coaches
Alcorn State's longest tenured head coach was Willie E. "Rat" McGowan, who has coached the team from 1972 to 2009.
| Year(s) | Coach | Seasons | W-L-T | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Louis Crews | 1 | 7–7 | .500 |
| 1960–1969 | William H. Foster | 8 | 82–84–1 | .494 |
| 1971 | Davey Whitney | 1 | 14–8–1 | .630 |
| 1972–2009 | Willie E. "Rat" McGowan | 38 | 720–663–7 | .521 |
| 2010–2015 | Barret Rey | 6 | 115–218 | .345 |
| 2016–present | Bretton Richardson | 5 | 60–146 | .291 |
| Totals | 6 coaches | 59 | 998–1,126–9 | .470 |
Current coaching staff
- Head coach – Bretton Richardson
- Associate coach – Ryan Fuentes
Notable former players
Below is a list of notable former Braves and the seasons in which they played for Alcorn State.
- Al Jones (1978–1981)
References
- The Alcorn State University Identity Standards and Editorial Stylebook (PDF). Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- "Alcorn State University Holds Plaque Unveiling Ceremony in honor of the McGowan Stadium/Fisher Field on May 6". Alcorn.edu. Alcorn State University. Archived from the original on 2012-01-31. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
- "House Bill 730". Mississippi State Legislature. Archived from the original on 2012-01-31. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
- "Alcorn names baseball stadium after the living legend Coach Willie "Rat" McGowan". Alcorn.edu. Alcorn State University. Archived from the original on 2010-07-06. Retrieved 31 January 2012.