A Legacy Forged in Competition: The History of University of North Alabama Baseball

The University of North Alabama (UNA) Lions boast a rich athletic history, marked by significant achievements and transitions. From its early days in Division II to its current status in Division I, the baseball program has been a consistent source of pride for the university. This article explores the historical trajectory of the UNA baseball program, highlighting key figures, memorable seasons, and its evolution within the broader context of UNA athletics.

Early Years and Foundational Leadership

The genesis of UNA baseball can be traced back to Eddie Flowers, who not only served as the first baseball coach but also held the multifaceted roles of Athletic Director, physical education teacher, and coach for basketball and tennis. Flowers laid the groundwork for UNA's athletic endeavors. His most successful year as the baseball coach came in his last season (1948) when the Lions went 15-3.

Following Flowers, George Weeks took the helm as head baseball coach from 1949 to 1971. During his tenure, Weeks led numerous successful teams, securing victories against Division I powerhouses such as the University of Alabama. The period between 1972 and 1975 saw a succession of coaches, including Jackie Pedigo, Ricky Lindsey, and Mike Dean. Mike Knight then served as head coach from 1976 to 1978, followed by Gary Elliott, who guided the Lions to an 18-17 record in 1979.

The Mike Lane Era: A Division II Powerhouse

The UNA baseball program truly ascended to prominence in 1984 under the leadership of Coach Mike Lane. It was not until 1984, under Coach Mike Lane that the Lions became recognized as a standout in Division II and Gulf South Conference baseball. Lane's impact was immediate, with the Lions capturing their first Gulf South Conference (GSC) baseball championship in his inaugural season.

In 1985, the Lions achieved a remarkable 46-11-1 record and were ranked second nationally. A 40-13-1 season in 1987 led the Lions to the second most wins in school history at that time. The success continued in 1988, setting the stage for an exceptional 1989 season that culminated in a second GSC championship and a return to the NCAA playoffs.

The 1990 season saw UNA achieve a 37-9 record, including victories over Division I institutions like Middle Tennessee State and Mississippi State. The Lions secured their fifth NCAA playoff berth in eight years in 1991. Their success continued into 1992 with their third straight appearance in the NCAA playoffs. UNA won the GSC title again in 1993 by defeating rival Jacksonville State 7-6 in the championship game. The Lions earned another bid to the playoffs and ended the regular season at No. 2 nationally. In 1994 and 1995 the Lions won the GSC East Division title and made another regional appearance in 1995. The Lions finished 1996 with a 37-11 record and 1997 at 40-15-1, winning a fourth Gulf South Conference championship and playing in their ninth NCAA regional tournament in 14 years. The Lions finished the 1998 season 38-12 and were 24-4 at home.

Lane's most successful year came in 1999 when he led the Lions to their first Division II World Series in Montgomery after winning the GSC and Division II South Central Regional championships. This period solidified UNA's reputation as a formidable Division II baseball program.

From UNA to the Majors

Under Lane's guidance, five players progressed to Major League Baseball, a testament to the program's ability to develop talent:

Cedric Landrum: Debuted with the Chicago Cubs and later played for the New York Mets in 1993.
Jim Czajkowshi: Reached the majors with the Colorado Rockies in 1994.
Terry Jones: Played for the Montreal Expos and Colorado Rockies during a five-year MLB career from 1996 to 2001.
Josh Willingham: Made his major league debut with the Florida Marlins in 2004 and had a breakout season as a starting outfielder for the Marlins in 2006, followed by impressive seasons in 2007 and 2008. He was traded to the Washington Nationals where he played in 2009 and 2010.

Lane's impact extended beyond team success, with 17 Lions earning All-American honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association and six Lions winning NCAA statistical national championships.

Mike D. Lane Field

A major renovation of the school's University Field also resulted in a renaming of the facility in Lane's honor as the facility is now known as Mike D.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Transition and Continued Leadership

After 20 seasons as an assistant coach under Mike Lane, Mike Keehn was appointed head coach of the Lions in 2009. In his first 10 seasons as head baseball coach at the University of North Alabama, Mike Keehn helped lead the Lions back into the regional and national spotlight on the NCAA Division II level with a combined 308 wins and back-to-back trips to the NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament in 2011 and 2012.

