Baseball Media Guide (PDF) - Mercer University

HistoryFounded Sept. 19, 1978, the Atlantic Sun Conference hasoperated over a quarter century in the ever-changing landscape ofintercollegiate athletics with a consistent commitment to itsConstitutional Mission to "assist its member institutions in themaintenance of programs of intercollegiate athletics which arecompatible with the highest standards of education and competitivesports." Formerly known as the Trans America AthleticConference, the A-Sun changed its name in June 2001 and introduceda new visual identity that distinguishes the league.Ted Gumbart became the A-Sun’s fourth full-time commissionerwhen he took the reigns in January 2007. Gumbart followedBill Bibb (1991-2006), Lou McCullough (1983-91) andBob Vanatta (1979-83). The A-Sun office has been in Macon, Ga.,since April 1992, after relocating from Athens, Ga. (1983-1992).The first office was located in Shreveport, La. (1979-1983).Academic ExcellenceThe Atlantic Sun Conference continues to prove that it excelsboth athletically and academically. In 2005-06, more than 50 percentof the conference's student-athletes who participated duringthe season earned all-academic honors. For the spring seasonalone, 52.2 percent of student-athletes in the A-Sun were honored,as compared to 50.0 percent during the fall, giving the conferencea total of 51.4 percent honored.This marks the third consecutive year that the A-Sun has surpassedthe 50 percent total. Belmont University won the A-SunAll-Academic Trophy for the fifth consecutive year. The award isgiven annually to the conference school with the greatest percentageof student-athletes receiving all academic honors. TheNashville school finished with 65.1 percent of all student-athletesearning the honor. For the fourth consecutive year, women's crosscountry had the highest rate of student-athletes earn all-academic,as 66.7 percent (92 of 138) were honored, with women's golf placingsecond at 64.6 percent. Four women's cross country and fourwomen's soccer teams received All-Academic national recognitionfrom their respective coaches associations.Mercer's Will Emerson earned A-Sun Student-Athlete of theYear for the second consecutive year and academic All-Americaon the men's basketball first team. On the women's side, ETSUwomen's soccer standout Erin Ashton was voted A-Sun Student-Athlete of the Year. Both received NCAA PostgraduateScholarships.The bar for academic excellence in the league was set in2003-04 as Belmont broke its own single-season conference markwith 71.4% of its athletes earning All-Academic honors (152 of213). A record 52.8 percent of all A-Sun athletes earned all-academichonors that year.Athletic ExcellenceThe A-Sun has continually matched its classroom achievementwith success on the playing fields. Over the past eight-plusyears, the A-Sun has posted NCAA wins in each of the team sportsthat it sponsors. For the seventh straight season the A-Sunadvanced multiple teams to the NCAA Baseball Championship,with tournament champion Stetson and regular season championJacksonville receiving bids in 2006. The A-Sun also sent multipleteams to the NCAA men's golf championship for the fourthstraight season in 2006 as Top-15 ranked ETSU joined A-Sunchamp Jacksonville at NCAA Regionals. The A-Sun receivedmultiple postseason berths in men's basketball for the third time infive seasons as Belmont made their first NCAA Championshipappearance and Lipscomb earned an NIT bid. The women's programsmatched the men as Florida Atlantic faced LSU in theNCAA Tournament and Belmont traveled to Tennessee Tech for aWNIT game.MembershipThe A-Sun is a blend of the southeast's finest private and mostdynamic state schools. Florida Gulf Coast and USC Upstate willenter league competition in 2007-08.With outstanding achievement in academics and athletics, theA-Sun ranks as one of the country's top all-around collegiate athleticconferences. In addition to great schools, the A-Sun boastssome of the nation's top destination areas and media markets. WithAtlanta and Fort Myers, Nashville and the Tri-Cities, Jacksonvilleand Raleigh/Durham, the Atlantic Sun offers some of the bestcities in the southeastern United States.Belmont Bruins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nashville, Tenn.Campbell Camels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buies Creek, N.C.East Tennessee State Buccaneers . . . . . . .Johnson City, Tenn.Florida Gulf Coast Eagles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fort Myers, Fla.Gardner-Webb Bulldogs . . . . . . . . . . . . Boiling Springs, N.C.Jacksonville Dolphins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacksonville, Fla.Kennesaw State Owls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kennesaw, Ga.Lipscomb Bisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nashville, Tenn.Mercer Bears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Macon, Ga.North Florida Ospreys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacksonville, Fla.USC Upstate Spartans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spartanburg, S.C.Stetson Hatters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DeLand, Fla.Atlantic Section Sun ConferenceMERCER UNIVERSITY37