Apr 02, 2016
The mission of the Great American Conference is to develop student-athletes at each of its member
institutions physically, academically and socially by allowing them the opportunity for a quality
education, compete in athletics, and to become productive citizens within their communities.
Conference member institutions strive toward this mission by following the academic guidelines set
forth within their own institutions, adhering to NCAA and conference rules and regulations,
embracing the NCAA Division II Strategic Positioning Platform, and by employing sound financial
principles in the administration of their athletics programs. The GAC shall promote the conduct of
competitive sports programs within the conference, region and nationally. Each member institution
shall promote good sportsmanship, diversity and gender balance while striving to field competitive
programs.
SWOSU has a 51-33 record in the three years of Great American Conference play.
SWOSU has produced 14 players with All-GAC honors, including 1 second team All-Central Region
nominee and third team All-Region nominee, 4 first team All-Conference nominees, 3 second team
All-Conference nominee, and 5 honorable mentions, that puts SWOSU near the top of the GAC in
All-Conference nominees. SWOSU has also had 7 players nominated Player of the Week for the
GAC. SWOSU also had the GAC Player of the year for 2013. In 2014, SWOSU had a Central
Region Gold Glove Award Winner.
SWOSU head baseball coach Zack Saunders was also named GAC Coach of the Year in 2013.
The SWOSU Athletic Complex, located just north of the main campus at Crall Corner, is
the home of the Bulldogs. Since opening in 2003, many renovations, including a state-of-
the-art scoreboard, a new backstop, new fence, redesigned dugouts, and a new halo
behind homeplate have been done at the complex, making it among the best facilities of
its kind in the Great American Conference. A concession stand between the baseball and
softball fields along with men’s and women’s restrooms, and changing rooms for the
umpires and visiting teams is also a part of the athletic complex.
Next to the field is an indoor hitting facility
which was erected when the complex was
opened. The Indoor has two full size cages
and a bullpen with two mounds. In 2013,
Toronto Blue Jays Performance Coach
Steve Springer talked hitting and mental
approach in the indoor facility.
The indoor is also utilized for hitters
to get extra repetitions during
practice as well as a place to practice
during bad weather. The indoor
allows players to come up in the
evenings and hit on their own. A
press box was built prior to the 2009
season. The box has two rooms on
the top floor, one serving as the
coach’s office and a relaxing
atmosphere for guests to catch a
game and the other for game officials
in charge of public address,
scoreboard and official statistics. The
bottom level of the facility is the
Bulldogs’ locker room.
Zack Saunders will enter his fourth season leading the Southwestern
Oklahoma State University baseball team in 2015. He has led the Bulldogs to
a record of 83-58 in his first three seasons.
Saunders has led the Bulldogs to a winning record and a berth in the Great
American Conference Tournament during each of his seasons as the head
coach. He has also tutored 14 players who have earned All-Great American
Conference status – including four first-team selections – one player who has
garnered All-Central Region accolades, one who earned the regional gold
glove award and one Major League Baseball draft pick.
His 2014 squad finished with a winning record at 25-23 and entered the GAC
Tournament as the fifth seed after tying with Harding for fourth place in the
standings. SWOSU was led by senior pitcher Jonathan Johnson, who ranked
among the national leaders in complete games and earned second team All-
GAC honors after finishing 6-6 with a 2.53 ERA. Johnson was joined on the
second team by shortstop Dalton Daniels, who was also named to the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches
Association (ABCA) Central Region Gold Glove team.
Others earning honors included outfielders JR Head and Brandon Ruiz and designated hitter Kale Thaxton, all
of whom were named honorable mention All-GAC selections.
The 2013 edition of SWOSU baseball had one of the most successful seasons for the program as an NCAA
Division II member. The Bulldogs completed the season with a 31-16 record and placed second in the Great
American Conference with a 21-9 conference record. Saunders was rewarded by being named the 2013 GAC
Coach of the Year – the first such award of his career – as SWOSU remained in contention for their first NCAA
Division II postseason bid until the final week of the season.
Starting pitcher Shane Martin and utility player Kevin Cantrell earned All-GAC first team honors at the
conclusion of the 2013 season while Calyn Young was a second team choice. Martin’s accolades continued as
he was selected to three All-Central Region teams before being a ninth-round selection of the Philadelphia
Phillies in the 2013 MLB Draft.