Moving to Division I

The fall of 2018 marked the Lions' first year of their transition into Division I. The Lions finished their first Division I season at 16-38, facing a rugged schedule, but UNA remained in the hunt for a possible ASUN Tournament berth until the final series of the series. It was just UNA's second losing season in the last 36 years. Included in 2019 was a 10-6 road win at then-18th-ranked Ole Miss.

University of North Alabama Athletics: An Overview

The North Alabama Lions are the athletic teams of the University of North Alabama (UNA), located in Florence, Alabama. The Lions are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and compete within the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) for all sports except football, which plays in the United Athletic Conference (UAC). Significant changes will come to the athletic program on July 1, 2026. On that date, the Western Athletic Conference will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference (UAC) and continue operations as an NCAA Division I all-sports league. North Alabama will be among five Atlantic Sun Conference members to join the rebranded UAC as part of a strategic alliance with the ASUN.[2] Also, UNA will add five sports-women's flag football, men's and women's indoor track & field, and men's and women's outdoor track & field. The UNA Athletic Department sponsors the following sports.

Beyond Baseball: A Look at UNA's Other Athletic Achievements

While baseball holds a significant place in UNA's athletic history, the university has also excelled in other sports, particularly basketball.

Men's Basketball

The foundation for UNA's success in basketball, and its entire athletic program, was put in place by Eddie Flowers. After coming to UNA (then Florence State Teachers College) in 1929, Flowers began the school's athletic program in 1932 and coached the first basketball team that season. He remained as basketball coach until 1948 and as athletic director until 1969. Ed Billingham was hired as the school's second men's basketball coach in 1948 and he directed the Lions for the next 24 years, winning 249 games. Bill E. Jones was hired as UNA's third basketball head coach in 1972 and had a 28-17 record in two seasons. Lion basketball alumnus Bill L. Jones was hired in 1974 and the Lion basketball fortunes went to a new level. In 14 seasons, Jones led UNA to six NCAA Tournament appearances and four trips to the Final Four, including an NCAA Division II National Championship in 1979. UNA was the first college or university in the state to win a basketball national championship and is one of just four Division II programs to have won more than one Division II basketball championship. Jones led UNA to Gulf South Conference championships in 1977, 1981 and 1984 and GSC Tournament titles in 1981, 1984 and 1988. He led UNA to NCAA Tournaments in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984 and 1988, with his teams winning regional crowns in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1984. Under Jones, UNA went to the Final Four in 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1984. UNA's fourth head coach, Gary Elliott, continued the Lion's success story, taking his teams to a 252-140 record overall and a 148-49 record at home. In Elliott's 15 seasons, he led the Lions to their second national championship in 1991, four NCAA appearances in 1991, 1994, 1995, and 1996 and an average of better than 19 wins per season. The Lions have won 20 or more games five times under Elliott. Bobby Champagne took over the Lions Basketball program for the 2003-04 campaign, leading the Lions to a 12-16 overall record his first season and a 14-14 mark the following year. UNA advanced to the first round of the GSC Tournament in each of Champagne's seasons at the helm of the program. On Nov. In 2006, the Lions returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 10 seasons finishing with an 18-11 record. Two years later, UNA was back in the Elite Eight.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

Women's Athletics

Major change came in 1982 when women's sports were included for the first time as championships under both the Gulf South Conference and the NCAA. The UNA women's basketball program received its first NCAA Division II Top 20 ranking on January 16, 1984, when the Lions debuted in the poll at No. 20. The 1983-84 Lions were ranked in the Top 20 for eight straight weeks and advanced to the championship game of the Division II South Regional. In 1993-94, Byrd led the Lions an NCAA South Regional championship and a third-place finish at the Division II Elite Eight in Fargo, N.D. The Wayne Byrd era at UNA also included three All-Americans, with LaConger Cohran and Brenda Mayes earning national awards in 1985, and Serita Gauldin becoming the school's first, first-team All-America pick in women's basketball in 1998. In 1997-98, UNA guard Becky Mauck led the NCAA Division II in both free throw percentage and three-point field goal percentage, becoming the first player in Division II women's basketball history to lead the nation in two shooting categories in the same season. Terry Fowler became the sixth head women's basketball coach in UNA history in 2006 and took the first step in rebuilding the winning tradition with a solid 14-14 mark in his inaugural season. Following an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013, Fowler left to become the head coach at the University of South Alabama. The Lions posted a 21-9 record during its first Division I season, earning a No. 4 seed in the ASUN Tournament with a 10-6 league record after being picked to finish eighth in the preseason coaches' poll. In 2019, North Alabama added a beach volleyball program to its sports offering as they made the transition to Division I. They play their home matches at a facility adjacent to the Hilda B. In 2023, the Lions found great success under first-year head coach Kaleb VanDePerre as they earned their first 20-win season. In 2024, the team won their first ever matches against Power 5 programs.

