The Southern Arkansas Mulerider baseball team represents
Southern Arkansas University
Southern Arkansas University (SAU) is a public university in Magnolia, Arkansas.
History
Southern Arkansas University was established by an Act of the Arkansas Legislature in 1909 as a district agricultural high school for southwest Arkansas and ...
in NCAA Division II college baseball. SAU has competed in the
Great American Conference
The Great American Conference (GAC) is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level, with headquarters located in Russellvill ...
(GAC) since 2011. Prior to joining the GAC, SAU competed in the
NAIA's
Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference
The Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) was an athletic conference in existence from 1927 or 1928 to 1995 affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference membership consisted entirely of colleges ...
from 1950 until moving to the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
in 1996. Upon moving to the NCAA, SAU competed in the Western Division of the Gulf South Conference from 1996–2011. The Muleriders play their home games on campus at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field. Justin Pettigrew is the current head coach.
History
Southern Arkansas was founded in 1909 as the Third District Agricultural School and fielded its first baseball team as early as 1911. After sporadic success of the first 60 years of the programs, Coach Steve Goodheart was named head coach in 1981 and quickly took SAU to new heights. Not only did he lead SAU to nine Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference championships, he oversaw SAU's transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II ranks. SAU has won 23 conference regular seasons championships (17 – AIC, 2 – GSC, 4 – GAC), seven conference tournament championships (3 – GSC, 4 – GAC), made three NAIA world series appearances including a third-place finish in 1987, and 11 NCAA Division II Regional appearances.
Pre-NCAA years
For many years SAU fielded a two-year baseball program before joining the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference. The now defunct Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference featured NAIA schools in Arkansas from the 1940s through 1995. Conference members included
Arkansas Tech University
Arkansas Tech University (ATU) is a public university in Russellville, Arkansas. The university offers programs at both baccalaureate and graduate levels in a range of fields. The Arkansas Tech University–Ozark Campus, a two-year satellite cam ...
,
Harding University
Harding University is a private university with its main campus in Searcy, Arkansas. It is the largest private university in Arkansas. Established in 1924, the institution offers undergraduate, graduate, and pre-professional programs. The uni ...
,
Henderson State University
Henderson State University (HSU) is a public university in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, it is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Henderson has an undergraduate enrol ...
,
Hendrix College
Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Approximately 1,000 students are enrolled, mostly undergraduates. While affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the college offers a secular curriculum and has a stude ...
, Lyon College (Arkansas College),
Ouachita Baptist University
Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) is a private Baptist university in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita (pronounced WAH-shi-tah) River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arka ...
,
Southern Arkansas University
Southern Arkansas University (SAU) is a public university in Magnolia, Arkansas.
History
Southern Arkansas University was established by an Act of the Arkansas Legislature in 1909 as a district agricultural high school for southwest Arkansas and ...
(Southern State College),
University of Arkansas at Monticello
The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) is a public university in Monticello, Arkansas with Colleges of Technology in Crossett and McGehee. UAM is part of the University of Arkansas System and offers master's degrees, baccalaureate degrees ...
(Arkansas A&M),
University of Central Arkansas
The University of Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas or UCA) is a public university in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1907 as the Arkansas State Normal School, the university is one of the oldest in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As the state's only n ...
, and the
University of the Ozarks
University of the Ozarks (U of O) is a private university in Clarksville, Arkansas. Enrollment averages around 900 students, representing 25 countries. U of O is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
History
University of the Oz ...
(College of the Ozarks). At least three
Southern Arkansas University
Southern Arkansas University (SAU) is a public university in Magnolia, Arkansas.
History
Southern Arkansas University was established by an Act of the Arkansas Legislature in 1909 as a district agricultural high school for southwest Arkansas and ...
Sports Hall of Fame members severed as coach of the Mulerider baseball team in this era. Coach Sam Bailey coached the Muleriders to a 41–36 record from 1951–1956. Dr. Delwin T. Ross was the coach from 1957–1967.
The Seventies
Monroe Ingram coached baseball and basketball at SAU. Ingram's baseball teams produced a record of 107–86 and won AIC Championships in 1974, 1975, and 1977. Following Ingram as Head Coach of the Muleriders was Dr. Jack Harrington. Harrington was the coach of the ‘Riders from 1977–1980 and finished his career with a record of 56–53. All three of Dr. Harrington's teams finished in 2nd place in the AIC with 9–5 conference records. Following Dr. Harrington, Steve Goodheart, one of Coach Ingram's former players and assistant coaches was named Head Coach after the 1980 season and proceeded to take SAU's baseball program to new heights.
