It used to be one of New Orleans’ best kept secrets, but in recent years, the Delgado Baseball program has made a name for itself at both a local and national level....Coach “Rags”The modern-era of Delgado Baseball came about when Loyola University dropped its intercollegiate athletic programs in 1972. The Wolfpack’s Head Baseball Coach, “Rags”  Scheuermann, crossed town to Mid-City where he saw the prime opportunity to establish an athletic department at what was then known as Delgado Junior College. In 1972, with the go-ahead from the college president, Dr. Marvin Thames, and the college’s administration, the college introduced its first intercollegiate sport, baseball. Delgado Baseball competed as a club sport for its first four years prior to joining the Texas Collegiate League prior to the 1976 season. Delgado, the oldest two-year college in the state,  had also become the first two-year college in Louisiana to establish an athletic program.        Success was almost immediate following Delgado’s first baseball season. The program quickly established a local and national reputation, adding more games to its schedule each season and building an impressive resume of regional and district championships. The Delgado Baseball program would become a stepping stone for student-athletes on their way to four-year colleges and in some cases, major league baseball. Building on the baseball team’s success, the college’s administration introduced Men’s Basketball, and, several years later Women’s Basketball was added to the athletic department slate.
Like Father, Like Son...Following Rags’ induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and paralleled retirement as Head Coach in 1990, his son Joe Scheuermann assumed the role as the Dolphins’ Head Baseball Coach and continued the family tradition of success, amassing over 800 victories in 23 seasons as the Dolphins’ skipper and becomming one of Louisiana’s most respected baseball personalities.  On February 22, 2014, Joe Scheuermann celebrated another milestone as Delgado’s win over College of Dupage marked his 800th victory as Delgado’s Head Coach. Now in his 24th season at the helm, Scheuermann is the program’s second head coach and also in his second year as Delgado’s Athletic Director.National Spotlight With over 1,200 victories in the record books, the Dolphins have also won numerous regional and district championships through the years, in addition to making three trips to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado in 1985, 2007, and 2014. Most recently, the Dolphins have captured the Miss-Lou Conference/Region XXIII Title eight out of the last nine seasons and been recognized as one of the nation’s Top 25 teams in national polls for the past three seasons.
  In recent years, thanks to success, the program’s reputation has expanded well outside the southern region. For the past two seasons, the Dolphins were ranked in each national poll issued by the National Junior College Athletic Association, climbing to the #1 ranking in the country in the final regular season poll of the 2013 season and the #2 position in 2014 final poll of the regular season. The 2015 Dolphins were ranked sixth in the U.S. in the preseason rankings, released in late January. The college and Delgado Athletic Department was recognized as the NJCAA College of the Month last April.
The Community’s Home TeamThe 2015 Dolphins are truly the community’s home team, with the roster being composed of a majority of localized talent that represents 29 local high schools and 26 area zip codes…quite a gumbo of local players. The program’s local flare greatly impacts its family ties, with parents, grandparents, relatives, alums, and friends being able to support the Dolphins.  The program believes in giving back to the communities we serve, contributing more than 300 hours of combined service just this past fall alone through Feed the Hungry, turkey distributions at two local churches, toy distribution at the campus children’s center, and setup for the Times Picayune Doll & Toy Distribution.Delgado Baseball also continues to perpetuate its ties to local baseball, opening Kirsch-Rooney Stadium to hundreds of local prep baseball games each spring (more than 350 games were played at the facility in 2014). If you play or have played baseball in the Crescent City, you can bet that at some point you played between the lines at Kirsch-Rooney. In continuing to foster its role as “the community’s college”, Delgado has partnered with WGNO-TV to present Friday Night Fastball this spring. Those local sports fans who are familiar with Ed Daniel’s iconic Friday Night Football show will appreciate the fact that Delgado and WGNO are teaming up to bring you the baseball version. The show will air on five Fridays during the prep season and bring you highlights, interviews, and more.
Alums in Action across the U.S.Delgado Baseball has a proud tradition of placing its student-athletes into programs across the country, and in recent years, that’s been more evident than ever! This spring, former Dolphins appear on rosters at LSU, University of New Orleans, Southern Baton Rouge, LSU-Alexandria, William Carey, North Carolina State, High Point, Northwestern, Southern Miss, and Ole Miss, just to name a few. Former Dolphins Stone Speer, Brent Bonvillain, and Sean McMullen are also participating in Minor League Spring Training in anticipation of their respective season openers later this spring.
Recovery & Renaissance…10 seasons later!Nearly ten years ago, New Orleans and the entire region was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and its tragic aftermath. The Delgado Baseball program was hit hard, not just the players and their families, but the Home of the Dolphins, Kirsch-Rooney Stadium. Flood waters, wind damage, and tragedy quickly turned to rebuilding, renaissance, and triumph. The program was the first in the area to hit the field and reopen a damaged facility in time to mount the 2006 campaign. Thanks to the dedication of the players and families and each team that has succeeded them, Delgado has rebuilt and marched on over the past ten seasons...creating one of the best programs and facilities in JUCO baseball and one that the entire community can be proud of.
Student-Athletes’ successThe program stresses the term, student-athlete, where academics always takes precedence over athletics. This is especially true in the past few years, when the Dolphins have boasted numerous national academic award recipients and an increased number of sophomores earning their Associate’s degrees. Last season, eight Delgado sophomores earned their degrees not by crossing the stage, but crossing the mound on “Rags” Scheuermann Field is a special ceremony preceding the trip to the JUCO World Series. This past fall, the Dolphins earned a cumulative 3.0 GPA in the classroom.
May Starts TodayLast season raised the program to new heights that the 2015 Dolphins look forward to building on this season. The 2014 squad amassed a 43-13 record (one of the best in program history) and a nearly undefeated home stand. The team captured the Region XXIII Title, a South Central District Championship, and a berth in the JUCO World Series.We may sound like a broken record, but we can’t hide our Delgado Pride. In the end, it’s not about the wins and losses or national rankings, but the fact that the little program that could is thriving in ways no one could have ever imagined. It’s a testament to the Determination, Character, and Commitment shown by our players, coaches, staff, alums, parents, and every valued member of our community who supports what we do everyday, both on and off of the diamond. As the first and oldest Junior College athletic program in the State of Louisiana, Delgado prides itself on its local and national reputation of excellence and continues to build on that reputation with each passing season.  Dive In!
Click here to read more about some of the Dolphins' recent accomplishments...our Points of Pride!Â
