Alabama State Hornets baseball
The Alabama State Hornets baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. The program's first season was in 1926, and it has been a member of the NCAA Division I Southwestern Athletic Conference since the start of the 1983 season. Its home venue is the Wheeler–Watkins Baseball Complex, located on Alabama State's campus. José Vázquez is the team's head coach starting in the 2017 season. The program has appeared in 2 NCAA Tournaments. It has won two conference tournament championships and 1 regular season conference title. As of the start of the 2018 Major League Baseball season, 1 former Hornet has appeared in Major League Baseball.
| Alabama State Hornets | |
|---|---|
 2023 Alabama State Hornets baseball team | |
 | |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Conference history | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1926–1982) Southwestern Athletic Conference (1983-present) |
| University | Alabama State University |
| Athletic director | Dr. Jason Cable |
| Head coach | José Vázquez (7th season) |
| Conference | Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division |
| Location | Montgomery, Alabama |
| Home stadium | Wheeler–Watkins Baseball Complex (Capacity: 500) |
| Nickname | Hornets |
| Colors | Black and old gold |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| 2016, 2022 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| 2016, 2022 | |
| Regular season conference champions | |
| 2016, 2022 | |
History
Early history
The program's first season of play was 1926.
Conference affiliations
- Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1926–1982)
- Southwestern Athletic Conference (1983–present)
Wheeler–Watkins Baseball Complex
The venue is named for two former Alabama State baseball coaches, Herbert Wheeler and Larry Watkins. Opened in March 2011, the facility has a capacity of 500 spectators.[1][2]
Head coaches
Alabama State's longest tenured head coach was Larry Watkins, who has coached the team from 1982 to 2011.
Records
| Season | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957–1981 | Herbert Wheeler* | 25 | 174–200–2 | .465 |
| 1982–2011 | Larry Watkins | 30 | 482–729–6 | .399 |
| 2012–2016 | Mervyl Melendez | 5 | 253–471 | .349 |
| 2017–present | José Vázquez | 6 | 160–121 | .569 |
| Totals | 4 coaches | 43 seasons | 1,069–1,511–8 | .415 |
*Wheeler's record only shows 17 seasons, he has 8 years with unknown records.
Notable former players
Below is a list of notable former Hornets and the seasons in which they played for Alabama State.
- Harvey Branch (1957–1958)
References
- "Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex". BamaStateSports.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- "2012 Alabama State Baseball Media Guide". Issuu.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2012.