Former Baylor baseball coaches receive the call from the Hall

Mickey Sullivan, BSEd ’55, and Dutch Schroeder, BSEd ’49, set a standard of excellence during their stints as head baseball coaches at Baylor that is recognized far beyond the white lines here in Waco. Earlier this year, both were enshrined for their time in the green and gold.

 The late Baylor baseball coaching legend Mickey Sullivan will be inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the 2014 seven-man class, the organization announced in February. Sullivan will be the first-ever Baylor player or coach inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. Less than one month after Sullivan’s announcement, former Baylor baseball head coach Dutch Schroeder was recognized as part of the 2014 Southwest Conference Hall of Fame at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

Sullivan was a standout football and baseball player at Baylor in the 1950s, and he went on to coach the Bears in both sports. He lettered three seasons in football from 1951-53 and starred on the baseball diamond from 1952-54.

Following his playing career, Sullivan entered the coaching ranks. He joined the Baylor staff in 1969 as the Bears’ freshman football coach, and in 1972, Sullivan was promoted to recruiting coordinator by former head coach Grant Teaff. Two years later, Sullivan became Baylor’s 16th head baseball coach.

Sullivan led Baylor’s baseball program to a 649-428-4 record in 21 seasons as head coach. His 649 coaching victories rank as the second-most in program history, and he led the Bears to three Southwest Conference Tournament titles and the 1977 and 1978 College World Series.

Schroeder’s connection to Baylor dates back nearly six decades as he enrolled at Baylor in 1948 and began his Baylor career as a player during the 1948-49 seasons. He was named head coach in the fall of 1961 and continued to coach the team through the 1973 season. 

 Through his 12-season tenure as Baylor’s head coach, Schroeder amassed a 196-165-1 record with the Bears, including one Southwest Conference championship in the 1966 season. He still stands as the program’s third winningest coach behind current head coach Steve Smith and Sullivan.