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St. Mary's Rattlers
Logo
UniversitySt. Mary's University
ConferenceLSC (primary)
NCAADivision II
Athletic directorRobert Coleman
LocationSan Antonio, Texas
Varsity teams13 (5 men's, 7 women's, 1 co-ed)
Basketball arenaBill Greehey Arena
Baseball stadiumDickson Stadium
Softball stadiumSt. Mary's Softball Stadium
Soccer stadiumSigma Beta Chi Field
Tennis venueRohrbach Stadium Tennis Complex
NicknameRattlers
ColorsBlue and gold[1]
   
Websiterattlerathletics.com

The St. Mary's Rattlers are the athletic teams that represent St. Mary's University, Texas, located in San Antonio, Texas, United States in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sporting competitions. The Rattlers compete as members of the Lone Star Conference for all 11 varsity sports. St. Mary's was a member of the Heartland Conference from 1999 to 2019.[2]

Sports sponsored

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The Rattlers women's soccer team in action against the Texas A&M–Commerce Lions in 2014
Men's sports Women's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Golf
Golf Soccer
Soccer Softball
Tennis Tennis
Volleyball

History

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Before St. Mary's was recognized as a senior college in 1925, there was no formal conference competition, so the rivalry between the downtown and Woodlawn campuses was fierce. St. Mary's was an all-male school for more than a century. Women's intercollegiate athletics, begun in 1968, have enjoyed many triumphs.

Conference affiliations

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Conference Years
Alamo Conference 1936–1942
Big State Conference 1952–1987
Heart of Texas Conference 1988–1999
NCAA Division II independent 2000
Heartland Conference 2001–2019
Lone Star Conference 2020–present

Baseball

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Interscholastic athletics competition began with baseball in 1902.[3] The colorful history of St. Mary's athletics includes a stellar 1910 baseball team, which lost only to Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers in an exhibition game, Records show the 1902 baseball team went 6–0, and the 1910 squad also went undefeated except for the aforementioned game against the Tigers. With the onset of the Depression, intercollegiate baseball disappeared only to be resurrected in 1947 by then-athletics director Brother Bill Siemer, S.M. Over the years, St. Mary's baseball has won local, regional and national fame. Accomplishments include 24 conference championships, four NAIA College World Series appearances and, most recently, the 2001 NCAA Division II conference, regional and national championships.

Coaches

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  • Bill Siemer 1947-1953
  • Eugene Gittinger 1954
  • Jim Heiser 1955-1956
  • Elmer Kosub 1957-1960, 1964-1986
  • Mel Barborak 1961-1963
  • Charlie Migl 1987-2021
  • Chris Ermis 2022-present

Basketball

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Men's basketball

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St. Mary's men's basketball program also has enjoyed success over many years. In 1926, the school's first intercollegiate basketball team posted a 12–7 record.[3] NAIA held district tournaments between 1951-1992. Conference championship tournaments supplanted them in 1993.

Heartland Conference Regular Season Champions 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015

