Belhaven Blazers
| 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 |
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).
Conference affiliations[edit]
NAIA
- 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[edit]
Belhaven 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[edit]
Team[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[edit]
Belhaven 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[edit]
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.