There has been nothing but heartbreak for the Birmingham-Southern Panthers…
Founded in 1856 in Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) is one of the oldest colleges in the state. After 168 years, it closed its doors for good due to financial difficulties. However, that did not stop their baseball team from attempting one last run at a national championship. Here’s a look at their final season.
The Last Regular Season Ever
When the announcement came about the closure of the school, it was in the middle of the baseball season. This was one of the last sports to be played at the school. The players were determined to leave a lasting legacy! Starting with a 13-10 record at the time of the announcement, the team finished strong with a 19-4 run. Their final record of 33-16 (14-7 conference) earned them third place in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA).
Eight players on the 2024 Panthers squad were honored at the end of the season. Two players were named First Team All-SAA, while two more were named to the Second Team. Four players also received honorable mentions. Freshman Charlie Banks was the only player to earn multiple awards. He secured a spot on the Second-Team All-SAA and was also named All-Conference Newcomer of the Year.
Stunning Performances at Lexington
Despite falling in the first round of the SAA conference tournament, BSC still managed to secure a spot in the Lexington Regional. Their season was still alive! Birmingham-Southern headed to Lexington, Kentucky, as the third seed, with their first opponent being second-seeded Transylvania University.
Coming into the tournament after a 32-win season, Transylvania was stunned as Birmingham-Southern beat them in a massive 21-7 win. Panthers catcher Shane Nelson highlighted the game by going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, and five RBIs. BSC first baseman Jackson Webster also had an impressive performance, hitting two grand slams and collecting nine RBIs.
Photo Cred: NCAA.com
They continued this momentum by beating first-seeded Spalding University 4-2. Josh Leerssen pitched seven innings of two-run, 10-strikeout ball. This brought BSC to the Regional Final, where they were matched up again with Transylvania. As the host team located in Lexington, KY, the Pioneers should’ve had an advantage.
However, the Panthers never looked back after opening the scoring in the third inning. They ultimately won 5-2, advancing to their first Super Regional since 2022. Birmingham-Southern was able to keep its name alive just a little longer!
Coach Weisberg Knows What All This Means
“Coaching is what I love, and these guys have made it so fun,” head baseball coach Jan Weisberg told ESPN. Weisberg took over the program after the 2006 season. Since then, he turned BSC into one of the most successful Division III schools in the country.
Photo Cred: Birmingham-Southern College
“The message about Birmingham Southern is that it changed lives,” said Weisberg. “It was a place where, you know, people came as young men and women and left us as mature men and women, and they went from dependence to independence. I would want the message of this program to be that what this nation has seen over these last three weeks and the joy that we brought is exactly what this program is. It’s toughness. It’s championship baseball. It’s great young men.”
Riding the Highs of Great Performances
Heading into a best-of-three style Super Regional, BSC matched up with Denison University. The Big Red finished the year with 39 wins, ranking as the second-best D-III school this season. Despite Denison’s strong record, the Panthers seemed like a team destined to complete their mission. After a dominant 10-1 victory in game 1, things got tense for Birmingham-Southern at the end of the second game. However, the Panthers held on to their lead, winning 7-6 and advancing to the school’s first DIII College World Series since 2019.
Leading By Example
Many of the team’s important wins this season came on the back of star pitcher Drake LaRoche. This includes their first win in the Super Regional and their first Regional game against Transylvania. The son of former MLB player Adam LaRoche, Drake’s name first gained public attention in 2016 when his father retired early. He cited a Chicago White Sox rule that restricted him from bringing his son to the clubhouse. For the Panthers, Drake had a 3.81 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 81.1 innings. He posted an 8-3 record with 66 strikeouts and two complete games.
Photo Cred: News-Herald (LaRoche)
Joining LaRoche is 10-win starter Leerssen and relievers Tams Mullins and Charlie Horne. The two relievers have eight combined saves between them. On offense, OF Charlie Banks leads the way with a .380 batting average (minimum 100 at-bats). Three players maintain an OPS above 1.000, while both Webster and OF Ian Hancock have 10 or more HRs and over 50 RBIs each. Lastly, outfielder Eli Steadman tops the team with a .492 OBP, while catcher/infielder Ty Truett has eight stolen bases.
The Final World Series
An Eventful Start
Following the 7-6 win, it was reported that nine different players contracted food poisoning, with two requiring hospitalization. Despite this setback, the team persevered and would face Salve Regina in the first round on May 31. Coincidentally, that was the day when the school officially shut down for good. The athletes were competing for a school that no longer existed.
Photo Cred: AL.com (L- Horne, R- Mitch Austin)
Heading into the World Series, the Panthers were the seventh seed, matching up against the second seed. After falling behind 7-0 by the end of the fifth inning, BSC started to march back to bring the score closer. Ultimately, though, the Panthers lost 7-5, falling into the loser’s bracket.
Living to Fight Another Day
The next matchup was against the sixth seed, Randolph-Macon, and it was a back-and-forth contest. Two homers in the first and a double in the third gave the Panthers a 4-0 lead, but it was not enough to keep the Yellow Jackets down. Between the fifth and eighth innings, they took a 7-4 lead, leaving Birmingham-Southern with just six outs to save their season.
Photo Cred: WZDX
The players took that thought to heart over the next two innings. In the bottom of the eighth, three RBIs by BSC tied the game at 7 heading into the top of the ninth. Randolph-Macon had Myles Webb on second base but left him stranded, which aided Birmingham-Southern’s cause. The bottom of the ninth began with Panthers second baseman Andrew Dutton drawing a leadoff walk on four straight pitches. This set the stage for Jackson Webster, who belted an 0-2 pitch into left field for a home run. With this clutch homer, they kept their story going with a 9-7 win!
No Perfect Ending, Unfortunately
After avoiding elimination with the win against Randolph-Macon, they faced third-seeded Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Panthers led 10-5 after six innings, but the game quickly took a turn for the worse. The Warhawks scored two runs in the seventh inning and three more in the eighth to tie the game. UWW then managed one final run in the bottom of the ninth to win 11-10. Leadoff hitter Sam Paden hit a walk-off home run on the first pitch of the inning. With this loss, Birmingham-Southern’s existence officially came to an end.
It Was a Good Run!
BSC has participated in two Division III and seven NAIA College World Series. The Panthers lost in the 2019 DIII CWS finals against Chapman University, but they beat Lewis-Clark State College in the 2001 NAIA CWS. During their time in the NAIA, they had two 50-win seasons. They also managed two seasons (since 1967) with only one conference game lost. Birmingham-Southern has been part of numerous District and Regional Tournaments, including one Division I CWS appearance. They have been particularly successful, with only three losing seasons since 1967.
Photo Cred: The Trussville Tribune
The college sent seven players to the major leagues, including two draft picks. Six were position players and one was a pitcher. In total, 54 Panthers have played professional baseball after college, though most stayed in the minors or independent leagues. Catcher Bruce Maxwell is the highest-drafted player from BSC, selected in the second round in 2012. He would reach the majors four years later. Including Maxwell, 31 players heard their names called in various MLB drafts. 3B/2B/SS Fred Hatfield is their longest-tenured MLB player, with nine years spread among five teams. He leads the seven Birmingham-Southern players in most statistics. SS/C/3B Bobby Bragan is the only other multi-category leader, topping the charts in most triples and RBIs. These seven major leaguers have accrued 1,774 games in the majors.
