Bio

Mike Diaz, the all-time wins leader in program history, enters his 15th season as head coach of the Gents in 2025.  

Diaz led the Diamond Gents to the 2024 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship in Cleburne, Texas by defeating Texas Lutheran University by a score 9-5 in the title game on May 6 and made their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history.

Centenary completed a memorable run through the loser's bracket in Cleburne by winning three-straight elimination games over three days to win their second SCAC tournament title in three years after claiming the title in 2022.

The Diamond Gents went 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament as they fell 5-2 to the nationally-ranked and top-seeded East Texas Baptist University Tigers in Marshall, Texas in their opener and were then eliminated by the No. 2 seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags by a score of 10-5.

The NCAA Championship berth was Centenary's third all-time after appearing in the 2017 event in Tyler, Texas where the Diamond Gents went 1-2 and the 2022 tournament where the Maroon and White went 0-3 against the LaGrange College Panthers in LaGrange, Ga. Centenary is now 1-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament after today's loss with its lone win coming back on May 18, 2017 – a 12-1 win over Linfield in the West Regional in Tyler, Texas.

Diaz moved into third-place all-time in conference history with 144 SCAC regular-season wins with a win on April 20 against Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas, passing Jim Mallon of Southwestern. Diaz is now 322-231-1, having passed former HC Ed McCann (1999-2010) for the all-time wins mark in school history. He won his 300^th game this past season on Feb. 13 in Centenary's season-opening win over Rhodes College.

Nine Centenary players were named All-SCAC, seven made the All-Tournament Team, and two were named All-Region. Freshman 1B Alex Miller (Cypress, Texas) was named the league's Freshman of the Year and is the third consecutive Centenary player, and fifth all-time, to earn SCAC Freshman-of-the-Year honors.

Senior SS Jobee Boone (Opelousas, La.) and sophomore LF Carson Livesay (Lafayette, La.) were named to the All-SCAC First Team and Miller also earned Second-Team All-SCAC honors. Sophomore LHP Cody Myers (Friendswood, Texas) was also named Second-Team All-SCAC and five players were named Honorable-Mention All-SCAC - senior RF Austyn Benoit (Welsh, La.), senior P Blaine Hardy (Shreveport, La.), sophomore 3B Clay Menard (Berwick, La.), sophomore CF Collin Pitts (Lufkin, Texas), and freshman DH Walker Wicklund (Shreveport, La.). Herrera and freshman 3B Gage Morris (Livingston, Texas) joined Benoit, Livesay, Miller, Myers, and Wicklund on the SCAC All-Tournament Team.

Centenary finished 23-20 overall and went 13-7 in conference play during the regular season to finish second in the standings and was one of the country's top offensive clubs all season and finished with a team batting average of .304 with a .401 on-base percentage and slugged .406 with 20 home runs. The Diamond Gents averaged 6.9 runs per game and had 454 hits and 102 extra-base hits. They scored 10+ runs in a game 15 times during the season.

The Diamond Gents have notched nine 20-plus win seasons since 2013 and have also won 13 or more conference regular-season games in four-consecutive seasons. The Diamond Gents have finished first, second, or third in the conference in every season except one (fourth – 2021) since joining the SCAC in 2013.

Livesay and Myers were named to the 2024 D3baseball.com All-Region Team, as Livesay made the Third Team and Myers landed on the Second Team. Myers was also named to the 2024 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III All-Region Team as a Second-Team selection

The Diamond Gents had another successful season in 2023 as they finished 23-15 overall and 13-7 in SCAC play, earning the No. 3 seed in the SCAC Championship in Cleburne, Texas. Ten players were named to the All-SCAC Team and two made the SCAC Championship All-Tournament squad.

The Diamond Gents had another successful season in 2023 as they finished 23-15 overall and 13-7 in SCAC play, earning the No. 3 seed in the SCAC Championship in Cleburne, Texas. Ten players were named to the All-SCAC Team and two made the SCAC Championship All-Tournament squad.

The Diamond Gents hit .301 as a team and averaged six runs per game. Centenary finished the season scoring double digit runs in a game 10 times and posted 10+ hits in a game an impressive 22 times. Centenary pitched well all season, finishing with a 3.30 team ERA, which is the second-lowest in a single season in the division III era (2012-present). Centenary has now won 13 or more conference games in the regular season seven times in the D3 era.  

