Former Mississippi State Standout Eric Dubose Hired As Next UWA Baseball Coach

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa County resident and former Mississippi State University baseball standout Eric Dubose has been hired as the next head baseball coach at the University of West Alabama.

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Dubose has been an assistant coach at UWA in the past, along with a head coaching stint at American Christian Academy, but since 2012 he has been the president and co-owner of East Coast Baseball, working as the director of pitching and player placement coordinator.

"We are excited to have Eric on board as our head baseball coach," UWA Athletic Director Kent Partridge said. "He brings experience from many levels of baseball that will be beneficial for our players to draw from. I can't wait to see the staff he assembles and how our players will learn from a former Major Leaguer about the game," said Partridge. "We are also excited about the Dubose family returning to be a big part of the UWA and Livingston communities."

Dubose attended high school at Patrician Academy in Butler and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Instead of going pro, Dubose took his talents to Starkville, Mississippi, where he was a standout pitcher for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the legendary coach Ron Polk.

A two-time All-SEC and All-American selection, Dubose led the pitching staff in strikeouts in each of his three seasons. He also still holds the record for most strikeouts by a Mississippi State pitcher with 428 strikeouts.

What's more, he pitched 364.2 innings during his collegiate career, which is second-most in MSU history. Dubose also earned a roster spot on USA Collegiate National Team in 1995, as well as the USA National Team in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Dubose was ultimately chosen as the seventh first-round selection to ever come out of Mississippi State when he was drafted by the Oakland Athletics. He would go on to play 12 years of professional baseball, including five with the Baltimore Orioles organization.

For his contributions on the field at his alma mater, Dubose was inducted into Mississippi State's Ron Polk Ring of Honor in 2020.

In a statement following the announcement, Dubose said Livingston and UWA "feels like home."

"The game of baseball has blessed me in so many ways and given me many great memories and opportunities through the years," he said. "I am so thankful that God has now opened the door for me to be a part of the rich tradition of the University of West Alabama baseball program."

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