The Belhaven Blazers are the athletic teams that represent Belhaven University, located in Jackson, Mississippi, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) for most of its sports as a founding member since the 2022–23 academic year; while its football team competes in the USA South Athletic Conference (USA South).[2] They were also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division I level. The Blazers previously competed in the D-III American Southwest Conference (ASC) from 2015–16 to 2021–22; in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC; formerly known as Georgia–Alabama–Carolina Conference (GACC) until after the 2003–04 school year) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2010–11 to 2014–15; and in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) from 2002–03 to 2009–10 (which they were a member on a previous stint from 1981–82 to 1999–2000).
| Belhaven Blazers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Belhaven University |
| Conference | CCS (primary) USA South (football) |
| NCAA | Division III |
| Athletic director | Scott Little |
| Location | Jackson, Mississippi |
| Varsity teams | 15 (8 men's, 7 women's) |
| Football stadium | Belhaven Bowl Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Rugg Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Trustmark Park |
| Softball stadium | McLeod Field |
| Soccer stadium | Belhaven Bowl Stadium |
| Outdoor track and field venue | Belhaven Track & Field Complex |
| Nickname | Blazers |
| Colors | Green and yellow[1] |
| Website | blazers |
Conference affiliations
editNAIA
- Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (1981–2000, 2002–2010)
- Independent (2000–2002)
- Southern States Athletic Conference (2010–2015)
NCAA
- American Southwest Conference (2015–2022)
- Collegiate Conference of the South (2022–present)
- USA South Athletic Conference (2022–present)
Varsity teams
editBelhaven competes in 15 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.
National championships
editTeam
edit| Sport | Association | Division | Year | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's soccer (2) | NAIA | Single | 1992 | Lynn | 2–1 |
| 2012 | Mobile | 2–0 | |||
| Men's tennis (1) | NAIA | Single | 1983 | Lander | 33–32 |
Baseball
editBelhaven has had eight Major League Baseball Draft selections since the draft began in 1965.[3][4]
| Blazers in the Major League Baseball Draft | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Round | Team | Highest level |
| 1966 | Dallas Jones | 28 | Yankees | Double-A |
| 1970 | Thomas Robbins | 9 | Yankees | Single-A |
| 1980 | Nelson Hayman | 20 | Angels | none |
| 1995 | Paco Cardona | 49 | Cardinals | Low-A |
| 2009 | Craig Westcott | 30 | Giants | Double-A |
| 2009 | Chanse Cooper | 21 | Royals | Rookie |
| 2010 | Wade Broyles | 40 | Rays | Low-A |
| 2013 | Kyle Wheeler | 26 | Athletics | Low-A |
Several undrafted Belhaven players have also played professional baseball.[5]
| Undrafted Blazers in Professional Baseball | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Team | Highest level | |
| 2000 | Jay Hall | Ind. | n/a | |
| 2012 | Brett Blaise | Rays | Rookie | |
| 2015 | Reagan Rutledge | Ind. | n/a | |
| 2016 | Ben Allison | Ind. | n/a | |
Football
editSoftball
editThe Belhaven Softball team has consistenly been a powerhouse program. The team has been led by Kevin Griffin since 2011, and as of the end of the 2024 season his record with the Blazers is 449-207 (.684).[6] Griffin has been assisted since 2014 by former Blazer Courtney Fairley, who is also the Belhaven Athletic Department's Senior Woman Administrator (SWA).[7]
In 2024 the Blazers' Softball Team finished as the NCAA Division 3 National Runners-Up at the Women's College World Series. The 2024 campaign will go down as one of the best in Belhaven Softball history. The Blazers' 47 wins mark the most in a single season since the 2011 season. Belhaven also made its first-ever NCAA Division III Women's College World Series appearance. The Blazers earned their fourth straight NCAA Regional bid and reached their third consecutive Super Regional.[8]
The Blazers' first became NCAA postseason eligible in 2020, but due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the season was cancelled while the team was competing in the Spring Games in Clermont, FL. So the 2021 season became their first year eligible for postseason competition.[9]
2021
edit- Record: 31-12
- ASC Regular Season Co-Champions
- Decatur, IL Regional[9]
2022
edit- Record: 41-8
- ASC Regular Season & Tournament Champions
- Marshall, TX Regional hosted by East Texas Baptist University
- Seguin, TX Super Regional hosted by Texas Lutheran University[9]
2023
edit- Record: 32-13
- Inaugural CCS Regular Season & Tournament Champions
- Marshall, TX Regional hosted by East Texas Baptist University
- Mount Berry, GA Super Regional hosted by Berry University[9]
2024
edit- Record: 47-10
- CCS Regular Season Co-Champions & Tournament Runners-Up
- St. Louis, MO Regional hosted by Washington University (St. Louis)
- Mount Berry, GA Super Regional hosted by Berry University
- NCAA Division III Women's College World Series hosted by East Texas Baptist University
- NCAA Division III National Runners-Up[9]
References
edit- ^ "Logos & Branding". Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ "Belhaven Blazers Athletics". Belhaven University. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "Belhaven College (Jackson, MS)"". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "All-Time Major League Baseball Draftees". belhaven.edu. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ "Belhaven College (Jackson, MS) Baseball Players". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ "Kevin Griffin - Head Softball Coach / Assistant AD for Athletics Communications / Hall of Fame - Softball Coaches". Belhaven University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ "Courtney Fairley - Assistant Head Softball Coach / Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) - Softball Coaches". Belhaven University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ "Blazers' Historic Season Ends As National Runner-Up". Belhaven University Athletics. June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Softball Year-By-Year Records". Belhaven University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2024.