Former Huntingdon baseball coach Steve Shartzer passes away

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Steve Shartzer, who led the Huntingdon College baseball team to its first and only NAIA World Series appearance, passed away Thursday night. He was 66.

Shartzer led the Huntingdon baseball program from 1983-92, winning more than 300 games and guiding the Hawks to the NAIA World Series in 1987.

"The huge impact Coach Shartzer had on the Huntingdon College baseball program is clear," Huntingdon head baseball coach D.J. Conville said. "He set the bar extremely high. As you can tell by his record, he was a winner and he was very successful on the field. He had a huge impact on his players' lives and helped turn young guys into men."

Shartzer put together a record of 316-154-2 in 10 seasons. The Hawks won 30 or more games in each of his first six seasons, including 43 wins in 1985 and a school-record 44 wins in 1986.

The team won back-to-back NAIA District 27 championships in 1986 and 1987. The 1987 team continued its run with a NAIA Area 5 championship to advance to the NAIA College World Series.

At the time of the Hawks' World Series appearance, Shartzer had the fourth best winning percentage among active NAIA coaches.

After Huntingdon, Shartzer coached at Berry College from 1993-97, putting together a 164-87-2 record.

Shartzer played collegiately for Southern Illinois University, helping the Salukis to the College World Series before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.