The Steve Goodheart era
![Walker Stadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Walker_Stadium.JPG)
Athletic Director W.T. Watson hired Southern Arkansas graduate and
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
Graduate Assistant Steve Goodheart as Head Coach in 1980. Goodheart was a four-year letter winner at SAU from 1973-1976 and was a student assistant at SAU in 1977. SAU won AIC Championships in 1974 and 1975 while Goodheart was a player, as well as 1977 when Goodheart was a student assistant. Following the 1977 season, Goodheart spent one year as the head coach of Camden, Arkansas'
Camden Fairview High School
Camden Fairview High School is a secondary school located in Camden, Arkansas, United States. The school is a part of the Camden Fairview School District. The school houses grades 9 through 12. With an approximate enrollment of more than 750, the ...
. In 1979 Goodheart went to the
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
where he served as a Graduate Assistant. The 1980
Arizona Wildcats baseball
The Arizona Wildcats baseball team is the intercollegiate men's baseball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. They compete in the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12) of NCAA Division I.
Arizona has won four c ...
team won the College World Series.
Goodheart retired in 2003 as the winningest coach in school history. With a record of 764 wins, 406 losses, and 5 ties, good for a .647 winning percentage, Goodheart is the second-winningest baseball coach in Arkansas history behind former
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
coach
Norm DeBriyn
Norm DeBriyn (born October 31, 1942) is an American former baseball coach at the University of Arkansas. He led the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team for 33 years, beginning in 1970. During his tenure, which ended after the 2002 season, DeBriyn's t ...
’s 1,161 wins.
Goodheart won 19 championships during his career at SAU. As head coach, his Muleriders were AIC champions in 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, and 1995. Three of his SAU teams made appearances in the NAIA World Series (1983, 1987, 1991). The 1987 team finished third in the World Series with a record of 46–7. Goodheart's teams also won six district titles and 2 area titles. According to a press release when Goodheart was elected into the Southern Arkansas University Sports Hall of Fame:
:“More than 50 of Goodheart’s former players have signed to play professional baseball. He has coached 54 first-team All-AIC players, 26 first-team NAIA District 17 players, five NAIA All-Area players, 12 NAIA Southwest Region selections, 17 NAIA All-Americans, one NAIA Academic All-American, two Cliff Shaw Scholar-Athlete Award winners, 33 All-Gulf South Conference choices, 10 NCAA All-South Central Region selections, and two NCAA All-Americans.”
Perhaps the most important accomplishment of Goodheart's career was overseeing SAU's transition from
NAIA to the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
ranks. Not only were Goodheart's teams able to make the jump, the teams proceeded to win at an even higher level.
The Allen Gum era
Former Mulerider
Allen Gum
Allen Gum (born July 22, 1969) is a former American baseball coach and player. He played college baseball at Crowder College from 1988 to 1989 before transferring to Southern Arkansas. He then served as the head coach of the Southern Arkansas Mule ...
was named head coach prior to the 2006 season. The next five years saw SAU reach a new level of success that included five NCAA Division II Regional appearances, 24 weeks ranked number 1, a first-round draft pick, and SAU's only two
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
History
Originally known as the Mid ...
titles. Gum left SAU to become the Head Coach at the
University of Central Arkansas
The University of Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas or UCA) is a public university in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1907 as the Arkansas State Normal School, the university is one of the oldest in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As the state's only n ...
following the 2010 season. Gum finished his SAU career with a record of 226 wins and 68 losses. His career .769 winning percentage is second best in
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
History
Originally known as the Mid ...
history and the best in SAU baseball history.
Despite consistently finishing near the top of the Western Division, 2006 was a banner year for the SAU baseball program. Finishing the season at 40–18 SAU won the
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
History
Originally known as the Mid ...
tournament for the first time. The 2006 season began a stretch of five consecutive seasons with 40+ wins. In 2008, the Muleriders reached the number 1 ranking for the first time in school history and made it to the semi-finals of the South Central regional.
The 2009 season was one of the most successful seasons in school history. The only team to break the 50 win plateau, SAU finished the season 52–11, won their first GSC Western Division Title, won the
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
History
Originally known as the Mid ...
Tournament for a second time, and hosted the NCAA South Regional for the first time in school history. The 2010 squad entered the season with similar expectations. The Muleriders proceeded to repeat as GSC Western Division winners before losing in the Gulf Southern Conference Tournament title game to
Valdosta State
Valdosta State University (VSU or Valdosta State) is a public university in Valdosta, Georgia. It is one of the four comprehensive universities in the University System of Georgia. , VSU had over 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students. VSU a ...
