Hawkins to Receive USC Upstate's Distinguished Alumni Award at December Graduation Convocation
12/5/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Spartanburg, S.C. – USC Upstate head softball coach Chris Hawkins has enjoyed his share of success both as a baseball player and as a softball coach at USC Upstate. Seven months after being named the A-Sun Coach of the Year, the 1989 USC Upstate graduate will receive the University's 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award at the Convocation Honoring December Graduates on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
"I am extremely honored to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award and am humbled by the recognition," said Hawkins. "I have valued being a part of this university for a large part of my life. The university helped mold me into who I am. I am grateful to have played baseball here under Coach (John) Daurity and to have continued my relationship with the school as its head softball coach. Being the head softball coach has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I am thankful to the many players and coaches who have been a part of this program with me. Nothing this program has achieved would have been possible without them. I have enjoyed my time here more than I could possibly convey. I am proud of this award and proud to be a Spartan!"
Hawkins was a key component of the 1986 and 1987 baseball teams at Upstate, then USC Spartanburg, and was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 1987 Major League Baseball Draft. He was inducted into the Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003 for his excellence as a member of the baseball program. After spending a year in the Astros' minor league system, injury forced him to give up his professional career and he returned to Spartanburg to finish his degree requirements. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education in 1989. While a student, he assisted with the Spartan (Lady Rifle) softball program under current Winthrop head coach Mark Cooke.
After graduation and spending a few years working in Spartanburg, Hawkins returned to Upstate as the head softball coach in 1994-95. He led the 1995 squad to a 29-17 record in his first season at the helm of the program, the first of 19 winning seasons in 20 years as the head coach of the program. In addition to taking over the softball program, he served as the interim volleyball coach in 1994 and led the team to 38-4 record, an effort that still stands as the best winning percentage (.905) in a season in program history.
Hawkins methodically built the softball program into a consistent winner and a threat in the Peach Belt Conference in NCAA Division II. He led the program to four consecutive appearances in the NCAA DII National Tournament (2004-07) and won 40-games in each of the final three years of Upstate's membership in the DII ranks from 2005-07.
As good as Hawkins was in NCAA Division II, he and his program have been even better on the Division I level. He led the Spartans to a share of the A-Sun regular season championship in 2008, Upstate's first year playing on the D-I level. He led the Spartans to an appearance in the A-Sun Tournament Championship game in 2010 after reaching the 40-win plateau for the first time in the DI era.
After picking up 42 and 39 wins in 2011 and 2012, Hawkins coached the 2013 squad into the record and history books at Upstate. The team finished the season with 42 wins and became the first program at Upstate to win an A-Sun Tournament championship and the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans played in the Tuscaloosa Regional at the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide. As good as 2013 was, the 2014 season turned out even better. Upstate won the A-Sun regular season championship by a four-game margin and earned the conference's first-ever at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, making a return trip to Tuscaloosa to play in Alabama's regional. Alabama went on to finish as the national runner-up.
Hawkins' 2014 squad received an abundance of honors and awards. The team swept nearly every individual award given by the A-Sun as Shellie Robinson was named the A-Sun Player of the Year, Anna Miller was named the A-Sun Pitcher of the Year, Lexi Shubert was named the A-Sun Freshman of the Year and six Spartans were named to the all-conference team (five first team selections). Hawkins took home A-Sun Coach of the Year honors as well, marking the first time in his illustrious career he had earned a conference coach of the year honor voted on by his peers. The Spartans finished the season with a Division I era school record 46 wins, one shy of the all-time program mark of 47 set in 2007. Robinson went on to earn All-America honors and Miller was named a Capital One First Team Academic All-American.
Hawkins won his 700th career game during the 2014 season and has been recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) for reaching the milestone. He owns a 727-308-1 career record and is not only the winningest coach in the history of the softball program, but has won more games than any other coach in the history of the Upstate Athletic Department. In all, he has coached seven All-Americans, seven conference player or pitcher of the year selections, six conference freshman of the year recipients and 51 all-conference selections. He is in his 21st year as head coach of the Spartan program.
Follow the Spartans on your mobile device, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
