Rusty Stroupe has worked his way up the coaching ranks since his playing days at Appalachian State University. A native of Cherryville, North Carolina, Stroupe’s first job came as a middle school teacher when he was told his responsibilities also included coaching the baseball team. Though reluctant at first, Stroupe put his heart and soul into the job and wound up loving the idea of furthering his baseball coaching career. He proceeded to coach two years in the junior college ranks at North Greenville (1991-92) before turning conference foe Brevard College (1993-97) into a nationally ranked program and guiding the Tornadoes to the JUCO World Series. That performance led to Stroupe becoming head coach at Division II Lander in Greenwood, South Carolina, before he was named head coach of the Division I Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs. In 2003, his first at the Boiling Springs, N.C., university, Stroupe guided the team to a 33-23 record, including an 18-15 mark in the Atlantic Sun. Since then Stroupe has led GWU to at least 25 wins in 11 of his 14 seasons at the dugout helm, and has posted seven finishes in the top five in conference play. He crossed the 700-win mark during the early part of the 2015 season, which came one year after he became the all-time wins leader at Gardner-Webb by moving past Hall of Famer Clyde Miller. One of his biggest personal achievements occurred in December 2012 when he was named the recipient of the FCA Jerry Kindall Character In Coaching Award at the annual ABCA Convention in Chicago. After going 37-21 during the 2016 season, the Runnin’ Bulldogs enter the current campaign as the favorites to win the Big South Conference. Second baseman Collin Thacker, who led the Division I ranks last year with 28 doubles, received Pre-Season All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball and will be counted on to help guide the potent Runnin’ Bulldog offense this spring.