Rocke Musgraves enters his 11th season as the head coach of the LSU Shreveport Pilots and holds an overall 395-224 (.638) record.
The 2009 season was a record breaking year for Coach Musgraves and his Pilots as set two National Records as a team for most Hit by Pitches (139) and Offensive walks as the Pilot received the free pass 366 times. In addition the Pilots claimed a total of six new GCAC records for a single season: Hit by Pitches (139), Walks (366), Homeruns (103), Doubles (131), Runs Scored (614-3rd best in the nation), and Runs Batted In (547). The Pilots finished the season with an overall record of 42-16 and finished 3rd in the NAIA Opening Round National Tournament in Oklahoma City.
Musgraves has created a winning tradition with the baseball program since his arrival in 1999 and also served as LSU Shreveport’s Interim Athletic Director in 2002 between the retirement of Larry Rambin and the present A.D., Doug Robinson. During that time Musgraves was instrumental in working with LSU Shreveport’s Chancellor, Dr. Vincent Marsala, and the Athletic Council to expand the athletic department, which added Men’s and Women’s Basketball in 2003 and Women’s Soccer in 2004.
In 2003, Musgraves was named the NAIA Regional Coach of the Year after capturing the Regional XII Tournament and the Super Regional Championships earning the Pilots the first ever trip to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. LSU Shreveport set a school record with 52 wins in 2003 including a 3rd place finish in the NAIA College World Series.
Over the past seven years, Musgraves and his Pilots have compiled the most conference wins (158) by any Gulf Coast Athletic Conference school in addition to the most wins (301) out of any of the GCAC school and of any four year school in the state of Louisiana.
Musgraves has built an impressive resume during his reign as the head skipper of the Pilots having at least 40 wins in six of the last seven seasons. In addition, he has led the Pilots to appearances in six of the last seven NAIA National Tournaments which include a record of 18-12 during the postseason.
During this stretch, Musgraves has seen his Pilots break several GCAC single season records: wins doubles, homeruns, runs scored, hit by pitches and offensive walks.
Musgraves served as the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Chairman during the following seasons, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008.
Throughout his time with LSU Shreveport, Musgraves has developed many potential professional athletes as he has watched 14 of his former players play professional baseball at the conclusion of their time spent as a Pilot.
Musgraves received his B.A. from Westmont College in 1988 and began his coach career at Fort Macleod in Alberta, Canada in 1989.
In 1993 he was named Assistant Coach at Flowing Wells High School in Tucson, Arizona, which played for the State Championship, and was Assistant Coach at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, which was ranked, 9th in the nation by USA Today.
Musgraves experienced success as a head coach in the Montana State American Legion where he coached the Fort Macleod Royals to the 1993 and 1994 Pacific Northwest Regional Championships. His teams also won the 1994 Montana State Championship, collecting an overall record of 207-98, which led to Musgraves being named the 1994 Montana Coach of the Year award.
Musgraves also served as Assistant Coach at Pima Community College in Tucson from 1993-1995 where he worked with infielders and hitters, including the nation’s leading hitter, Erubiel Durazo who went on to play for the Oakland A’s.
Musgraves received his M.A. from the University of Arizona in 1994 while coaching in Arizona.
In (What Year) Musgraves joined the staff at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana as Assistant Baseball Coach. While at Nicholls he oversaw practices, served as the NSU Camp Director, maintained the field, and helped recruit the team that made it to the 1998 NCAA Division I Regional Tournament. Players under Musgraves’ tutelage included Maleke Fowler, the 1996 NCAA leader in stolen bases and Brett Lockwood, who broke Todd Walker’s State of Louisiana hitting-streak record.
His only year in the (WHAT YEAR) in the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League (summer collegiate league) in which he led the Oyen Pronghorns to their first ever Championship with a 32-7 record.
Coach Musgraves has been married to his wife, Mitzi, for ten years and are the proud parents of Libbi Montana (2003) and Eli Christian (2005).
|
Year |
W |
L |
FINISH |
|
2000 |
29 |
29 |
|
|
2001 |
29 |
28 |
|
|
2002 |
36 |
28 |
|
|
2003 |
52 |
24 |
Region XII Champs, Super Regional Champs, 3rd place finish in NAIA World Series |
|
2004 |
37 |
25 |
|
|
2005 |
42 |
20 |
GCAC Reg. Season Champs, NAIA Regional Runner-up |
|
2006 |
41 |
23 |
GCAC Tournament Champs, NAIA Regional Runner-up |
|
2007 |
40 |
15 |
GCAC Tournament Champs, NAIA Regional Qualifier |
|
2008 |
47 |
16 |
GCAC Tournament Champs, NAIA Regional Qualifier Runner-up |
|
2009 |
42 |
16 |
NAIA Regional Qualifier |
|
TOTALS |
395 |
224 |
1-GCAC Champs, 3 GCAC Tournament Champs, 6 NAIA Regionals, 1 NAIA World Series |
