Mel Lucas

Last updated
Mel Lucas
Sport(s) Baseball
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1961–1964 Troy
1965–1968 South Alabama
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1964–1980 South Alabama

Mel Lucas is a former college baseball coach and college administrator. He served as head coach of the Troy Trojans baseball team before being hired as the first athletic director at South Alabama, then a new university in Mobile, Alabama. He served as the school's first baseball coach for four seasons before hiring former major leaguer Eddie Stanky in order to focus on his growing administrative duties. Lucas was instrumental in forming the Sun Belt Conference and was a central figure in the growth of the Jaguars athletic programs. He was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 1989. [1] [2] [3] [4]

College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional players, as baseball's professional minor leagues are more extensive, with a greater history of supplying players to the top professional league. Moving directly from high school to the professional level is more common in baseball than in football or basketball. However, if players do opt to enroll at a four-year college to play baseball, they must complete three years to regain professional eligibility, unless they reach age 21 before starting their third year of college. Players who enroll at junior colleges regain eligibility after one year at that level. In the most recently completed 2017 season, there were 298 NCAA Division I teams in the United States.

Troy Trojans baseball

The Troy Trojans baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball team of Troy University, located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It competes in the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference. The program began play in 1911. As of the end of the 2018 season, the program's overall record is 1,734–1,077–3. In 1986 and 1987, Troy won Division II national championships under head coach Chase Riddle. As a Division II program, the team won 10 conference titles and appeared in 14 NCAA Regionals and 7 College World Series.

South Alabama Jaguars University of South Alabama intercollegiate teams

The South Alabama Jaguars represent the University of South Alabama in NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics. USA competes in the Sun Belt Conference; it is the conference's only remaining charter member from its inception. USA's athletics teams are nicknamed the 'Jaguars'. Popular sports are baseball and men's basketball. USA sponsors 8 men's sports teams and 9 women's sports teams. The board of trustees recently voted to start a football program that began play in the fall of 2009.

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References

  1. "Mel Lucas". South Alabama Jaguars. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  2. Tommy Hicks (February 13, 2014). "Golden Anniversary: South Alabama's baseball program to celebrate 50 years of play this season". AL.com. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  3. Anniversary Book (PDF). University of South Alabama. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  4. Ron Fimrite (May 3, 1971). "The Brat is a winner for old USA". Sports Illustrated.