The 1984 Western New Mexico Baseball Team made history as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament Champions, defeating Mesa State College 4-1 in the final game in Grand Junction, Colorado. Under the direction of third-year head coach Mark Benedett, who would later be inducted into the Western New Mexico Hall of Fame, the team had an outstanding season.
During the regular season, the team finished with a record of 33-20, achieving a winning percentage of .623. The WNMU pitching staff was impressive, pitching 370 innings, striking out 266 batters, and posting a conference-ranking 5.32 ERA, second in the conference. Three pitchers from the team were selected in the Major League Baseball draft and went on to play professionally.
The 1984 team faced a tough schedule, including over 24 games against NCAA Division I schools, and participated in the prestigious San Diego State Sunlight Classic Tournament, where they finished in third place—the only non-Division I team in the tournament. Their success that year helped the program gain national recognition and paved the way for the future success of WNMU Baseball.
The players of this great team include:
- Mark Benedett (Head Coach)
- Brian Widner (1991)
- Carl Romero (1986)
- Chris Corey
- Clint Hill (1988)
- Davey Lopez (1988)
- Gilbert 'Buck' Rojas (1985)
- Greg Williamson
- James Jackson (1985)
- Jim Rubio (1985)
- Manuel 'Junie' Garcia
- Mike Kesler (1987)
- Mike Parris (1985)
- Rick Haysler
- Ronnie Reyes
- Rusty Lamar (1985)
- Sam Thomas
- Wayne Jackson (1986)
This remarkable team’s achievements have left a lasting legacy on the Western New Mexico University
