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Cox named baseball coach of the year, Bison honored by coaches

05/07/2011
Oklahoma Baptist University - Baseball

By OBU Sports Information

Oklahoma Baptist University’s Bobby Cox has been named Sooner Athletic Conference Baseball Coach of the Year for 2011

Also honored were First-Team selections Anthony Lopez, Richie Mirowski and Kyle Brule and Second-Team All-Conference picks Mitchell Prophet, Terrence Buchanan and Chad Hardison.

Cox led the Bison to second place in the regular season, a No. 5 spot in the final regular season national rankings. It’s been a season to remember for Cox, who was inducted into the NAIA Baseball Hall of Fame, collected his 1,000th career win and will take the Bison to the national postseason for the third time in program history.

It is Cox’s third SAC Coach of the Year honor.

He is the all-time leader in coaching wins in all sports and is the only OBU baseball coach to reach the NAIA World Series, making it in 1989 and 1996. His teams have never had a losing season. He has coached 15 All-Americans and a dozen major league draftees. Cox, who was inducted into OBU's Hall of Fame in 1996, was named Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1986 and 1996; District 9 Coach of the Year in 1986, 1989 and 1991; Area 3 Coach of the Year in 1989 and Great Plains Region Coach of the Year (by the region and by the American Baseball Coaches Association) in 1996.

Lopez, a senior outfielder from San Diego, Calif., made the First-Team for the second season in a row. He is batting .405 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI.

Mirowski, a senior starting pitcher from Redwood City, Calif., was 10-1 on the season with 3.26 earned run average for the Bison. Brule was first-team relief pitcher. The senior from Chandler, Ariz., was 6-1 on the season with a 1.85 earned run average and three saves.

Prophet, a junior catcher from Visalia, Calif., is hitting .319 with three home runs and 26 RBI.

Buchanan, a junior second baseman from San Diego, is hitting .379 with 17 stolen bases.

Hardison, a junior pitcher from Fort Pierce, Fla., was 6-2 this season with a 2.52 earned run average.

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