Call Number  UA  16/2/2
Name:   Baseball
Dates:   1974-1999 (histories cover from 1954)
Size:   5 folders and 1 box
Scope and Content:

The VSC Baseball Team was formed in 1954 and had its first official baseball season of intercollegiate competition in 1955.  The first coach was Walter Cottingham.  The college was first a member of the Georgia Conference.  In 1959, Gary Colson, later a VSC basketball coach, became baseball coach.  Bill (Billy) Grant became coach in 1960, and Tommy Thomas, the current baseball coach, became coach in 1968.  In 1974, VSC joined the South Atlantic Conference.  The team has won numerous conference and regional championships.

The Baseball Collection contains unique printed material: a  two volume Valdosta State Sport History—Baseball, Book 1. The Years, Book 2. The Players.  This is a rich, locally produced sports history containing statistics, biographies, reproduction of newspaper coverage by year, and synopses of each year.  The history covers 1955-1977.  Another local publication, Valdosta State Champions South Atlantic Conference and Champions NCAA South Atlantic Region, documents the 1974 winning season through statistics, narrative, and extensive reproduction of newspaper coverage.

In addition, the baseball collection contains program guides to various seasons (scattered), schedules, questionnaires, and announcements.  Some correspondence by Tommy Thomas is included.  Groundbreaking ceremony programs and announcements for Billy Grant Field and for the field house project document baseball expansion.  Brochures and flyers represent the program’s annual baseball camp.

Subject Headings:

Baseball—VSC              Thomas, Tommy             Colson, Gary

Baseball—VSU              Grant, Billy                       Cottingham, Walter

Baseball—VSC--History                                        Athletics Department

Removal notice:  An 8x10, color, framed photograph of the 1985 Blazer baseball team was removed from the box and placed in the photograph collection under Sports, Baseball.

Inventory:

Box 1:

Folder 1. Programs

Folder 2. Schedules and Special Events

Folder 3. Baseball Camp

Folder 4. Baseball Bill Grant Field

Folder 5. Field House Project    

Box 2. Historie