The UAH baseball program was established in 1996. Since its inaugural season, the Diamond Chargers have been among the elite in the Gulf South Conference and South Central Region.
In eight years, the Chargers have compiled a .702 winning percentage with a 306-130 record. The Chargers have also won four GSC East Division titles, and appeared in four GSC championship games bringing home the title in 2001. The Chargers also played in the 1998 and 2001 South Central Region finals along with appearances in the semifinals in 1999 and 2000.
UAH began its baseball program in January 1995 with the hiring of head baseball coach Bobby Pierce. The Chargers first season came in 1996. During that inaugural season, the Chargers went 37-16 and captured the GSC East Division championship. The Chargers advanced to the GSC tournament final before falling to then top ranked Delta State 13-12.
The 1997 season brought more success as the Chargers posted a 39-11 record, finishing in a tie for 2nd in the GSC East Division. Pierce and his team finished the season ranked 12th in the country.
In 1998, the Chargers entered the season with only two returning starters and one returning pitcher with noteworthy GSC experience. New faces and youth were the two prevalent characteristics of Pierce’s third Charger squad, yet he led them to a 41-17 record. The Chargers also appeared in their second GSC Tournament Final. Also, for the first time ever, the Chargers advanced to the NCAA postseason by earning a bid to the South Central Regional in Carrollton, GA. The Chargers played their best baseball of the year, but fell one game short of a World Series berth, losing to West Georgia in the regional championship game. The 1998 baseball Chargers finished the season ranked fifth in the country in Collegiate Baseball’s final Division II poll.
The 1999 season saw the Chargers soar into the top ten once again, starting out fourth in the national poll. The Chargers resided in that position for eight of the first nine weeks of the season. UAH finished the season 11th in the nation with a record of 43-17. The Chargers also claimed the GSC East title, taking 2-of-3 from North Alabama in the final series of the regular season. However, in the GSC tournament, UNA claimed the title, earning the right to host the South Region tournament. The Chargers also earned a bid to the regional for the second straight season, even though they were bumped from the GSC tournament by Delta State. Once again, the Chargers had a trip to the College World Series in sight. But, Southeast Oklahoma ended the Chargers’ quest for Montgomery in the region semifinals.
As UAH entered the new millennium, the Chargers had another successful campaign. UAH rolled to a 42-18 finish, another GSC East title and a third trip to the South Central Region tournament. Eventual Division II National Champion Southeast Oklahoma State stopped the Chargers short of the CWS once again.
Individually, seven UAH players were named to the All-GSC team, three of which were on the first team. Two of the Chargers were chosen as members of the All-South Central Region team. Third baseman Blake Bone was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round of the amateur draft.
The Chargers reloaded for the 2001 campaign with several new faces and a core group of veterans and the result was the longest winning streak in school history, a fourth-straight appearance in the South Central Regional tournament and the first GSC Championship for Bobby Pierce's squad. After losing their first contest of the season, the Chargers stormed out to a 15-1 start and earned a No. 1 ranking in the polls. UAH came from the loser's bracket of the GSC tournament to hoist the trophy defeating Arkansas Tech twice on the final day of the tournament.
Among the honorees in 2001 were All-Region selections Adam Bass and Philip Donaldson. Donaldson picked up honors as both a relief pitcher and designated hitter while Bass, the GSC East Freshman of the Year earned a selection as a starter.
While it seemed the Chargers got all the right breaks in 2001, the 2002 season saw Lady Luck disappear as the bounces seemed to always go the other way. Finishing the season 33-12, the Chargers made an early exit in the Gulf South Conference tournament as Valdosta State went on to win the event dashing any UAH hopes of a regional bid. Jake Mathis, Brent Davenport and Matt Jansen were each tabbed as All-GSC selections during the postseason with Jansen going on to being named a Verizon Academic All-American along with earning GSC Elite Eight honors awarded to the top eight student athletes in the conference.
The summer of 2002 brought about the first change at the top as Pierce left the program he had built from scratch for Division I Troy State. Pierce's departure opened the door for assistant coach and Huntsville native David Keel to take over the reigns of the program as the school's second skipper.
Despite the change at the top, the Charger program kept on rolling during the 2003 season earning a share of the GSC East Division Title and making it to the finals of the GSC Tournament in Millington, Tenn., before being downed by long-time rival Delta State. After a slow start out of the gate, the Chargers rebounded to finish the season at 31-23 marking the eighth consecutive season that UAH has posted 30-plus win seasons.
Following an outstanding season on the mound, Adam Bass earned 2nd-team All-America honors along with being chosen in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Shortstop Wes Long joined Bass on the South Central All-Region squad after earning GSC East Division Player of the Year Honors. Joining Bass and Long on the All-GSC teams were catcher Justin Barnes, a 32nd round draft choice by the Detroit Tigers, along with outfielder Drew Newsom and second baseman David West.
The ninth season of action, the 2004 campaign, was another successful run for the UAH baseball squad under skipper David Keel. Finishing with a record of 36-17 overall and a 14-6 mark in Gulf South Conference play, the Chargers continued their streak of 30-win seasons since the program began and again finished the season ranked in the top-25.
Ryan Cox led the off the field accolades as the Elkhorn, Ky., native garnered second-team All-South Central Region Honors and first-team All-GSC honors as well as earning first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District and GSC All-Academic laurels for his work in the classroom. Pitcher Tyde Meadows joined Cox on the All-GSC first team and senior pitcher Taylor Pontius was named second-team All-GSC. Southpaw Kyle Olson joined Cox on the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team and the GSC All-Academic team as well.
Long capped off the season being selected in the 29th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Oakland Athletics. The winds of change would sweep through the program during the offseason as well as Keel stepped down as the UAH skipper with Lowell Mooneyham taking over the reigns of the Charger program.
The start of the Mooneyham era in 2005 proved to be a rocky one for the Chargers as UAH dropped below the .500 mark for the first time in school history finishing with a 16-29 overall record and a 8-13 mark in league play. The postseason awards were highlighted by David Pressley and Trai Meadows’ first-team All-GSC selections. Pressley and Cox were also named Academic All-GSC.
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