North Florida Ospreys baseball | |
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2024 North Florida Ospreys baseball team | |
Founded | 1988 |
University | University of North Florida |
Head coach | Joe Mercadante (1st season) |
Conference | ASUN |
Location | Jacksonville, Florida |
Home stadium | Harmon Stadium (Capacity: 1,000) |
Nickname | Ospreys |
Colors | Navy blue and gray [1] |
College World Series runner-up | |
Division II: 2005 | |
College World Series appearances | |
NAIA: 1989, 1991 Division II: 2000, 2001, 2005 | |
NCAA Tournament appearances | |
Division II: 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 | |
Regular season conference champions | |
Division I: 2015 Division II: 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005 |
The North Florida Ospreys baseball team represents the University of North Florida in the sport of baseball. The Ospreys compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), in the ASUN Conference (A-Sun). They play their home games in Harmon Stadium on the university's Jacksonville, Florida campus. The Ospreys were founded in 1988 as members of the NAIA. They moved to the NCAA Division II level in 1994, and began their Division I transition in 2006. They became fully eligible at the Division I level in 2010. Most recently, the Ospreys won their first Atlantic Sun regular season championship in 2015. [2]
North Florida's baseball program was founded in 1988. The team was established under the leadership of Dusty Rhodes, who served as head coach from 1988 to 2010. Since its inception, the Ospreys baseball team has won 13 conference titles: six in the NAIA, six in NCAA Division II, and one in NCAA Division I and has made a total of 16 playoff appearances: six in the NAIA and ten in NCAA Division II. They went to the NAIA World Series in 1989 and 1991 and the NCAA Division II World Series in 2000, 2001, and 2005, advancing to the final in 2005. [3] [4]
Notably, the team's former logo is similar to the New York Yankees logo. It was designed in 1986 at the urging of Dusty Rhodes and continued, and brought extra attention to the baseball program. [5] It was discontinued after Rhodes' retirement in 2010 and replaced with a new logo for the 2011 season.
[6] [7] The Ospreys won their first Atlantic Sun regular season championship in 2015. [2] Star outfielder Donnie Dewees, a redshirt sophomore, was named Atlantic Sun Player of the Year and Laval was the conference's Coach of the Year. Dewees led the nation in runs (81), runs per game (1.51), hits (101) and total bases (178) at the conclusion of the regular season and posted a 31-game hit streak. [8] Dewees was also named one of 21 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award. [9] The Chicago Cubs selected Dewees in the second round, with the 47th overall selection, of the draft. [10] He was UNF's highest-drafted player since they transitioned to Division I in 2005. [11]
The Ospreys play their home games on campus at Harmon Stadium. It was built in 1988 and has a capacity of 1,000 fans. The playing field and batting facility are named for former Ospreys baseball coach Dusty Rhodes. [12]
Baseball head coaches | Seasons |
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Dusty Rhodes | 1988–2010 |
Smoke Laval | 2011–2017 |
Tim Parenton | 2018–2023 |
College World Series appearance | NCAA Tournament appearance | Conference regular season champions | Conference tournament champions | Conference regular season and tournament champions |
Season | Head coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
District 25 (NAIA) | |||||
1988 | Dusty Rhodes | 47–17 | 18–6 | 1st | Area V Tournament, 1–2 |
1989 | Dusty Rhodes | 53–18 | 25–3 | 1st | NAIA World Series, 3rd place |
1990 | Dusty Rhodes | 43–20 | 19–3 | 1st | District 25 Tournament, 2–2 |
1991 | Dusty Rhodes | 57–13 | 23–1 | 1st | NAIA World Series, 3rd place |
1992 | Dusty Rhodes | 51–12 | 27–3 | 1st | Area V Tournament, 2–1 |
District 7 (NAIA) | |||||
1993 | Dusty Rhodes | 45–12 | 28–4 | 1st | District 7 Tournament, 1–2 |
NAIA Total: | 296–92 (.763) | 140–20 (.875) | |||
