University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville Athletics Mourns the Loss of Inaugural Baseball Coach Ken Bagwell
07.21.2025 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville's first baseball coach Ken Bagwell passed away Sunday morning after a long battle with cancer.
Coach Bagwell was hired in 1984 by the UNC Asheville athletic administration to begin a baseball program. He was the Bulldogs head baseball coach from 1985-87. Bagwell oversaw a program that didn't have a true home field to play home games or practice. Despite those odds, he guided Asheville to 41 wins and brought in four players who are now members of the UNC Asheville Athletics Hall of Fame. One of those inductees, Mike Shildt, is now a major league manager for the San Diego Padres. Shildt remembered Coach Bagwell fondly after the Padres 8-1 win over the Washington Nationals Sunday.
"Coach Bags was perhaps the most optimistic person I have ever met. He was always in a good mood and thinking the best-case scenario," stated Shildt. "Coach Bags loved the game of baseball and genuinely loved the players he coached.
"I owe him so very much in my life because he gave me an opportunity to play at UNC Asheville which taught me so very much and allowed me to make life-long friends," he added. "Coach Bagwell thanks, and much respect to a life well-lived. Many blessing to the Bagwell family."
Marc Rosenbalm is one of Asheville's greatest pitchers. He pitched for the Bulldogs from 1987-91 and was inducted into the UNC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
"Ken Bagwell was an extremely charismatic and fiercely competitive man who loved the game of baseball and those who played for him," said Rosenbalm. "He will truly be missed."
First baseman Brian Shehan and shortstop Kevin Hawkins were Bagwell recruits who were both inducted into the UNC Asheville Athletic Hall of Fame. Shehan, who still holds many Bulldog hitting records, was inducted in 2004. Hawkins is still the career leader for stolen bases with 57. He was inducted last year and remembers the early days of Bulldog baseball under Coach Bagwell.
"We didn't have a field to practice on consistently. One day we went over to Erwin HS and found the field locked," commented Hawkins last year. "But Coach Bagwell knew how to improvise. We went over to his family farm and practiced there. We took batting practice by using axes and cutting down trees. That was one intense practice!!"
While head coach of the Bulldogs, Coach Bagwell made a major contribution to one of the best baseball movies ever made – Bull Durham.
Part of the movie was filmed at McCormick Field using some Bulldog players and coaches as extras. When it came down for Kevin Costner's character, Crash Davis, to hit a home run that would make him the minor league's all-time leader in homers, it was Bagwell that hit the home run. They filmed Costner's swinging at the ball and later that day, they had Coach Bagwell take a fungo bat out to left field. Bagwell got the homer on the first take and sent the ball over the left-field fence making Crash Davis the all-time leader in homers.
Bagwell enjoyed a great baseball career at Clemson and then played in the Chicago White Sox organization for a few years. He was an assistant at Clemson before becoming the head baseball coach at Montreat-Anderson and later UNC Asheville.
He leaves behind his wife Libby and three children.
Former Sports Information Director Mike Gore worked with Bagwell during his final season at Asheville.
"Ken Bagwell started the UNC Asheville baseball program from scratch and I mean scratch. Every day he had to figure where he could practice. Coach Bagwell never truly had a home game during his entire time at Asheville," said Gore. "However, he persevered and brought in some of the greatest players to ever wear a Bulldog uniform."
Coach Bagwell was hired in 1984 by the UNC Asheville athletic administration to begin a baseball program. He was the Bulldogs head baseball coach from 1985-87. Bagwell oversaw a program that didn't have a true home field to play home games or practice. Despite those odds, he guided Asheville to 41 wins and brought in four players who are now members of the UNC Asheville Athletics Hall of Fame. One of those inductees, Mike Shildt, is now a major league manager for the San Diego Padres. Shildt remembered Coach Bagwell fondly after the Padres 8-1 win over the Washington Nationals Sunday.
"Coach Bags was perhaps the most optimistic person I have ever met. He was always in a good mood and thinking the best-case scenario," stated Shildt. "Coach Bags loved the game of baseball and genuinely loved the players he coached.
"I owe him so very much in my life because he gave me an opportunity to play at UNC Asheville which taught me so very much and allowed me to make life-long friends," he added. "Coach Bagwell thanks, and much respect to a life well-lived. Many blessing to the Bagwell family."
Marc Rosenbalm is one of Asheville's greatest pitchers. He pitched for the Bulldogs from 1987-91 and was inducted into the UNC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
"Ken Bagwell was an extremely charismatic and fiercely competitive man who loved the game of baseball and those who played for him," said Rosenbalm. "He will truly be missed."
First baseman Brian Shehan and shortstop Kevin Hawkins were Bagwell recruits who were both inducted into the UNC Asheville Athletic Hall of Fame. Shehan, who still holds many Bulldog hitting records, was inducted in 2004. Hawkins is still the career leader for stolen bases with 57. He was inducted last year and remembers the early days of Bulldog baseball under Coach Bagwell.
"We didn't have a field to practice on consistently. One day we went over to Erwin HS and found the field locked," commented Hawkins last year. "But Coach Bagwell knew how to improvise. We went over to his family farm and practiced there. We took batting practice by using axes and cutting down trees. That was one intense practice!!"
While head coach of the Bulldogs, Coach Bagwell made a major contribution to one of the best baseball movies ever made – Bull Durham.
Part of the movie was filmed at McCormick Field using some Bulldog players and coaches as extras. When it came down for Kevin Costner's character, Crash Davis, to hit a home run that would make him the minor league's all-time leader in homers, it was Bagwell that hit the home run. They filmed Costner's swinging at the ball and later that day, they had Coach Bagwell take a fungo bat out to left field. Bagwell got the homer on the first take and sent the ball over the left-field fence making Crash Davis the all-time leader in homers.
Bagwell enjoyed a great baseball career at Clemson and then played in the Chicago White Sox organization for a few years. He was an assistant at Clemson before becoming the head baseball coach at Montreat-Anderson and later UNC Asheville.
He leaves behind his wife Libby and three children.
Former Sports Information Director Mike Gore worked with Bagwell during his final season at Asheville.
"Ken Bagwell started the UNC Asheville baseball program from scratch and I mean scratch. Every day he had to figure where he could practice. Coach Bagwell never truly had a home game during his entire time at Asheville," said Gore. "However, he persevered and brought in some of the greatest players to ever wear a Bulldog uniform."
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