Saunders first squad at SWOSU finished 27-19 (14-10 GAC) and claimed third place in the Great American
Conference standings. The Bulldogs had four players earn All-GAC honors, led by first teamers Andre Yates
(second base) and Jeremy Soliday (third base).
SWOSU handed the controls of the Bulldog baseball program to Saunders prior to the 2012 season, after he
spent six seasons as the Bulldogs lead assistant.
Saunders played collegiately at Kansas State University where he was a two-year starter before joining former
SWOSU coach Charles Teasley’s staff in 2005. A 1999 graduate of Muskogee High School, Saunders began
playing collegiately at Connors State and was a member of two nationally-ranked junior college teams with the
Cowboys.
A native of Muskogee, Okla., Saunders earned his bachelor's degree in Social Science from Kansas State
University in 2004 before completing a master's degree in Kinesiology from SWOSU in 2008. He and his wife
Elissa (Clayton) reside in Weatherford with their son Isaiah and daughter Olivia.
Kyle Meadows is entering his third season as an assistant coach for the
SWOSU baseball team. Coach Meadows works with SWOSU’s
outfielders and hitters while also taking on the added role of the
recruiting coordinator.
In 2014 the Bulldogs hit .279 and finished near the top of their
conference in doubles with 89. Southwestern had an OBP of .368
during the 2014 season and finished with a conference record of 16-14.
During the 2013 season, SWOSU hit .304 as a team, ranking third in
the Great American Conference, and finished with a .384 on-base
percentage. The Bulldogs completed the season 31-16, placing second
in the GAC with a 21-9 conference mark.
Meadows finished his college career at SWOSU in 2012 after playing
two seasons for the Bulldogs. He finished his career with a 1.000 fielding percentage and he lead the
team in stolen bases during his two years. He was a member of a nationally-ranked team in 2011 as the
Bulldogs were ranked as high as 24th in the nation. Meadows has been to the postseason every year as
a Bulldog and the team has finished at least third in the conference each season.
Prior to coming to SWOSU, Meadows played two years at Wharton County Junior College from 2008-
10. While playing for Wharton, Meadows led the team in batting average, RBIs and total bases and he
was named the team MVP after his sophomore year.
A Houston, Texas, native, Meadows graduated from Hargrave High School and he holds his bachelor’s
degree from SWOSU.
JR Head enters his first year as a volunteer assistant for Southwestern after
finishing a successful baseball career. The previous two years JR was an
everyday starter in center field for the Bulldogs. JR hit .290 last year and
had a .426 OBP. JR also earned all conference honors both years at
SWOSU.
Before playing at Southwestern, JR played junior college baseball for two
years at Northern Oklahoma College of Enid. While at NOC-Enid JR was
awarded two national Gold Gloves in both 2011 and 2012 while also being
elected a 2012 JUCO All American.
A native of Midwest City, Oklahoma, Head is currently pursuing a
bachelor’s degree in Parks and Recreation at Southwestern.
Cole Stephens begins his second season as an assistant baseball coach
for SWOSU in 2015. Stephens works primarily with the SWOSU
pitching staff as they try to improve on last year’s numbers which
included 4.7 ERA and a 1.4 K/BB ratio. Stephens coached all
conference player Jonathan Johnson who pitched at a 2.53 ERA in
110.1 innings pitched while also throwing 10 complete games. In 2013
the Bulldogs had a league-leading 3.50 team ERA and opposing
batting average of .262.
Stephens played for Southwestern for two years before taking over the
pitching staff, making 25 starts on the mound and finishing with a
record of 12-6 in two seasons. He had a 3.33 ERA in 2012 that he
lowered to 2.74 as a senior in 2013. He helped the Bulldogs to a 31-16 record in 2013 and a second-
place finish in the Great American Conference standings. For his efforts as a junior, Stephens was
named a second team All-GAC selection.
Prior to SWOSU, Stephens played two seasons at NOC-Enid, where he had an 11-5 record in 25
appearances from 2008-11, including a no-hitter he threw during the 2011 season. He was named a
First Team All-Region II selection during his sophomore season, a year in which the Jets were ranked
as high as second in the NJCAA national poll.
A native of Sanger, Texas, Stephens earned his bachelor’s degree from SWOSU in May 2013 and he is
currently pursuing a master’s degree from the school.
