Joe Blackwell enters his ninth season at the helm after taking over the Southwestern Christian University baseball program prior to the beginning of the 2015 season.
Blackwell joined the SCU coaching staff in its inaugural season in 2014 as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. He also serves as SCU’s Associate Vice President of Athletics and Operations.
Blackwell led the Eagles to their sixth straight season with 40 or more wins in 2021. SCU went 47-17 en route to its fifth consecutive NCCAA World Series. The Eagles made their deepest run in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament since 2018 and finished as the NCCAA 2021 Central Regional Champion advancing to the NCCAA World Series for the fifth consecutive year.
In the NCCAA World Series the Eagles advanced to the finals and finished as the 2021 National Runner Up.
In his first year, SCU upped its overall win total by 18 from the 2014 season and won seven more games in SAC play. The Eagles finished the season at 26-26, made a deep run in the SAC Tournament and competed in the NCCAA Central Region Tournament.
Blackwell and the Eagles reached new heights in the 2016 campaign going 44-17 overall and 16-8 in SAC play. SCU spent much of the season as the top-ranked team in NCCAA baseball and broke into the NAIA baseball top-25 coaches poll for the first time in program history.
The Eagles finished the regular season third in the SAC standings and participated in the NCCAA World Series for the first time in program history. Blackwell was also named NCCAA Central Region coach of the year
SCU notched 40 wins for the second time in as many years in season No. 3 under Blackwell. The Eagles finished at 40-25 and made their second trip to the NCCAA World Series where they  reached the semifinals before falling to national runner up Campbellsville (Ky.) 5-4.
Blackwell has coached 35 NCCAA all-Central Regions sections, 29 All-SAC selections, 18 NCCAA All-Americans, the 2017 NCCAA Player of the Year, Michael Lowe, 2021 NCCAA Pitcher of the Year, Jesus Valoy, and 2019 NAIA All American Manuel Lopez. In addition, 10 players have signed professional contracts at the conclusion of their careers at SCU.
Prior to joining the SCU baseball staff, Blackwell spent 11 years coaching travel/select teams that participated in events in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Blackwell is certified with the National Federation of High School Coaches as an accredited interscholastic coach. In addition to his travel/select team experience, Blackwell spent five years working with the baseball program at Tuttle High School.
Blackwell, a native of Oklahoma City, graduated from Moore High School and played collegiately at Rose State. After his playing career, Blackwell graduated with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Southern Nazarene. He received his MBA from Concordia University in May 2015.
Blackwell and his wife, Dana, have been married 25Â years and have two children, Blake and Shelby.
2015:Â 26-26
2016:Â 44-17
2017:Â 40-25 (NCCAA Semifinals)
2018:Â 40-23Â
2019:Â 47-17
2021:Â 47-13Â (NCCAAÂ Runner Up)
2022: 28-27
2023: 37-22 (NCCAAÂ Runner Up)
Overall: 309-170 (.645)
