The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) announced that Spalding University has been accepted as a full member of the Conference beginning with the 2009-10 academic year. The SLIAC Presidents' Council unanimously approved the addition.

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Spalding is repeating its first year of Division III provisional membership in 2008 – 2009. If the Golden Eagles progress through the four years of provisional membership as planned, they would gain full NCAA membership in 2012-2013. Spalding currently competes in 10 sports including men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer and baseball.

"We are pleased to welcome a new partner to the SLIAC and excited by what the institution brings. The Conference, at all levels from Presidents to student-athletes, has been intrigued and quite impressed by Spalding University from the start of the courting process," SLIAC Commissioner William J. Wolper said.

With the anticipated departure of Maryville (Mo.) to Division II after the 2008 – 2009 athletic season, the SLIAC would remain at nine full members. Spalding will be the first full member outside Missouri and Illinois. The Conference added Huntingdon (Montgomery, Ala.) and LaGrange (LaGrange, Ga.) as football only playing members this fall.

Former Penn State Altoona baseball player John Wilson, profiled on D3baseball.com, will be back in a familiar role with the team this spring, but it won't involve pinch hit at-bats or outfield assists. The 54-year-old Wilson, who was a four-year player for the Lions from 2005-2008 and has one year of coursework remaining, was named an assistant coach earlier this week, head coach Joe Piotti confirmed.

"John has been an important part of our team for four years, so it seemed like a natural transition to officially bring him on board as a coach," said Piotti, who, along with Wilson, remains active in the Altoona City Baseball League each summer. "He will be in charge of the outfielders and continue to coach first base. I know John is excited about the opportunity to remain active with the team."

Wilson received national attention last spring as one of the oldest college baseball players in NCAA history, suiting up for the Lions as a 53-year-old reserve outfielder. His story was documented in the USA Today, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, and the Altoona Mirror. He was a guest on the Fox Sports Net show The Best Damn Sports Show Period and was the subject of numerous other television features.

But even more compelling and inspiring, and the primary reason Wilson is respected and admired by his teammates, is what he endured off the diamond. As a teenager growing up in the rough Lower Hill District of Pittsburgh, Wilson battled drug and alcohol addiction for years before finally entering rehabilitation and eventually relocating to central Pennsylvania. He began counseling his fellow residents and eventually became a Certified Addictions Counselor in 1997. Three years after his certification expired in 2001, Wilson decided to enroll at Penn State Altoona as a full-time 50-year-old student.

Wilson knew Piotti from their days in the City League and immediately looked up his old friend. From a pool of more than 60 players, Wilson made the 30-man roster and has been a fixture on the team ever since.

Despite seeing limited time and primarily serving as first base coach, Wilson did smack five career hits, two doubles, and scored six runs. On senior recognition day, he went 3-8 in a doubleheader against Franciscan University and made a highlight-reel catch in right field.

Wilson plans to graduate in the spring of 2009 with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. He will also have earned a certificate in Chemical Dependency and wants to return to the counseling field. This past summer, Wilson worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates Double-A affiliate Altoona Curve as a video operations assistant, filming hitters and pitchers to assist the Pirates roving coordinators with player instruction and development.

The Lions open the season in Winter Haven, Florida, for a series of games over spring break from March 8-14.

This month McMurry athletic director Bill Libby announced the promotion of John Byington to head coach of McMurry baseball, replacing Lee Driggers who resigned to fill the head coaching poisition at Wheaton (Ill.). Also this summer, Centenary announced that Scott Kushner will take the reigns as the new Head Baseball Coach and Jim Tetkoskie moved up from assistant to head coach at his alma mater, Penn State Harrisburg.

Byington, who has been a part of the McMurry coaching staff for ten years, becomes just the second head coach at McMurry since the school brought back baseball in 1996 after a 47-year absence.

Byington's promotion to McMurry's head coach marks his first head coaching job at a collegiate institution; however, Byington already has head coaching experience at the collegiate level as in the summer of 2007 he was head coach of the Athletes in Action Fire, which competed in the Alaska Baseball League. He guided the Fire to a 26-15 record and their only championship in the six-team league.

"[McMurry] is a nice program to inherit," Byington said. "It was run so effectively under Coach Driggers and has a lot of respect in the baseball world. It's nice to have a good foundation to work with. My goal for the program is to grow on that foundation and become a national contender on a yearly basis."

Kushner, has made the move to Centenary from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, where he was the Head Baseball Coach for the last two years. While at the Academy he handled all the baseball operations and over his two year tenure was able to improve the program's output in nearly every statistical category. Prior to his pair of seasons at Kings Point, Kushner was an Assistant/Interim Head Coach at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, from 2003-2006.