Record

[edit]
Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Independent (1925–1928)
1924-25 James Clifford
Edward Barrett 		7-4[Note A]
1925-26 Tom O’Donnell 13-6
1926-27 Tom O’Donnell 11-9
1927-28 Tim Griesenbeck 9-10
No Team (1928–29)
Independent (1929–1931)
1929-30 Barlow Irvin 9-2
1930-31 Barlow Irvin 8-6
No Team (1932–1935)
Alamo Conference (1935–1942)
1935-36 Frank Bridges 5-10 2-6
1936-37 Frank Bridges 4-14 0-6
1937-38 Frank Bridges 3-10 0-4
1938-39 Frank Bridges 15-11 5-3 T-1st
1939-40 J.C. “Mose” Simms 11-10 2-4
1940-41 Sam Harshany 14-7 5-3
1941-42 Lloyd Russell 5-4
No Team (1943–1946)
Independent (1946–1951)
1946-47 Br. Bill Siemer 8-10
1947-48 Br. Bill Siemer 10-8
1948-49 Br. Bill Siemer 8+12
1949-50 Br. Bill Siemer 11-15
1950-51 Br. Bill Siemer 7-18
Big State Conference (1951–1978)
1951-52 Br. Bill Siemer 14-13 6-6
1952-53 Br. Bill Siemer 7-17 2-8
1953-54 Br. Bill Siemer
Br. Gene Gittinger 		12-15[Note B] 3-7
1954-55 Jim Heiser 15-11 4-6
1955-56 Jim Heiser 10-14 3-7
1956-57 Jim Heiser 11-14 4-6
1957-58 Jim Heiser 18-8 7-3
1958-59 Jim Heiser 19-7 6-2 1st District IV finals
1959-60 Jim Heiser 14-11 4-4
1960-61 Mel Barborak 11-15 2-6
1961-62 Mel Barborak 17-7 8-2
1962-63 Mel Barborak 7-16 4-4
1963-64 Ed Messbarger 22-9 8-2 1st NAIA Tournament Elite Eight
1964-65 Ed Messbarger 10-11 5-3
1965-66 Ed Messbarger 14-11 7-3
1966-67 Ed Messbarger 22-9 8-2 1st NAIA Tournament Elite Eight
1967-68 Ed Messbarger 18-11 10-0 1st District IV finals
1968-69 Ed Messbarger 12-13 8-2 1st District IV finals
1969-70 Ed Messbarger 20-5 10-0 1st District IV finals
1970-71 Ed Messbarger 17-9 8-2 1st District IV finals
1971-72 Ed Messbarger 17-12 10-2 1st District IV finals
1972-73 Ed Messbarger 23-7 12-0 1st District IV finals
1973-74 Ed Messbarger 24-9 11-1 1st NAIA Tournament Final Four
1974-75 Ed Messbarger 26-7 12-0 1st NAIA Tournament Final Four
1975-76 Ed Messbarger 22-6 10-2 1st District IV finals
1976-77 Ed Messbarger 23-6 11-1 1st District IV finals
1977-78 Ed Messbarger 16-10 8-2 1st District IV semifinals
1978-79 Buddy Meyer 19-8 9-1 1st District IV finals
1979-80 Buddy Meyer 11-13 6-5
1980-81 Buddy Meyer 19-9 12-0 1st NAIA tournament first round
1981-82 Buddy Meyer 19-10 8-4 1st NAIA Tournament Second Round
1982-83 Buddy Meyer 26-7 10-0 1st NAIA Tournament Second Round
1983-84 Buddy Meyer 25-8 10-0 1st NAIA Tournament Second Round
1984-85 Buddy Meyer 22-7 9-1 1st district IV finals
1985-86 Buddy Meyer 16-12 8-2 1st district IV finals
1986-87 Buddy Meyer 27-5 9-1 1st NAIA Tournament Second Round
1987-88 Buddy Meyer 19-7 9-1 1st District IV finals
1988-89 Buddy Meyer 28-5 9-1 1st NAIA Tournament Champions
1989-90 Buddy Meyer 21-9 9-1 1st District IV finals
1990-91 Buddy Meyer 21-9 8-2 1st NAIA Tournament Second Round
1991-92 Buddy Meyer 18-11 8-2 1st District IV semifinals
1992-93 Buddy Meyer 12-15 4-6
1993-94 Buddy Meyer 21-10 6-4
1994-95 Buddy Meyer 24-6 12-2
1995-96 Buddy Meyer 18-11 9-5 1st NAIA Tournament First Round
1996-97 Buddy Meyer 22-7 15-1 1st NAIA Tournament First Round
1997-98 Buddy Meyer 20-7 10-4 1st NAIA Tournament First Round
1998-99 Buddy Meyer 13-14 5-5
Heartland Conference (1999–2015)
1999-2000 Buddy Meyer 16-11 7-3
2000-01 Buddy Meyer 20-8 9-3 T-1 NCAA Div II Tournament First Round
2001-02 Buddy Meyer 11-15 2-8
2002-03 Buddy Meyer 17-13 10-2 NCAA Div II Tournament First Round
2003-04 Buddy Meyer 19-10 9-3 NCAA Div II Tournament First Round
2004-05 Buddy Meyer 23-7 11-1 NCAA Div II Tournament First Round
2005-06 Jim Zeleznak 14-14 7-5
2006-07 Jim Zeleznak 19-9 8-4
2007-08 Jim Zeleznak 17-13 6-4 T-2nd NCAA Div II Tournament First Round
2008-09 Jim Zeleznak 17-11 12-4
2009-10 Jim Zeleznak 17-13 10-6 T-3rd Heartland Conference tourney runner-up
2010-11 Jim Zeleznak 15-12 7-5 T-3rd
2011-12 Jim Zeleznak 19–9 11-4 T-2nd NCAA Div II Tournament First Round
2012-13 Jim Zeleznak 23-8 9-5 T-2nd NCAA Div II Tournament Sweet 16
2013-14 Jim Zeleznak 19–9 12-6 T-3rd NCAA Div II Tournament First Round
2014-15 Jim Zeleznak 20–10 15-5 1st NCAA Div II Tournament First Round
2015-16 Jim Zeleznak 10-19 6-14 9th
2016-17 Jim Zeleznak 12-18 8-10 7th
2017-18 Jim Zeleznak 7-21 3-13 9th
2018-19 Jim Zeleznak 12-17 4-12 T-7th
Lone Star Conference (2019–present)
2019-20 Jim Zeleznak 12-16 8-14 4th South div
2020-21 Jim Zeleznak 4-8 1-4 5th South div
2021-22 Jim Zeleznak 12-13 9-5 T-4th
Total:

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

^A. James Clifford went 1–2 and Edward Barret went 6-2 as head coaches, respectively.
^B. Br. Bill Siemer went 3-5 and Br. Gene Gittinger went 9-10 as head coaches, respectively.

Women's basketball

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The school hosted the NCAA Women's Division II Basketball Championship at the Bill Greehey Arena in 2009, 2012 and 2013.

Record

[edit]
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Heartland Conference (1999–2019)
2019–00 Jeff Van Auken 18-8
2000–01 Jeff Van Auken 19-7 8-3
2001–02 Paige Clawson 26-3 10-0 1st NCAA Div II sweet sixteen
2002–03 Paige Clawson 22-7 8-2 NCAA Div II first round
2003–04 Paige Clawson 17-11 9-3
2004–05 Paige Clawson 12-15 5-7
2005–06 Paige Clawson 17-13 8-4
2006–07 Jason Martens 12-16 5-5
2007–08 Jason Martens 25-5 14-0 1st NCAA Div II first round
2008–09 Jason Martens 24-6 12-2 1st NCAA Div II first round
2009–10 Jason Martens 22-8 11-3 2nd NCAA Div II first round
2010–11 Jason Martens 15-12 7-3 3rd
2011–12 Jason Martens 13-16 8-4 4th
2012–13 Jason Martens 22-7 10-2 2nd NCAA Div II first round
2013–14 Jason Martens 20-10 13-7 T-3rd NCAA Div II second round
2014–15 Jason Martens 16-11 10-8 3rd
2015–16 Jason Martens 18-10 11-7 5th
2016–17 Jason Martens 21-7 12-4 T-2nd
2017–18 Jason Martens 16-13 9-5 3rd
2018–19 Jason Martens 18-10 7-7 T-3rd
Lone Star Conference (2019–Present)
2019–20 Jason Martens 14-14 12-10 2nd South div Lone Star Tournament quarterfinals
2020–21 Jason Martens 6-9 6-8 2nd South div
2021–22 Jason Martens 3-25 2-14 17th
Total:

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Golf

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St. Mary's first individual national championship came in 2006, when Jamie Amoretti won the NCAA Division II Men's Golf title. The Men's Golf team would be named the Golf Coaches Association of America 2008–2009 Academic National Champions, a title which St. Mary's treats as a fifth team national championship.[4]

Football

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In 1916, the football team was coached by future U.S. president Dwight Eisenhower.[3] In 1939, both Collier's and Life magazines feature full-page spreads on the St. Mary's football team and their cross country trips in a ragged bus, the "Blue Goose". The team was disbanded due to World War II.[3] Following the end of intercollegiate football at the start of World War II, there have been at least three attempts to revive full-contact sports on campus: a club football team in the early 1970s, a club rugby team in the early 1990s, and a Texas Rugby Union Collegiate Division III team formed in Fall 2010.[3][5]

