The North Alabama Lions baseball team represents the University of North Alabama, which is located in Florence, Alabama. The Lions are an NCAA Division I college baseball program that competes in the ASUN Conference. They began competing in Division I in 2019 and joined the ASUN Conference the same season.
| North Alabama Lions | |
|---|---|
 2024 North Alabama Lions baseball team | |
 | |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Overall record | 1671-1214-16 |
| University | University of North Alabama |
| Head coach | Jad Prachniak (2nd season) |
| Conference | ASUN Conference |
| Location | Florence, Alabama |
| Home stadium | Mike D. Lane Field (Capacity: 750) |
| Nickname | Lions |
| Colors | Purple and gold[1] |
| College World Series appearances | |
| Division II: 1999 | |
| NCAA regional champions | |
| Division II: 1999 | |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| Division II: 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2012 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| Division II: 1984, 1989, 1993, 1997, 1999 | |
| Regular season conference champions | |
| Division II: 1992, 1993 | |
The North Alabama Lions play all home games on campus at Mike D. Lane Field. Under the direction of Head Coach Jad Prachniak, the Lions are entering their 2nd season under full Division I membership. In the program's 35 years in Division II, the Lions played in 12 NCAA Tournaments and advanced to the College World Series once in 1999.
Since the program's inception in 1932, 5 Lions have gone on to play in Major League Baseball, highlighted by 3-time World Series champion and 2013 All-Star Sergio Romo. Since 1982, 15 Lions have been drafted, most recently in 2018 when the Baltimore Orioles selected Tyler Joyner in the 30th round.
Conference membership history
edit- 1973–2018: Gulf South Conference
- 2019–present: ASUN Conference
Mike D. Lane Field
editMike D. Lane Field is a baseball stadium on the North Alabama campus in Florence, Alabama that seats 750 people. It was opened in 1984. It was dedicated to former head coach Mike D. Lane on March 11, 2008, to a crowd of 1,874.[2]
Head coaches
editRecords taken from the 2024 UNA Baseball Record Book. UNA began its baseball program in 1932 but records are incomplete or nonexistent for many of the early seasons. This results in incomplete records for Eddie Flowers and George Weeks. [2]
| Season | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932-1949 | Eddie Flowers | 18 | 23-19-3* | .544 |
| 1950-1971 | George Weeks | 22 | 163-159* | .506 |
| 1972 | Jackie Pedigo | 1 | 10-19 | .345 |
| 1973-1974 | Ricky Lindsey | 2 | 33-26 | .559 |
| 1975 | Mike Dean | 1 | 12-23 | .343 |
| 1976 | Tommy Jones | 1 | 15-26 | .366 |
| 1977-1978 | Mike Knight | 2 | 55-65 | .458 |
| 1979 | Gary Elliott | 1 | 18-17 | .514 |
| 1980–1983 | Mike Galloway | 4 | 72-87 | .453 |
| 1984–2008 | Mike Lane | 25 | 908–398–12 | .693 |
| 2009–2018 | Mike Keehn | 10 | 308–201–1 | .510 |
| Division I Era | ||||
| 2019-2022 | Mike Keehn | 4 | 38–132 | .224 |
| 2023-Now | Jad Prachniak | 2 | 16–42 | .276 |
| Totals | 12 coaches | 93 seasons | 1671–1214–16 | .579 |
Program achievements
edit| Gulf South Conference League Championships | 1984, 1989, 1993, 1997, 1999 |
| Gulf South Conference Division Champions | 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2005 |
| NCAA Division II Regional Tournament Appearances | 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2012 |
| NCAA Division II Regional Championships | 1999 |
| NCAA Division II National Championship Appearance | 1999 |
Lions in the Major Leagues
edit| = All-Star | = Baseball Hall of Famer |
| Athlete | Years in MLB | MLB Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Cedric Landrum | 1991–1993 | Chicago Cubs, New York Mets |
| Jim Czajkowski | 1994 | Colorado Rockies |
| Terry Jones | 1996, 1998–2001 | Colorado Rockies, Montreal Expos |
| Josh Willingham | 2004–2014 | Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals |
| Sergio Romo | 2008–present | San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins |
Taken from the 2024 UNA Baseball Record Book.[2] Updated February 22, 2024.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "University of North Alabama Branding Guide" (PDF). February 1, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c "2024 UNA Baseball Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved February 23, 2024.