Sunshine State Conference (NCAA Division II) | |||||
1994 | Dusty Rhodes | 33–19 | 15–6 | 2nd | NCAA South Regional, 1–2 |
1995 | Dusty Rhodes | 36–16 | 15–6 | 1st | NCAA South Regional, 0–2 |
1996 | Dusty Rhodes | 26–29 | 10–11 | 4th | |
1997 | Dusty Rhodes | 39–17 | 13–8 | 3rd | NCAA South Regional, 0–2 |
Sunshine State Total: | 134–81 (.623) | 53–31 (.631) | |||
Peach Belt Conference (NCAA Division II) | |||||
1998 | Dusty Rhodes | 32–21 | 15–11 | 2nd | |
1999 | Dusty Rhodes | 43–17 | 22–8 | 1st | NCAA South Atlantic Regional, 3–2 |
2000 | Dusty Rhodes | 49–14 | 26–4 | 1st | D-II World Series, 3rd place |
2001 | Dusty Rhodes | 47–17 | 25–5 | 1st | D-II World Series, 3rd place |
2002 | Dusty Rhodes | 40–16 | 23–7 | 2nd | NCAA South Atlantic Regional, 0–2 |
2003 | Dusty Rhodes | 39–18 | 18–9 | T-1st | NCAA South Atlantic Regional, 2–2 |
2004 | Dusty Rhodes | 41–18 | 23–7 | 1st | NCAA South Atlantic Regional, 2–2 |
2005 | Dusty Rhodes | 48–16 | 23–7 | 1st | D-II World Series, runner-up |
Peach Belt Total: | 339–137 (.712) | 175–58 (.751) | |||
ASUN Conference (NCAA Division I) | |||||
2006 | Dusty Rhodes | 34–21 | 20–10 | 2nd | |
2007 | Dusty Rhodes | 24–32 | 13–14 | 6th | |
2008 | Dusty Rhodes | 29–26 | 18–15 | 4th | |
2009 | Dusty Rhodes | 23–31 | 15–15 | T-6th | |
2010 | Dusty Rhodes | 30–28 | 14–12 | 4th | A-Sun Tournament, 1–2 |
2011 | Smoke Laval | 27–27 | 13–17 | 8th | |
2012 | Smoke Laval | 31–24 | 12–15 | 8th | |
2013 | Smoke Laval | 40–19 | 18–9 | 3rd | A-Sun Tournament, 2–2 |
2014 | Smoke Laval | 22–31 | 11–16 | 8th | A-Sun Tournament, 0–2 |
2015 | Smoke Laval | 45–16 | 16–5 | 1st | A-Sun Tournament, 3–2 (Runner-up) |
2016 | Smoke Laval | 39–19 | 15–6 | 2nd | A-Sun Tournament, 2–2 |
Atlantic Sun Total: | 344–274 (.557) | 166–136 (.550) | |||
Total: | 1,113–584 (.656) |
Season | Coach | Overall record | Conf. record |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Smoke Laval | 45–16 | 16–5 |
UNF Arena is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. It is home to the North Florida Ospreys men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams. It is also used for other events, such as concerts and graduation ceremonies, and has served as the site of the Orlando Magic franchise's training camp. It opened in 1993 and has a capacity of up to 6,300.
Raymond Peter "Smoke" Laval is an American college baseball coach who was the head coach of the University of North Florida Ospreys. He is a former head coach of the Louisiana State University Tigers and the University of Louisiana at Monroe Indians baseball teams. He has led his teams to two College World Series, five conference championships, and seven NCAA Division I Baseball Championship appearances, and has received a number of coaching awards.
Hodges Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the University of North Florida (UNF), and the home field for the North Florida Ospreys soccer, track and field, and cross country teams. It is located on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. It is named for George and Kernan Hodges, who donated $2 million to upgrade the facility in 2006.
The Jacksonville Dolphins are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Jacksonville University, located in Jacksonville, Florida. The Dolphins participate in NCAA Division I athletics, and are primarily members of the ASUN Conference. Some teams in sports that are not sponsored by the ASUN play in other conferences; specifically, the men's and women's rowing teams are in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The men's lacrosse team had played in the Southern Conference (SoCon) from 2015 to 2022, but that sport will return to the ASUN for the 2023 season.
The North Florida Ospreys are the athletic teams of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. The Ospreys compete in the ASUN Conference in NCAA Division I. UNF became a full-fledged member of Division I in 2009; previously, the Ospreys were members of the Sunshine State Conference and Peach Belt Conference in NCAA Division II. UNF fields teams in seven men's sports and ten women's sports.