Diaz won his 250^th game on Feb. 6, 2022 with a 6-2 home win over Willamette University. That was just one of many highlights of the 2022 season as the Diamond Gents won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship for just the second time in the division III era (2012-present).

Centenary finished 27-19 overall and 14-7 in SCAC play and its 27 wins are the third-most in a single season in the D3 era (2012-present). The Diamond Gents' 12-8 win over Trinity on May 7 in the 2022 SCAC Tournament was Diaz's 275^th win the program. Centenary's memorable season came to an end on May 21 in LaGrange, Ga. when the Diamond Gents fell 14-9 to the Panthers after dropping a pair of games the day before to lose the "best of five" series 3-0. Centenary claimed the SCAC title on May 8 in Cleburne, Texas with a 10-5 victory over nationally-ranked Trinity.

Diaz owns a stellar 108-43 record in conference games and has led the Gents to SCAC regular season titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018, conference tournament titles in 2017 and 2022, and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

Ten Diamond Gents earned All-SCAC honors during the 2022 season and seven were named to the 2022 SCAC Championship all-tournament team. Centenary, one of the top offensive teams in the nation all season, recorded 10+ hits in a game 31 times and scored 10 or more runs 18 times. The Diamond Gents started the season 6-8 but went on a 21-9 run entering the NCAA Tournament.

Senior 1B/RHP Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) finished his stellar career by reaching three individual milestones during the 2022 season – 200 hits, 150 RBI, and 150 strikeouts on the mound. The versatile and dynamic Ludwick earned First-Team All-SCAC honors at first base, earning first-team all-conference honors for the third time in his decorated career and was named to the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III All-Region Team, earning first-team honors as a utility player.

Ludwick, the leading hitter in the conference (.405) ranked in the top 10 in the conference in multiple statistical categories and was the team leader in batting average, hits, walks, doubles, RBI, and on-base percentage. He was also one of Centenary's top pitchers this season, going 5-4 with a team-leading 13 starts. He became just the fourth player in the current division III era (2012-present) in program history to record 200 or more hits in a career and also became the 46th SCAC baseball player to reach 200 hits in his career. 

Freshman LHP Tyler Herrera (Spring, Texas) was sensational this past season as he turned in one of the most statistically dominant seasons in program history and piled up an impressive collection of individual awards.

Herrera finished in the top 10 in the country in ERA (1.59) and went 7-1 with two complete games. Herrera, whose ERA was under 1.00 for most of the season, made 16 appearances and nine starts and in 73.2 innings pitched allowed just 13 earned runs and 61 hits with 25 walks and 59 strikeouts. Herrera is the only Centenary player in the division III era (2012-present) to win both the conference Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year awards in the same season. He tied former Centenary star Taylor Henry for the lowest ERA in a season by any Centenary pitcher in the D3 era.

Junior RHP Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) was one of the top pitchers in the conference all season and earned First-Team All-SCAC honors as the Relief Pitcher and was named to the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III All-Region Team (Third Team). Primeaux went 9-6 with a 4.09 ERA and had three saves and a pair of complete games.

He led the team in wins, saves, innings pitched (83.2), strikeouts (81) and was tied for the lead in complete games. He made a team-high 22 appearances including eight starts and allowed just 73 hits and 46 runs (38 earned) with only 20 walks. He ranked in the top five in the SCAC in ERA, innings pitched, and strikeouts. Primeaux picked up the save in Centenary's 2-1 win over Texas Lutheran on May 6 in the 2022 SCAC Tournament and now has 13 career saves as he is just four away from the D3 era career record.

In 2021, Diaz led the Gents to one of their finest seasons in program history as the Maroon and White went 30-11 overall and 14-7 in conference play and Diaz was named SCAC Coach of the Year, winning the award for the fifth time in his career. Centenary won 30 games in a season for just the second time in the Division III era (2012-present) and 10^th time in school history, set a D3 era single-season record for home wins (17) and won their first 16 at Shehee Stadium. The Gents swept five opponents at home and also won a program-record 18-straight games from March 4-April 6 as the Maroon and White went unbeaten for six-consecutive weeks and at the time owned the longest winning streak in the nation in Division III. The Gents were ranked for eight straight weeks in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll and peaked at No. 14. Centenary secured the No. 4 seed in the 2021 SCAC Championship in Cleburne, Texas.