Patterson, a 29th round selection (No.892 overall) of the Los Angeles Dodgers
in 2010, has remained with the organization and made his big league debut
earlier this year as a starter. Patterson went 4.2 innings while allowing two hits
and one earned run in his major league debut against the Minnesota Twins. In
2013 Patterson went 7-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 39 appearances, including 12
starts. He struck out 109 batters in 107 innings pitched.
A native of Frisco Texas, Patterson played his senior
season at SWOSU after transferring from the
University of Texas-San Antonio. He finished 2010
with a team leading 79.1 innings pitched and 103
strikeouts. His strikeout total led the Lone Star
Conference in 2010 and remains the third highest
single season total in school history. For his efforts,
Patterson was a second team All-LSC selection.
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Providing expert care to nearly 400 bulldog
student-athletes, SWOSU features a well-
trained and highly skilled sports medicine staff.
Under the guidance of Head Athletic Trainer
Edwin Detweiler and Men’s Baseball Athletic
Trainer Kaylp Oliver, the 2014-15 Southwestern athletic medicine staff consists of two doctors, two
athletic trainers, and three graduate assistant athletic trainers.
SWOSU team of orthopedics is led by Dr. Michael Kiehn M.D. and Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports
Medicine Specialist, Dr. Blake Badgett, team general medicine physician, providing care in treatment
of athletic injuries as well as traumatic or degenerative conditions compromising the function of the
upper or lower extremities.
Our offseason programs are extremely intensive
programs that concentrate on strength, power, agility,
speed, core, and flexibly. These programs serve as the
foundation both physically and mentally for each
student-athlete and team in preparation for a
championship season.
The in season programs focus on maintaining athletic
gains attained during the offseason program. Muscle
and connective tissue strength and recovery is of
special importance throughout the in season training
programs. This is done to ensure our athletes ability to
perform at their optimal level. Injury prevention is a
top priority in all our programs and is vital to the
ultimate goal of winning a championship.
Our strength and conditioning programs are run by
Kevin Hyde.
The Pioneer Cellular Event Center is a state of the art, 93,000 square-foot event center located in the heart of Weatherford,
Oklahoma and serving as the home of the Bulldog basketball and volleyball teams. The SWOSU Athletic offices are housed
on the main floor of the building while a brand new athletic
training room is located in the locker room corridor.
The project broke ground in December 2011 and opened its
doors for business in January 2014. The Pioneer Cellular Event Center has a seating capacity in the arena of around 4,000.
The new facility was built adjacent to Fast Lane Field,
allowing it to provide additional suite and bathroom facilities during home SWOSU football games. The pride and joy of the
facility is the top floor VIP quite, which looks over both the
football field and the arena. It will be used to entertain donors, hold meetings and be used as a multifunctional suite for
gameday’s and events. The facility has new locker rooms, coaches’ offices, a film room, training room and a number of
multifunctional rooms that can be used for athletics matches, as
well as university and community events.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twx78vh1WjE& feature=player_embedded
SWOSU Event Center Virtual Tour:
It was announced on August 5, 2013 that the building would
don the name of Pioneer Cellular Event Center. Pioneer Cellular announced the joint venture with SWOSU and the City of Weatherford giving the company exclusive naming
rights for the facility.
The first collegiate basketball games were held on January 25, 2014 as the Bulldogs hosted rival Northwestern Oklahoma
State in front of a raucous crowd of 2,545. As part of the SWOSU Panorama series, comedian Bill Cosby became the
first performer in the Pioneer Cellular Event Center when he took the stage in front of a packed house on April 3, 2014.
The Wellness Center houses a 30 foot
free standing rock wall, three basketball
courts, an indoor running track, and a
weight room. It also provides yoga
classes, free weights, aerobics, and
meeting rooms.
The student union offers an all you
can eat cafeteria along with a
beanery. It also offers a food court
with four different fast food outlets
and a bakery. The Union is a place
to grab something to eat while
hanging out with some friends
playing pool or ping pong in the
lobby.
With 65 majors and 100 fields of study, you’ll have plenty of choices. And with 215 full-time faculty,
you’ll get lots of help along the way. In fact, our campus of 5,000 students and small class sizes,
makes it feel like one big family.
The average class size is 23, so you will get the individual attention you deserve. Were you active in
high school? With nearly 100 student organizations, you’re sure to find new interests and activities.
SWOSU always has a packed calendar with the cool events like Dawg Days, Panorama series,
intramural and intercollegiate sports and residence hall activities.
School of Allied Health Sciences
• Athletic Training (B.S.)