Record

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Year Coach Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
No coach (Independent) (1909–1914)
Unknown (Independent) (1914–1915)
Dwight Eisenhower (Independent) (1916)
1916 Dwight Eisenhower
Tom O'Donnell (Independent) (1925)
1925 Tom O'Donnell
Paul Daily (Independent) (1926)
1926 Paul Daily 2-4-1
Tim Griesenbeck (Independent) (1927)
1927 Tim Griesenbeck
Jim Kendrick (Independent) (1928)
1928 Jim Kendrick
Barlow Irvin (Independent) (1929–1930)
1929 Barlow Irvin 8-1
1930 Barlow Irvin
No school team (club level) (1931–1934)
Frank Bridges (Independent) (1935)
1935 Frank Bridges 6–4–1
Frank Bridges (Alamo Conference) (1936–1939)
1936 Frank Bridges 7–3–2 1–1 T–1st
1937 Frank Bridges 7–2–2 1–0–1 T–1st
1938 Frank Bridges 6–9 0–2 3rd
1939 Frank Bridges 5–4–2 1–2 3rd
Frank Bridges: 31–22–7 3–5–1
Mose Simms (Alamo Conference) (1940)
1940 Mose Simms 4-6-1 0-2 3rd
Lloyd Russell (Alamo Conference) (1941)
1941 Lloyd Russell 7-4-1 0-1 2nd
Total:
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Softball

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The softball team has led the way, winning several conference titles, playing in the NAIA and NCAA Division II national tournaments, and winning the 1986 NAIA National Championship and the 2002 Division II National Championship.[3]

Athletics honors

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Basketball head coach and athletics director Herman A “Buddy” Meyer has also been inducted into the Heartland Conference Hall of Fame.[6]

National championships

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St. Mary's has won four team national championships in men's basketball (1989), baseball (2001), softball (1986 and 2002), and one individual national title in men's golf (2006).

Team (4)

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Association Division Sport Year Opponent Score
NAIA Division I Softball 1986 Oklahoma City 2-1
Basketball 1989 East Central 61-58
NCAA Division II Baseball[7] 2001 Central Missouri State 11–3
Softball 2002 Grand Valley State (Mich.) 4-0

Individual (1)

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Association Division Sport Year Individual(s) Event
NCAA Division II Men's Golf 2006 Jamie Amoretti Individual Title

Facilities

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Facility Sport(s) Capacity
Bill Greehey Arena Basketball, Volleyball 3,800
Dickson Stadium Baseball 2,260 (plus berm seating)
Sigma Beta Chi Field Soccer 550 (plus portable seating)
Rohrbach Stadium Tennis Complex Tennis 435 (plus portable seating)
Softball stadium Softball 900 (plus berm seating)

Mascot

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The Rattler mascot has its own stories of how it came to be. Legend holds that the football practice field had to be cleared of diamondback rattlesnakes on a regular basis, thus leading to the designation. The truth is that Brother Kinsky thought “Rattlers” would be fitting because there was already on campus Rattler Club whose members had recently begun The Rattler newspaper. There was debate as to whether the name was being run into the ground, but the students quickly said they wanted the Rattler nickname.[8]

Alton Seekatz (B.S.C. ’32), a member of the Rattler Club, described the organization as a spirit and social organization. “It was called the Rattler Club when I got here in 1926, and I’m not sure how it got its nickname,” he said, although his stories of the club members' antics and efforts to raise school spirit would certainly “rattle” some and “shake” up others.

References

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  1. ^ "St. Mary's University Style Guide" (PDF). April 20, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  2. ^ "Heartland Conference – StMU's Roberts drafted by Cleveland Indians in 29th round of MLB Draft". Heartlandsports.org. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "St. Mary's University Athletics Timeline". Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  4. ^ Mary's University website: athletics
  5. ^ "Collegiate". Texasrugbyunion.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  6. ^ "Heartland Conference – Heartland Conference Hall of Fame". Heartlandsports.org. August 1, 2003. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  7. ^ "Division II Baseball Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  8. ^ Abernathey, Pat. "Snake Bits". St. Mary's University. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
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