Football

Following a miserable showing in 1928, football was dropped at the university. For the next 21 years, there were several efforts made to return football to the Florence campus by writing letters to the administration and gathering names on petitions. Those efforts finally proved successful on March 30, 1949, when President Dr. E.B. Since that September day, the university has reaped 67 years' worth of benefits from a football program that has helped put UNA on the map as one of the nation's premier collegiate powers. Since Hal Self guided the first Lion squad onto the field on Sept. The 2008 season, UNA's 60th since football returned to campus, was emblematic of the Lions’ current position in college football. The Lions posted a 12-2 record and came within one game of playing for the Division II National Championship on its home field. That's because UNA had served as the host for the Division II Football Championship since 1986, and is the only school to have had the chance to claim a Division II title on its home field. Following a record-setting season of his own, North Alabama quarterback A.J. Milwee was the runner-up for the Division II National Player of the Year Award. Then in 2009, another historic chapter was written when nationally renowned coach Terry Bowden came to Florence and led the Lions to an 11-2 record, a Gulf South Conference championship, a spot in the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs, and a No. 6 national ranking in the final poll. It was UNA's fifth straight season with 10 or more wins and fifth straight playoff appearance. It was UNA's 15th overall playoff appearance and the Lions' 27 NCAA playoff wins are also the second most by any current Division II institution. In 2013 the Lions made their ninth post-season appearance in the last 11 years and reached the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs and followed that with a 9-2 record and 19th NCAA post-season appearance in 2014 and a 9-3 record and 20th playoff trip in 2015. But the Lions can trace their success much further back. The first 30 years after the rebirth of the Lion football program established a strong foundation for the program. Under the direction of Hal Self, the early Lion football teams were a model of consistency, enjoying 12 winning seasons in the first 14 years or the program. The Lions dominated other state institutions, going 12 years from 1952 to 1964 without losing a game to another school from Alabama (31-0-2). The Lions’ first conference title came in 1960 with the formation of the Alabama Collegiate Conference, and UNA would win four straight league titles. Upon Self's retirement from coaching in 1969, Durell Mock became the first, and so far only, former Lion player to become the Lions’ head football coach. During Mock's third and final season as head coach, the university became a charter member of the Gulf South Conference. Following Grubb's departure, UNA turned to Bobby Wallace to continue the Lion tradition and he was more than up for the challenge. North Alabama became the first school in the history of NCAA scholarship football to win three consecutive national championships, and UNA is still the only NCAA Division II institution to have won three straight crowns. From 1993 to 1995 the Lions went 41-1 and set a Division II record by ranking No. Wallace left UNA following another playoff run in 1997 and the Lions elevated longtime defensive coordinator Bill Hyde to the head coaching position. Hudspeth spent seven seasons in Florence and put the Lion program back at the top of Division II, winning 64 games and making five playoff appearances. Bringing a big-name, high-profile former Division I National Coach of the Year to Florence sparked anticipation for year number 61 of Lion football and Bowden's first team didn't disappoint. UNA went 11-2 and won the Gulf South Conference championship. Bobby Wallace returned to UNA prior to the 2012 season and led the Lions to a 5-5 record before his 2013 squad went 10-3, won a share of the GSC Championship, and fought its way to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Wallace and the Lions followed that with a 9-2 record, co-GSC Championship, and another NCAA Playoff bid in 2014, a 9-3 record, third straight GSC title and NCAA Playoff appearance in 2015, an…

Division II Dominance

As an NCAA Division II member, UNA was nationally ranked in the Top 25 of the final Division II poll 21 times from 1980 to 2017, with 15 Top Ten Rankings. UNA's 21 all-time playoff appearances are the second most in Division II history.

Transition to Division I

In 2018, the Lions began a new chapter with a transition to Division I and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) status. The Lions played as an independent in the FCS in 2018 and finished with a 7-3 record. In 2019, UNA played its first season as a member of the Big South Conference and went 4-7 overall, losing three games by a touchdown or less. The Lions were not eligible to rank in the conference standings due to the transition but would have finished fourth with a 3-4 league mark.

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