2021 was also an award-winning season for several Gents in addition to Diaz. Senior P/1B Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) was named the SCAC Pitcher of the Year as he entered the championship after recording a stellar regular season, going 8-1 with a 3.54 ERA. He led the league in wins and was second in ERA. Ludwick also earned a spot on the All-SCAC First Team along with senior RF Cody Crowder (Shepherd, Texas), and sophomore RHP Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.).

Five Gents were recognized with Second Team and Honorable Mention honors. Junior CF Gary Hewitt (Cedar Park, Texas), junior SS Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas), and senior LF/DH Tyler Welch (Alexandria, La.) each collected Second Team honors. Junior C/1B Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) and senior C/2B Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) earned Honorable Mention recognition. Welch represented the Maroon and White on the SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team, and Crowder, Ludwick, Primeaux, and Welch all earned West All-Region honors by either ABCA/Rawlings or D3Baseball.com.

The 2020 season saw the Gents play just 13 games due to COVID-19, but as usual, the Maroon and White saw success and went 9-4 after being predicted to finish fourth in the SCAC by the league's coaches based on balloting in the annual preseason coaches' poll. The Gents opened the season 3-0 and scored 10 runs or more in a game five times and were primed to make a run at the conference title and a potential NCAA Tournament berth.

He helped the program move to the SCAC in 2013 and four years later (2017) Centenary claimed a conference title and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, becoming only the third Centenary athletics team (and the first in more than a decade) to reach NCAA postseason play. Diaz won his 200th game as head coach at Centenary on March 9, 2019 at Redlands, a 5-3 win.

Player accolades under Diaz's guidance the past 11 seasons include four MLB Draftees, a SCAC Freshman of the Year from 2013-2015, a SCAC Player of the Year in 2013 and 2017, a SCAC Pitcher of the Year in 2015 and 2017, and 2021, 73 All-Conference selections, 32 All-Region winners, 24 All-Tournament honorees, eight All-Louisiana players, two Freshman All-Americans, and seven D3baseball.com and four American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-Americans.

Diaz was also named the SCAC Coach of the Year in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018. He was also named the West Region Coach of the Year by D3Baseball.com in 2017. For the 2017 and 2018 seasons, the Diamond Gents were atop the SCAC standings for all but approximately 48 hours.

In 2018, the Gents finished 15-3 in conference play for the second straight season to claim its fourth SCAC Regular Season Championship in the past six seasons. Like in 2015, needing a series win at home against a nationally-ranked foe in the final SCAC series of the year, the Gents delivered. Centenary took 2-of-3 from top-ranked Trinity to claim the regular season crown. Eight Gents were named All-Conference, while three players were named to the All-Tournament and three picked up All-Region honors.

The 2017 season was a banner year. The Maroon and White climbed to as high as sixth in the national polls, the highest ranking in program history. Centenary won the SCAC Regular Season title by three games over Trinity and Texas Lutheran. The team went on to win the SCAC Tournament and play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Junior Chris Zapata, named the SCAC Hitter of the Year after leading the nation with 71 RBI's, was named First Team All-American by both D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association. The Gents 35 wins were the second-most in school history. Michael Schimpf also finished his Gents career as Centenary's first First Team Academic AllAmerica by CoSIDA to go along with his Second Team All-American honor by D3Baseball.com.

For the season, seven Gents were named All-Region by both D3Baseball.com and the ABCA, while 12 Gents were named All-Conference 13 times. The Gents finished in the top-10 in nine different statistical categories, including finishing second in both triples and triples per game. The 28 runs scored against Rust on February 5, was the second-most runs scored in a game in program history, while the 17 runs in the third inning of game one against Northland March 5 was the most in Gents baseball history.

The 2016 season saw Centenary finish the season 26-13 (10-8 SCAC). The .667 winning percentsage was the best mark in more than 25 seasons and was the second-best percentage since the 1960's. Eight different players received nine All-Conference accolades, including Michael Schimpf (outfield) and Kaleb Kirk (starting pitcher) receiving First Team recognition and Dakota Brown (relief pitcher and outfielder) grabbing two Second Team honors. 

