Oklahoma Baptist Bison

Oklahoma Baptist Bison
University	Oklahoma Baptist University
Conference	Great American (primary)
NCAA	Division II
Athletic director	Robert Davenport
Location	Shawnee, Oklahoma
Varsity teams	13
Football stadium	Crain Family Stadium
Basketball arena	Noble Complex
Baseball stadium	Bobby Cox Field at Bison Park
Softball stadium	Bison Field
Nickname	Bison
Colors	Green and gold[1]
Website	obubison.com

The Oklahoma Baptist Bison are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma Baptist University, located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in intercollegiate athletics as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Great American Conference (GAC) since the 2015–16 academic year.^[2] They were also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Central Region of the Division I level.

Prior joining the NCAA, the Bison previously competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) from 1978–79 to 2014–15; and in the Texoma Athletic Conference from 1973–74 to 1977–78.

Varsity teams

OBU competes in 13 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football and track and field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, stunt, track & field and volleyball. Former sports included men's golf, women's lacrosse, men's soccer, men's & women's swimming, men's & women's tennis and women's cheerleading.

Men's sports	Women's sports
Baseball	Basketball
Basketball	Cross Country
Cross Country	Golf
Football	Soccer
Track & Field	Softball
	Stunt
	Track and Field
	Volleyball

Move to NCAA Division II

As of July 11, 2014, the NCAA Division II Membership Committee recommended the membership application for the institution to set up the move from the NAIA to NCAA Division II, competing in the Great American Conference, effectively the 2015–16 season.^[3]

National championships

Team

Sport	Association	Division	Year	Opponent/Runner-up	Score
Men's basketball (2)	NAIA	Single	1966	Georgia Southern	88–59
		Division I	2010	Azusa Pacific	84–83
Men's swimming and diving (4)	NAIA	Single	2012	Fresno Pacific	757–752
			2013	Concordia Irvine	881–448.5
			2014	Olivet Nazarene	900–485
			2015	Olivet Nazarene	798.5–575.5
Women's swimming and diving (3)	NAIA	Single	2013	SCAD Savannah	845–600
			2014	SCAD Savannah	849–492
			2015	SCAD Savannah	745–481
Men's indoor track and field (1)	NAIA	Single[4]	2013	Wayland Baptist	86.5–70
Women's indoor track and field (7)	NAIA	Single[5]	2005	McKendree	86.5–72
			2007	Wayland Baptist	52.33–51
			2010	Wayland Baptist	68–67
			2011	Simon Fraser	58–75
			2013	Indiana Tech	113–87
			2014	Indiana Tech	133–123
			2015	Indiana Tech	87–79
Men's outdoor track and field (2)	NAIA	Single[6]	1990	Azusa Pacific	57–53 (+4)
			2007	Dickinson State	77–58 (+19)
Women's outdoor track and field (1)	NAIA	Single[7]	2012	Concordia Oregon	101.5–81 (+20.5)

Individual programs

Baseball

Brandon Brewer plays second base for the Oklahoma Baptist Bison

Oklahoma Baptist has had 15 Major League Baseball Draft selections since the draft began in 1965.^[8]

Year	Player	Round	Team
1966	Charlie Stewart	8	Cardinals
1984	James King	36	Mariners
1989	Jose Olmeda	23	Braves
1989	William Hocking	22	Giants
1991	Darin Haddock	42	Rangers
1994	Pat Evans	21	Indians
1997	Dustin Robinson	12	Reds
1999	Wes Faust	46	Giants
2005	Felix Peguero	28	Royals
2009	Spencer Hylander	50	Astros
2011	Richie Mirowski	45	Nationals
2011	Kyle Brule	32	Padres
2014	Osvaldo Vela	21	Dodgers
2014	Matthew Page	10	Nationals
2014	Julian Merryweather	5	Indians

Swimming

OBU has won NAIA championships in men's swimming and diving (2012 and 2013) and women's swimming and diving (2013).^[9]

On March 9, 2012, swim team member Ivan Maciuniak, age 22, drowned in the pool. A native of Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain, Maciuniak had joined his brother, Mateo, at OBU in January 2012. The Maciuniak brothers were on the four-man 400-meter relay team which won the final event of the meet to claim the national championship in OBU's first year of intercollegiate swimming.^[10][11]

References

1. "OBU Athletics Branding Guide" (PDF). June 18, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
2. "Oklahoma Baptist University Athletics". obubison.com. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
3. "NCAA admits Oklahoma Baptist into membership process". Tulsa World. July 11, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
4. "NAIA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship Results" (PDF). Men’s Championship History. NAIA. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
5. "NAIA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship Results" (PDF). NAIA. NAIA.org. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
6. "NAIA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship Results" (PDF). NAIA Sports Information Directors Manual. NAIA. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
7. "NAIA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship Results" (PDF). NAIA Sports Information Directors Manual. NAIA. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
8. "MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "Oklahoma Baptist University (Shawnee, OK)"". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
9. "Oklahoma Baptist University". Okbu.edu. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
10. "Hundreds Gather to Remember Swim Champion". okbu.edu.
11. "Ivan Maciuniak, 22, dies after swim", Associated Press at ESPN.com, March 12, 2012.

External links

• Official website