West Virginia State University will pay tribute to former baseball coach Calvin Bailey who built WVSU baseball program into a fixture of 30 win seasons in NCAA Division II earned his 1,000th career victory; only seven other baseball coaches in NCAA Division II history have accomplished 1,000 wins.
Bailey took over the Yellow Jackets’ program after the conclusion of the 1977 season. In 1978, Bailey became head coach of the WVSU baseball program.
Bailey came to West Virginia State as a student in 1964, where he played football, received his undergraduate degree from WVSU while lettering in both football and baseball, voted to the All-WVIAC baseball team, drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1966.
After garnering all-conference honors during his sophomore season in 1966, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He retired from Major League Baseball in 1971 and returned to WVSU employed in the school admissions office, took graduate classes earning his master’s degree in 1974 became his alma mater head coach in 1978.
During the course of 36 seasons, Bailey would accumulate a 1,029-466 career record, including a 619-154 mark in West Virginia Conference play. Bailey has also steered 18 conference titles, including the first Mountain East Conference Championship in 2014.
Coach Bailey 1000th historic win came against Pitt-Johnstown University in the second game of a home doubleheader 2013.
Under Bailey the Yellow Jackets averaged over 30 wins a season since 1990. Steered WVSU to the NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional Championship, a trip to the NCAA DII World Series in finishing 3rd in the 1999 World Series earning a 3rd place finish in the final NCAA Division II Baseball Poll.
Bailey an eight time WVIAC “Coach of the Year” selected as West Virginia “College Coach of the Year” in 1982. The Yellow Jackets play their home games at “the school’s first class baseball facility in his honor, Calvin L. Bailey Field.”
Coach Bailey stepped down from his position after the 2014 season. Bailey “would have concluded his coaching career at the conclusion of the 2013 season if not for a promise he made to his senior class.”
Bailey currently has 82 former players that were now either professional, collegiate, high school or middle school baseball coaches, a testament to his tenure at WVSU.
West Virginia State University is planning to honor their former baseball coach on February 7, 2015.