Matthew Driscoll is an American college basketball coach who is currently head coach of the University of North Florida Ospreys. Before coming to UNF, Driscoll spent twelve years as an assistant at Baylor University, Valparaiso University, Clemson University and the University of Wyoming. In a May 2008 Fox Sports survey of his peers, Driscoll was rated as one of the top 10 assistants in the country.
Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium, generally known as Harmon Stadium, is the baseball stadium at the University of North Florida (UNF), and the home field of the North Florida Ospreys baseball team. It is located on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, near the softball complex and aquatic center. It opened in 1988 and has a seating capacity of 1,250. The stadium is named for Doug and Linda Harmon for their contributions to constructions costs, while the field is named after UNF's first baseball coach, Dusty Rhodes.
Jack Dusty Rhodes is a retired American baseball coach and the former head coach of the University of North Florida Ospreys college baseball team. He was the first coach in UNF baseball history, having founded the program in the 1980s and serving as head coach from 1988–2010. UNF's baseball field, officially Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium, is named in his honor.
The North Florida Ospreys represent the University of North Florida (UNF) in men's college basketball. The Ospreys compete in the ASUN Conference (A-Sun) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). They play home games at UNF Arena on the school's campus in Jacksonville.
The North Florida Ospreys men's soccer program represents the University of North Florida in all NCAA Division I men's college soccer competitions. Founded in 1991, the Ospreys compete in the ASUN Conference. The Ospreys are coached by Derek Marinatos, who has coached the program since 2011. The Ospreys plays their home matches at Hodges Stadium, on the UNF campus.
The 2014–15 North Florida Ospreys men's basketball team represented the University of North Florida during the 2014–15 college basketball season. The Ospreys competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun). They were led by sixth year head coach Matthew Driscoll, and played their home games at UNF Arena on the university's Jacksonville, Florida campus.
Donald William Dewees Jr. is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He played college baseball for the North Florida Ospreys of the University of North Florida.
The 2015–16 North Florida Ospreys men's basketball team represented the University of North Florida during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Ospreys were led by seventh-year head coach Matthew Driscoll and played their home games at UNF Arena on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Florida as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun).
The 2016–17 North Florida Ospreys men's basketball team represented the University of North Florida during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by eighth–year head coach Matthew Driscoll and played their home games at UNF Arena on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Florida as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). They finished the season 15–19, 8–6 in ASUN play to finish in third place. As the No. 3 seed in the ASUN tournament, they defeated Jacksonville and Lipscomb before losing to Florida Gulf Coast in the championship game.
The North Florida Ospreys women's basketball team represent the University of North Florida (UNF) in women's college basketball. The Ospreys compete in the ASUN Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The 2017–18 North Florida Ospreys men's basketball team represented the University of North Florida during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by ninth–year head coach Matthew Driscoll and played their home games at UNF Arena on the university's campus in Jacksonville, Florida as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). The Ospreys finished the season 14–19, 7–7 in ASUN play to finish in a tie for fourth place. In the ASUN tournament, they defeated NJIT before losing in the semifinals to Florida Gulf Coast.
The 2018–19 North Florida Ospreys women's basketball team represents the University of North Florida in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Ospreys, led by fourth year head coach Darrick Gibbs, play their games at UNF Arena and were members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 15–14, 9–7 in A-Sun play to finish in fifth place. They advanced to the semifinals of A-Sun Tournament where they lost to Liberty.
The 2019–20 North Florida Ospreys men's basketball team represents the University of North Florida in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Ospreys, led by 11th-year head coach Matthew Driscoll, play their home games at the UNF Arena in Jacksonville, Florida as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
The 2023–24 North Florida Ospreys men's basketball team represented the University of North Florida during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Ospreys, led by 15th-year head coach Matthew Driscoll, played their home games at the UNF Arena in Jacksonville, Florida as members of the ASUN Conference.
The 2023–24 North Florida Ospreys women's basketball team represents the University of North Florida during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Ospreys, led by first-year head coach Erika Lambert, play their home games at the UNF Arena in Jacksonville, Florida as members of the ASUN Conference.