American Baseball Coaches Association named Schimpf, Kirk and Chris Zapata to the All-Region squad in the West. Schimpf received All-Region accolades from D3baseball.com. Brown was named All-Louisiana First Team Utility while Schimpf was named to the Second Team as an Outfielder by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA). Academically, Schimpf became just the fourth Maroon and White athlete and the first in five years to be named Academic All-America, as Presented by CoSIDA.

In 2015, Diaz led the Gents to a 24-17 record (15-3 SCAC) and their second conference championship in three seasons. Taylor Henry – who was drafted by the N.Y. Mets in the 21st round – was named SCAC Pitcher of the Year and an All-West Region honoree by both D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings. Henry led the SCAC in both saves (nine, 15th in the nation) and strikeouts (85, 21st in the nation). He finished second in the conference and 28th in the nation in ERA (1.59) while finishing seventh in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (12.3). Also in the 2015 campaign, Chris Zapata was named SCAC Freshman of the Year. Centenary claimed nine All-Conference accolades and five All-Tournament selections.

Diaz led the Gents to a 19-22 record in 2014 while going 11-7 in SCAC play. Six Gents were named All-SCAC First Team with Aaron Quintanilla being named SCAC Freshman of the Year. Quintanilla along with Chris Jones, also an All-Conference First Teamer, were named to the ABCA All-West Region Third Team. The Maroon and White also claimed three All-Conference Honorable Mention and two SCAC All-Tournament honorees.

In 2013, Diaz helped guide the Gents to an SCAC conference crown with a record of 15-5 and an overall mark of 26-15. The 26 wins in 2013 and 24 the preceding year marked the first back-to-back winning seasons for the Maroon and White since the 2009 and 2010 programs boasted a combined 63 victories.

The successful campaign saw a school record 10 All-SCAC selections, including the Player and Freshman of the Year in third baseman Craig Littleman and pitcher Paul Arcement, respectively. The Gents also saw eight players earn SCAC Pitcher and Player of the Week laurels along with Tyler Clakley, Ryan Gasporra, Nick Parrott and Arcement being named to the SCAC All-Tournament Team.

In 2012, Diaz guided Centenary to a 24-15 record in its first season in the American Southwest Conference. In his first season at the helm of the program in 2011, Diaz helped develop breakout seasons for freshmen RJ Talamantes and Pete Rajkovich. These two were named Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-Americans, while Talamantes was honored as a First Team All-Summit League selection at third base and Rajkovich a Second Team All-Summit League honoree in center field. They were each named to the All-Louisiana team as well.

Diaz, along with his staff, played an integral role in Seth Lugo's career as he was drafted by the New York Mets as a right-handed pitcher in 2011. Undrafted James Hoyt and Lugo both made their Major League Baseball debut in the summer of 2016, becoming the first time the Gents have had a pair of players in the Majors at the same time.

Prior to being named head coach in 2010, Diaz served as an associate head coach for five seasons. In this role, Diaz was instrumental as the hitting coach and infield play specialist while coaching third base. He also oversaw the team's strength and conditioning program in addition to working as the team's recruiting coordinator.

While at Centenary as an associate coach, Diaz has helped guide the Gents to a 141-125 record and a pair of 30-win seasons in 2008 and 2009. From 2005-2010 as both an associate and his first season as head coach, he helped guide Centenary to six straight conference tournament appearances.

As the recruiting coordinator, Diaz was fortunate to bring in and work with four All-Americans and 25 All-Conference players – including the 2010 Summit League Pitcher of the Year in Boone Whiting – and several All-Louisiana Sports Writers Association selections. Also, under his direction, 13 players have signed professional contracts.

Mike Diaz at a Glance

Education
Albertson, '98, Bachelors of Arts Degree in History and Social Studies Education 
Western Michigan, '03 Master of Arts Degree in Physical Education

Family
Wife: Marissa 
Children: Malia and Matteo 
Dog: Mugsy

Coaching Career
2010-present - Centenary Head Coach 
2005-10 - Centenary Associate Head Coach 
2001-04 - Western Michigan Assistant Coach 
2000-01 - Kalamazoo College Assistant Coach 
1999-00 - Univ. of Pacific Volunteer Assistant Coach

Playing Experience
1997-98 - Albertson 
'98 NAIA National Championship team 
First Team All-Cascade Conference second basemen 
1994-96 - Big Bend CC 
First Team All-NWAACC second basemen