. SAU made it to the NCAA South Regional finals before losing to Regional host
University of Tampa
The University of Tampa (UT) is a private university in Tampa, Florida. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. UT offers more than 200 programs of study, including 22 master's degrees and a broad variety of majors, ...
. SAU finished 2010 with a record of 47–10 and saw four Muleriders drafted in the MLB draft, while two more signed free agent professional contracts.
The Steve Browning era
Steve Browning
Steve Browning is an American former college baseball coach, currently serving as Athletic Director of the Southern Arkansas Muleriders. He was named to that position in the fall of 2012.
Pre-collegiate coaching
A native of Sheridan, Arkansas, Br ...
's relationship with SAU baseball began in 1998 when he played for former coach Steve Goodheart. Following several years as a student/graduate assistant and assistant coach, Athletic Director Jay Adcox named Browning the head coach of the Muleriders in June 2010.
Mulerider baseball has proven to be in good hands under Coach Browning. In 2011, SAU's last season in the
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
History
Originally known as the Mid ...
, the Muleriders finished 36–16, winning the GSC tournament and making the NCAA South Regional. In their first year competing in the newly-formed
Great American Conference
The Great American Conference (GAC) is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level, with headquarters located in Russellvill ...
, SAU continued their championship tradition. Finishing the season with a record of 37–17, SAU won both the regular season and tournament championship and made their fifth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance.
Due to the success of his baseball program, as well as his relationship with the university, Dr. David Rankin named Coach Browning as Athletic Director on July 1, 2012.
![SAU baseball vs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/SAU_baseball_vs._Wylie_College_2.5.13_%288449841867%29.jpg)
Browning won his 100th game as the Mulerider's Head Coach with a 12–3 victory over East Central University on April 6, 2013.
The Muleriders won their third consecutive (2nd in the GAC) conference tournament title and their fourth in five years with an 11–2 victory over UAM on May 7, 2013.
Following the 2016 season, Browning retired from coaching to become the full-time Athletics Director role at SAU. He finished his career as SAU's baseball coach with a 224–107 record.
The Justin Pettigrew era
Following 11 years as a top assistant at SAU, Justin Pettigrew was elevated to Head Coach on May 9, 2016.
Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field
![Goodheart Field](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Goodheart_Field.JPG)
Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field is a
baseball stadium
A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...
located in
Magnolia, Arkansas
Magnolia is a city in Columbia County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 11,577. The city is the county seat of Columbia County.
Magnolia is home to the World's Largest Charcoal Grill and the World Championship S ...
. It is the home field for the Southern Arkansas Mulerider baseball team. Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field consists of grandstand seating built into a hill behind homeplate as well as grass seating down the lines. Due to the prolonged success of Mulerider Baseball, SAU opened a completely remodeled facility that included new coaches’ offices, locker rooms, concession stands, restrooms and press box during the 2011 baseball season. The capacity is approximately 1000. Field dimensions are 350–410–340. The field is named for former coach Steve Goodheart. The stadium is named after the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation.
In 2010 Southern Arkansas moved in the Top Ten in NCAA Division II average home attendance with 4,890 fans attending the 14 games. The average attendance of 349 fans was good for eighth in the NCAA.
Head coaches
* ''Records are for coaches from 1950 through present''
Year-by-year results
''*November 16, 2020.''
''*Final Rankings are from Collegiate Baseball Division II Final Polls (1988–2013)[http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/baseball_RB/2014/d2.pdf ]''
Championships
Conference Championships
Conference affiliations:
* 1950–1995,
Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference
The Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) was an athletic conference in existence from 1927 or 1928 to 1995 affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference membership consisted entirely of colleges ...
* 1995–2011,
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
History
Originally known as the Mid ...
* 2011–present,
Great American Conference
The Great American Conference (GAC) is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level, with headquarters located in Russellvill ...
Conference Tournament Championships
Conference affiliations:
* 1995–2011,
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
History
Originally known as the Mid ...
* 2011–present,
Great American Conference
The Great American Conference (GAC) is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level, with headquarters located in Russellvill ...
NAIA Championships
NAIA World Series Appearances
NAIA Area Championships
NAIA District Championships
NCAA tournament
SAU in the NCAA tournament
*SAU began participating in NCAA Division II Baseball in 1996.
*The
format
Format may refer to:
Printing and visual media
* Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements
* Paper formats, or paper size standards
* Newspaper format, the size of the paper page
Computing
* File format, particular way that informatio ...
of the tournament has changed through the years.
NCAA World Series Appearances
References
{{Arkansas Sports