The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States.[2] 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 Magnolia Field in Itta Bena, Mississippi. CJ Bilbrey is the team's head coach starting in the 2024 season.
| Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils | |
|---|---|
 2024 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils baseball team | |
 | |
| University | Mississippi Valley State University |
| Head coach | CJ Bilbrey (1st season) |
| Conference | SWAC East Division |
| Location | Itta Bena, Mississippi |
| Home stadium | Magnolia Field (Capacity: 200) |
| Nickname | Delta Devils |
| Colors | Forest green and white[1] |
| Regular season conference champions | |
| 2005, 2006 | |
History edit
Fourteen-year head coach Doug Shanks retired on November 12, 2014.[3] After serving as an assistant to Shanks for all 14 seasons, Aaron Stevens was promoted to head coach on December 2, 2014.[4] On the heels of back-to-back win-less seasons in 2020 and 2021, Stevens was not retained for the 2022 season.[5] On July 27, 2021, Stanley Stubbs was named the head coach of the Delta Devils.[6] With the Delta Devils improving by 10 wins over the previous season, Stubbs had done a good job helping turn around the Delta Devils fortunes, but on June 15, 2022, head coach he resigned due to health concerns.[7] On August 11, 2022, Milton Barney Jr. was named the head coach of the Delta Devils.[8]
Head coaches edit
| Season | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–1977 | Clinton Vasser | 3 | 33–34–1 | .493 |
| 1978–2000 | Cleotha Wilson | 23 | 276–575–5 | .325 |
| 2001–2014 | Doug Shanks | 14 | 253–471 | .349 |
| 2015–2021 | Aaron Stevens | 7 | 39–183–1 | .177 |
| 2022 | Stanley Stubbs | 1 | 10–31–1 | .250 |
| Totals | 5 coaches | 48 seasons | 611–1,294–8 | .321 |
Major League Baseball edit
Mississippi Valley State has had 15 Major League Baseball Draft selections since the draft began in 1965.[9]
| Delta Devils in the Major League Baseball Draft | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Name | Round | Team |
| 1966 | Louis Inman | 28 | Red Sox |
| 1981 | Bo Jordan | 18 | Athletics |
| 1981 | Willie Weston | 14 | Red Sox |
| 1983 | Tyrone Barnes | 31 | Tigers |
| 1984 | Herman Boddy | 28 | Expos |
| 1985 | Tim Watkins | 8 | Reds |
| 1986 | Robbie Gilbert | 12 | Athletics |
| 1988 | Steven James | 52 | White Sox |
| 1988 | Wayne Busby | 19 | White Sox |
| 1998 | Fontella Jones | 24 | Brewers |
| 1998 | Rickey Lewis | 18 | Brewers |
| 2003 | Tee Thomas | 24 | Cardinals |
| 2006 | Zach Penprase | 13 | Phillies |
| 2009 | Jeff Squier | 14 | Rockies |
| 2015 | Kalik May | 33 | Blue Jays |
Notable players edit
- Zach Penprase (born 1985), Israeli-American baseball player for the Israel National Baseball Team
- Dion Williams Born 1964 Greenville, Mississippi
Signed free agent contract with Boston Red Sox 1987. Son of Former MLB All-Star George “Boomer” Scott. MVP Empire State League 1987
See also edit
References edit
- ^ MVSU Style Guide (PDF). July 1, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ "Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils". d1baseball.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "Mississippi Valley State's Doug Shanks Retires". College Baseball Daily. November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ^ "Stevens named MVSU head baseball coach". www.mvsusports.com. Mississippi Valley State University. December 2, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ^ Michael Coker (May 23, 2021). "Mississippi Valley State Head Baseball Coach Relieved of Duties". www.blackcollegenines.com. Black College Nines. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Michael Coker (July 27, 2021). "Stanley Stubbs Becomes New Mississippi Valley State University Baseball Head Coach". www.blackcollegenines.com. Black College Nines. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Michael Coker (June 15, 2022). "Mississippi Valley State Head Baseball Coach Stanley Stubbs Steps Down". www.blackcollegenines.com. Black College Nines. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- ^ "Milton Barney Tabbed To Lead MVSU Baseball Program". www.mvsusports.com. Mississippi Valley State University. August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^ "MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "Mississippi Valley State University (Itta Bena, MS)"". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
External links edit
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