Greg Blackmon played on the UWF Baseball team from 1989 to 1990 under head coach
Jim Spooner as a top first baseman. He holds the UWF career record for top batting average (.375) and is second in on-base percentage (.461). He is listed as third in slugging percentage (.570) and sixth in homeruns (13). In 1989, Blackmon was named to the All-Tournament team for his performance in the 1989 NAIA College World Series. By 1990, Blackmon held the second best single-season batting average (.472), slugging percentage (.624) and on-base percentage (.543). In 1990, he hit 11 homeruns as a third all-time record in the single season records.
Upon graduating from UWF, Blackmon continued to compete in the game as the head baseball coach at Tate High School in Cantonment, Florida for eight years. He led the high school team to two state championships in 1998 and in 2005 and posted a 202-42 record in eight seasons, leading them to five 6A Final Four appearances. Under his leadership, the Tate High School baseball team was crowned district and regional champions five times, as Blackmon was named the 6A Coach of the Year in 1998 and a six-time District I Florida Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year. He later received the Fred Waters Award in 1999 for his exceptional community contributions and devotion to the game of baseball. He is also an assistant baseball coach at Pensacola Junior College.
Greg received a bachelor’s degree in physical education, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education leadership at UWF. He is married to the former Melissa Cromer. Melissa was inducted into the UWF Hall of Fame in 2003 for her outstanding accomplishments on the softball team. They have three children: Kaleigh, Logan and Kendall.
Former UWF Baseball Head Coach Jim Spooner:“Greg was the finest all-around first baseman in UWF history. Greg was a student of the game and an unselfish team player who was a great competitor and vocal leader both on and off the field. He did not receive All-American status; however, he was always and will continue to be my All-American.”