• Health Care Administration (B.S.)
• Health Information Management (B.S.)
• Health Science (B.S.)
• Medical Technology/Clinical Laboratory Science (3+1) (B.S.)
• Health Science Major for Medical
Technology (4+1) (B.S.)
• Health Science/Microbiology (M.S.)
School of Behavioral Sciences and
Education
• Art Education (B.A.Ed.)
• Health and Physical Education (B.S.Ed.)
• Music (B.M.Ed.)
◦ Instrumental/General Music
◦ Vocal/General Music
• Special Education (B.S.Ed.)
• Early Childhood Education (B.S.Ed.)
• Elementary Education (B.S.Ed.)
• English Education (B.A.Ed.)
• History Education (B.A.Ed.)
• Mathematics Education (B.A.Ed.)
• Natural Science Education (B.S.Ed.)
◦ Biology Concentration
◦ Chemistry Concentration
◦ General Concentration
◦ Physics Concentration
• Technology Education (B.S.Ed.)
• Park Law Enforcement (B.S.)
• Parks and Recreation Management (B.S.)
• Psychology (B.S.)
• Social Work (B.S.W.)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.) ◦ Elementary
Elementary Education
Early Childhood Education
◦ Elementary/Secondary
Art Education
Health and Physical Education
Special Education (Mild or Moderate
Disabilities)
Special Education (Severe, Profound,
or Multiple Disabilities)
◦ Secondary Education
English
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Technology
◦ Educational Administration
◦ School Counseling
◦ School Psychometry
◦ Non-Certification Track
Community Counseling
Health Sciences and Microbiology
Parks and Recreation Management
Sports Management
• Master of Science (M.S.)
◦ School Psychology
Everett Dobson School of Business
and Technology
• Accounting (B.B.A.)
• Finance (B.B.A.)
• General Business (B.B.A.)
• Management (B.B.A.)
• Marketing (B.B.A.)
• Computer Science (B.S.)
• Information Systems (B.S.)
• Engineering Technology (B.S.)
◦ Computer Engineering Technology
◦ Environmental Engineering Technology
◦ Manufacturing Engineering Technology
• Industrial Technology (B.S.) ◦ Electronics Technology
◦ Environmental Technology
◦ General Technology
◦ Industrial Supervision
◦ Manufacturing Technology
◦ School of Nursing
• Nursing (B.S.N.)
• Nursing (R.N. - B.S.N.)
DDEEGGRREEEE PPRROOGGRRAAMMSS
SWOSU Main Address: www.swosu.edu
SWOSU Catalogs: www.swosu.edu/resources/catalog/undergrad
Scholarship information/ Financial Aid: www.swosu.edu/sfs
Transfer scholarship applications: www.swosu.edu/admissions/apply.asp
SWOSU Athletics: www.swosuathletics.com
This entire page, with “clickable” links, can be found at:
www.swosu.edu/admissions/counselors.asp
Admissions and Recruitment: 580-774-3782
Athletics: 580-774-3068
Business Office/Bursar: 580-774-3019
Registrar: 580-774-3777
Residence Life: 580-774-3024
Student Financial Service: 580-774-3786
SWOSU Main Number: 580-774-6611
SWOSU Baseball Phone: 580-774-7196
SWOSU Baseball Fax: 580-772-2112
The City of Weatherford is a town that sprang
up overnight during the third land run in 1892.
Since then Weatherford has prospered in a
community with a diverse economy and
culture. Weatherford is located 70 miles east
of the Oklahoma City metro area right on
Interstate 40 and can easily become your
second home. In this community of 12,500,
you can always find something to do-
shopping, movies, parks, bowling, museums,
rock climbing, a beautiful golf course, and
many other activities. See the city map for
location information.
Average Climate
Winter- 53 degrees
Summer- 89 degrees
SEMESTER YEAR
TUITION (12 HOURS $185 per/credit hour) $2,220 $4,440
ROOM AND MEALS $2,340 $4,680
(10 MEAL PLAN 2,620 per year/ Semi private room 2,060 per year)
TOTAL COST: $4,560 $9,120
BASEBALL
FINANCIAL AID
WORK STUDY
ACADEMIC
OTHER
Total Compensation
Total Cost minus = *
(*Student athlete will be responsible for this amount).
These amounts are based on 14-15 academic year. Books are not included in
these prices. Average rent off campus (utilities included) is $300 per month.
FULL PELL = $5,500.00