Methodist University Athletics

The father of Methodist College baseball, Bruce Shelley founded the program in 1969 and coached its first nine teams. He also designed and built the Monarchs’ baseball field, which is now known as Armstrong-Shelley Field.

Shelley came to Methodist in 1966 as a physical education instructor, a cross country coach and an assistant men’s basketball coach. Prior to that, he had taught and coached at Angier (N.C.) High School.

While at the helm of the Monarch baseball program, Shelley guided Methodist to its first winning season (15-10 in 1972), its first four Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles (1972, 1974, 1976, 1977) and its first two NCAA Division-III tournament appearances (1976, 1977). His teams compiled a 153-118 record (.564) and often battled the ACC’s best.

Shelley died, at the age of 60, on May 10, 1997 after a short but courageous battle with cancer.