Before his coaching career, Coach Kushner was a four year starting centerfielder for Swarthmore College (99-02). During his playing days he was chosen as a two-year captain, the Hustle Award Winner ('99), a Two-time Dick Hall Award Winner ('01-'02), an All-Centennial Conference selection ('01-'02), and finished his career among the Top 10 in numerous statistical category's on Swarthmore's All-Time list. Kushner made baseball headlines this summer when he was married at Coca Cola Park in the Lehigh Valley.

After serving three years as Penn State Harrisburg’s assistant baseball coach, Jim Tetkoskie moved up in the ranks as the Nittany Lion’s new Head Coach for 2008-09 season. Tetkoskie looks to continue expanding the baseball program by developing the current roster of players, as well as, the incoming recruits.

Before coming to Penn State Harrisburg as the assistant coach in 2005, Tetkoskie was an activate baseball coach with Cumberland County American Legion, Cumberland County VFW teams, and is still active with the Central York County Adult League. Tetkoskie showed Penn State Harrisburg he was knowledgeable and enthusiast about molding the blue and white’s young players into great Penn State Harrisburg student-athletes.

Wheaton (Ill.) athletic director Tony Ladd announced the hiring of Lee Driggers as baseball coach. Driggers replaces Bobby Elder, who resigned in June after seven years at the helm of the Thunder. Driggers, who was head coach at McMurry, assumes a Wheaton program that tallied the most wins in school history with a 23-14 record in 2008 and its first-ever appearance in the four-team CCIW tournament.

"I've probably got 12 to 15 years left in my career," Driggers told the Abilene Reporter-News. "You do your normal evaluation of what you want to be doing in two years, three years down the road. I just felt like I was ready for a challenge if one presented itself."

Ladd said: "Coach Driggers is an exceptional match for Wheaton College athletics. He is a builder of programs and facilities -- two areas that match Wheaton's needs." Ladd adds, "He fits well with the exceptional coaching team that exists at Wheaton in that he has strong technical skills in coaching with a heart for ministry."

Driggers comes to Wheaton after 13 seasons at McMurry. Driggers has also served as head coach at Tarleton State and Hardin-Simmons and managed the Pittsburgh Pirates AA affiliate team to three winnings seasons in the New York-Penn League from 1990-92.

"I am honored that Wheaton would choose me as its next baseball coach," said Driggers. "I am excited to build on the foundation that has been put in place by Coach Elder and the players that have been here ... I look forward to being part of the mission of Wheaton College and developing student-athletes in all aspects of their lives."

McMurry announced the promotion of John Byington from associate head coach to repace Driggers.

A Florida native, Driggers was drafted as a pitcher by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968, playing in the Pioneer and Florida State League. In 1972 he earned a bachelor's in physical education from Central Florida and attained a master's in education from McNeese State in 1976. Lee and his wife Sharon have three children; daughters Kristi and Jodi and son Austin. Austin will be a freshman for the Thunder football team this fall.

In 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Driggers has compiled a record of 412-270-2. In 13 seasons at McMurry, Driggers' teams have won 62 percent of their games with a record of 350-218-2. He became the McMurry head coach in 1996, helping create a program from scratch as baseball had been discontinued at McMurry from 1949-95.

In his time at the school, he has guided the program to four American Southwest Conference Championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances. Among those under Driggers' guidance is two-time All-American Derek David, the 2008 D3baseball.com Player of the Year.

Maryville (Mo.) has received permission from the NCAA to reclassify from Division III to Division II, effective Sept. 1, 2008.

The timeline to reclassify to NCAA Division II is a three-year process. After successful completion of the two-year exploratory period, Maryville must be invited to enter the provisional year and Maryville's readiness to become an active member will continue to be evaluated. At the conclusion of three-year process, Maryville would be invited to active Division II membership.

The NCAA has tried to encourage schools to reclassify from Division III to Division II in order to ease the crowding in Division III. In recent years, Chestnut Hill, Lake Erie and Lincoln have done so.

"This is an exciting move for our institution," said Nina Caldwell, vice president for student life and dean of students. "NCAA Division II places a strong emphasis on academics and developing the whole person which mirrors our philosophy at Maryville. Moving to Division II will greatly enhance the overall collegiate experience for both our student-athletes and non‐student athletes on many levels."

Maryville has been a member of NCAA Division III since 1978, and 2008‐09 will be its final year of affiliation with the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Extensive research was compiled through the athletics department and the athletics task force. Athletic director Tony Duckworth formally presented the data to an advisory council in December 2007 and to the Board of Trustees in January 2008. Throughout the spring, meetings were held with various groups on campus and in March, Maryville submitted application to the NCAA for reclassification to NCAA Division II.