Western Carolina University’s Baseball Division

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Introduction

Western Carolina University’s baseball team competes in the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference. The Catamounts play their home games at Hennon Stadium, which opened in 2013 and has a capacity of 3,000 spectators. Western Carolina University’s baseball team has appeared in three NCAA Division I College World Series, in 1977, 1983 and 1985.

History

The Western Carolina University Baseball team has a long and successful history. The team has been to the College World Series six times and has won numerous conference championships. The team is currently a member of the Southern Conference and plays its home games at Hennon Stadium.

Early History

Western Carolina University’s baseball division began in the early 1900s. The first recorded game took place in 1902, when the team played against the Asheville Athletic Club. The team was made up of students from the university and was coached by Professor Lucius E. Polk. In 1903, the team had their first official season and played a total of six games. They finished with a record of four wins and two losses.

The following year, the team joined the newly formed Appalachian Athletic Association and won their first conference championship. They would go on to win the championship again in 1905 and 1906. In 1907, they moved to the North State Intercollegiate Athletic Association, where they won championships in 1908, 1909, 1910, and 1911.

In 1912, the team moved to the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and won their first conference championship there in 1913. They would go on to win championships in 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932

Recent History

In the early 2000s, WCU’s baseball enjoyed a successful run under head coach Bobby Moranda. The team won three straight Southern Conference championships from 2003 to 2005. They made three NCAA tournament appearances in that span, including a trip to the College World Series in 2004. The team’s success helped generate funds for the construction of Childress Field at Hennon Stadium, which opened in 2005.

Since then, WCU has made two more trips to the NCAA tournament (2010 and 2013), but has yet to return to the College World Series. In 2017, the team finished 31-28 overall and 14-10 in conference play.

The Team

The Western Carolina University’s Baseball Division is made up of a group of young men who have a passion for the sport. This team has developed into a force to be reckoned with in the conference, and they are looking to continue their success in the upcoming season.

Roster

Coaches

The Catamounts are led by head coach Bobby Moranda. In his fourteenth season at the helm of the program in 2020, Moranda has steered WCU to a school-record seven straight 30-win seasons and 10 30-win campaigns overall. He reached the 700-win mark in his career with a 12-2 victory over VMI on February 26, 2019, and has now won 713 games at Western Carolina.

The Stadium

Lumberjacks baseball team of Western Carolina University located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States competes in NCAA Division I. The team is a member of the Southern Conference. The home games of the team are played in Hennon Stadium. The stadium was opened in the year 1992 and has a seating capacity of approximate two thousand.

Facilities

The stadium provides both an intimate and historic setting for Catamount baseball, as well as top-notch facilities for the student-athletes, coaches and staff.

The main playing surface is named after long-time Catamount head coach Hooks Dempster and features a natural grass infield with a northwest orientation to take advantage of the afternoon sun. The bullpens are located down the foul lines and are equipped with synthetic turf mounds.

The facility underwent a significant facelift prior to the start of the 2015 season with new dugouts, a new press box, improvements to the concourse area and restrooms and the installation of chair-back seats for increased comfort.

Location

The Stadium is located on the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The facility is nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The stadium opened in 2013 and has a capacity of 2,500 people.

The Fans

Support

Without the fans, there would be no baseball Division at Western Carolina University. The fans are the ones that make it all possible by showing their support in a variety of ways. Some of the ways the fans show their support is by attending games, cheering on the team, and wearing Western Carolina University’s baseball Division gear. The support of the fans helps to create an enjoyable atmosphere for both the players and the fans alike.

Attendance

In baseball, the number of fans in the stands directly relates to a team’s budget. In fact, attendance can be such a deciding factor in a team’s success that some organizations have taken fan input on coaching hires and player trades.

At Western Carolina University, our baseball division tracks attendance data to help us make decisions about the team. We also use this information to calculate our “Fans per Win” metric, which is a key component of our evaluation process.

In 2018, we had an average attendance of 2,427 fans per game. This number is down from 2017, when we averaged 2,611 fans per game. However, it is still well above our 5-year average of 2,257 fans per game. 2018 was also a record-breaking year for season ticket sales, with 5,741 tickets sold. This is an increase of 9% over 2017 and 23% over our 5-year average of 4,659 tickets sold.

Conclusion

Western Carolina University’s Baseball Division has had a long and successful history. The team has been consistently competitive, and has won numerous conference championships. The team is also well-known for its talented players, who have gone on to have successful careers in Major League Baseball.