Video
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University's
Jeff Messer became the 26th NCAA Division II head baseball coach to record his 800th win Sunday.
Messer reached the milestone with his team's 3-1 win over West Liberty (W. Va.) University in the first game of a doubleheader at Jack Critchfield Park. He added his 801st career win with a 5-1 victory in the second game of the twinbill.
The leader among all active Pennsylvania collegiate head coaches in career wins and the all-time leader among Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference coaches, Messer improved his career record to 801-455-4.
His win total is the second highest ever recorded by a Pennsylvania coach. Former Temple University coach James Wilson heads the list with 1034 wins in 46 seasons.
Messer ranks eighth in career wins among active Division II head coaches and is only three wins away from moving ahead of former UMass-Lowell head coach Jim Stone into 25th on the all-time Division II wins list.
The respect Messer has earned among his peers is apparent by his election in January 2008 and re-election in January 2011 to serve a three-year term as the American Baseball Coaches Association's Division II chair.
Messer is also serving for the 17th straight season as the regional chairperson and national poll voter for the ABCA's Division II rankings panel. He also served eight seasons on the NCAA Division II postseason selection committee, been honored 10 times by his PSAC-Western Division peers as the division's “Coach of the Year” and received fourth regional "Coach of the Year" honors.
The complete list of all-time wins leaders among NCAA Division II head coaches is as follows:
| DIVISION II ALL-TIME WINS LEADERS (800 or more wins) |
|
|
|
| Coach, School (Years) |
Yrs |
W-L-T |
Pct. |
| 1. Tommy Thomas, Valdosta State, Ga. (1968-2007) |
40 |
1308-825-6 |
.613 |
| 2. * Joe Roberts, Armstrong Atlantic, Ga. (1980-2011) |
32 |
1231-595-6 |
.674 |
| 3. * Mike Metheny, Southeastern Oklahoma (1981-2011) |
31 |
1161-533-2 |
.685 |
| 4. Frank Vieira, New Haven, Conn. (1963-2006) |
44 |
1127-324-6 |
.776 |
| 5. Jack Smitheran, Emporia State, Kans./UC Riverside (1970-2004) |
35 |
1097-790-4 |
.581 |
| 6. Dean Bowyer, Minot St., N.D./Mankato State, Minn. (1973-2008) |
36 |
1053-540-6 |
.660 |
| 7. Gary Grob, Winona State, Minn. (1967-74, 1976-2002) |
35 |
1020-563-10 |
.643 |
| 8. Rudy Abbott, Jacksonville State, Ala. (1970-2001) |
32 |
1003-467-2 |
.682 |
9. Irish O'Reilly, Lewis, Mo. (1979-2007)
|
29 |
982-771-8 |
.560 |
| 10. Gary Collins, SIU Edwardsville (1979-2010) |
32 |
973-714-7 |
.576 |
| 11. * Cal Bailey, West Virginia State (1978-2011) |
33 |
945-435-4 |
.684 |
| 12. Mike Lane, North Alabama (1984-2008) |
25 |
908-398-12 |
.693 |
| 13. Dusty Rhodes, North Florida (1988-2010) |
23 |
907-449-0 |
.669 |
| 14. Phil Swimley, UC Davis (1966-76, 1978-2002) |
36 |
901-832-15 |
.520 |
| 15. * Charlie Migl, St. Mary's Texas (1987-2011) |
23 |
904-419-0 |
.683 |
| 16. * John Schaly, Berry, Ga./St. Leo, Fla./Ashland, Ohio (1988-2011) |
24 |
891-454-4 |
.662 |
| 17. * John Goelz, Sonoma State (1986-2011) |
32 |
865-543-5 |
.614 |
| 18. Buddy Bolding, Longwood (1979-2010) |
31 |
855-474-4 |
.643 |
| 19. Warren Turner, Missouri Southern State (1977-2007) |
22 |
852-720-3 |
.542 |
| 20. Mike Sansing, Kennesaw State (1989-2011) |
25 |
850-414-0 |
.672 |
| 21. Ron Davis, Adelphi, N.Y. (1966-2003) |
38 |
845-470-12 |
.641 |
| 22. Chuck Anderson, Florida Southern (1967, 1984-2002) |
20 |
843-251-1 |
.770 |
| 23. * Carl Lancaster, Mount Olive, N.C. (1987-2011) |
25 |
827-386-1 |
.682 |
| 24. John Mayotte, Eckerd, Fla./Troy, Ala. (1991-2002) |
37 |
821-476-1 |
.633 |
| 25. Jim Stone, UMass-Lowell (1967-2003) |
24 |
803-397-7 |
.668 |
| 26. * JEFF MESSER, SLIPPERY ROCK (1986-2011) |
26 |
801-463-4 |
.633 |
| 27. * Walt Head, Saginaw Valley State, Mich. (1983-2011) |
28 |
798-565-5 |
.585 |
* Denotes active NCAA Division II head coach in 2011
