Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Lipscomb University

Offcanvas Scoreboard

buddy harstonw watn

Baseball

Where Are They Now? Buddy Harston - Baseball, Golf

Buddy Harston, a member of the Lipscomb University Athletics Hall of Fame, has a long and distinguished athletic career. As a member of the Lipscomb baseball team he played second base. In the 1972 NAIA World Series he was named to the All-Tournament Team and also received the Bronze Glove Award as the best fielder. After college, he pursued a career in golf where he played on the PGA Tour, the Web.com Tour and the Champions Tour. He has competed in nine major championships including a PGA Championship at Hazeltine Golf Club where he practiced one afternoon next to Tiger Woods, two Senior British Opens and two United States Senior Opens. He played golf with Gary Player several times and is a good friend of Lou Graham. Harston's lowest score is 61, which he shot at the Vanderbilt Legends Course. He also served as the Lipscomb men's and women's golf coach during his 2006-2015 tenure. He participated in the baseball reunion for the 1971 and '72 teams, both NAIA World Series runner-ups, this past weekend. He spent some time talking with Lipscombsports.com about his memories of Lipscomb.
 
 
Name and sport played:
 
Buddy Harston - Baseball
 
 
What years did you compete for Lipscomb, and who coached you?
 
I played baseball from the fall of 1970 through the spring of 1974. Ken Dugan was my head coach. Gary Davis and Roy Pardue were the assistant coaches.
 
 
What teammates were most memorable, and why?
 
My roommate was Mike Santi. He and I were really good at turning double plays. We had a great class my freshman year with Jamie Pride, Mike Ennis, Mike Santi and Tony Muncher.
 
And then there were teammates Ted Jamison, Ernie Smith, Butch Stinson and Farrell Gean. Those guys were instrumental in the first two times we went out to Phoenix, Arizona for the national championships.
 
 
What degree have you earned, from where, and when?
 
I have a bachelor of science in biology and a minor in chemistry at Lipscomb in 1974.
 
 
Why did you attend Lipscomb?
 
So many people were telling me how great a baseball man coach Dugan was and that he was a man of great character.
 
I was going to Vanderbilt, but Farrell Owens and Roy Pardue were probably the two people who changed my mind about not going to Vanderbilt and playing for Lipscomb. Coach Dugan was a baseball fundamentalist. They told me I would learn more baseball at Lipscomb than any place else.
 
 
What is your favorite athletic memory at Lipscomb?
 
I guess it would be the '72 World Series in Phoenix. I hit over .400 in the tournament and won the Bronze Glove Award given to the outstanding fielder in the tournament. It is the prettiest trophy I have ever seen. It was a real baseball glove that was bronzed like a baby's shoe. I wasn't expecting it at all, but looking back I made some great plays.
 
When coach Dugan saw the trophy, he said this is incredible. You will be able to show this to your grandkids one day and I have. Actually, I have given it to one of my grandkids and it is in his bedroom.
 
 
Who influenced your athletic career at Lipscomb?
 
It has to be coach Dugan. And coach Pardue helped me a lot. He really liked me. There were times I would be in the on deck circle and he would pull me over to the bench and tell me this guy is going to throw you this pitch or that pitch so be ready on the first pitch. I would be ready and sure enough, I would get a hit.
 
There was one game against Birmingham Southern in the NAIA Regionals where the bases were loaded when I came up to bat. They had walked Mike Ennis to load the bases to get to me.  Coach Pardue told me this guy is going to throw you a slider on the first pitch and sure enough he did. I was looking for it and hit a line drive down the left field line to clear the bases. We went on to win the game and go to Phoenix.
 
"I even got to sit by coach Dugan at the front of the bus going back to the hotel. That was a big highlight. I don't remember anybody getting to sit beside coach Dugan going back to the hotel.
 
 
What do you remember about Lipscomb campus life during your time here?
 
I met my wife, Julie, at Lipscomb. We married in 1974 and she is the director of the Beaman Library.
 
She was in my physics class taught by Dr. Ralph Nance. She was a freshman and I was sophomore. I met her at the student center. Steve Burton and I were watching the first ever World Series game played under the lights. It was the fall of 1971 when the Pittsburgh Pirates played the Baltimore Orioles. For some reason she sat down and watched the game with us.
 
Onion Dell, where we played baseball, and where it was located is a strong memory.  You could see it from just about any part of the campus. We were good and people are always going to come and watch you if you are good. But we would be out there and people would be walking from classes and would come out to the games. We had great fans.
 
 
What is are the most valuable lessons you learned in your time at Lipscomb?
 
To work on fundamentals and to never quit.
 
 
Who were your favorite professors and why?
 
Dr. David Johnston was my general chemistry professor. He would come watch the baseball games. I think I set the curve in his class. I was the No. 1 ranked general chemistry student. He was a very good teacher.
 
I remember Connie Fulmer who taught English Literature.I actually read the assignments because I liked her so much. She was a good teacher.
 
 
Where did you grow up?
 
I grew up in Nashville. I went to Glencliff High School. We won the state high school baseball championship in 1970. We just had our 50th reunion.

 
Where do you live, and what do you do now?
 
I live in Nashville. I am the head teaching professional at the Legends Academy for the past 13 years.
 
 
Tell us about your family:
 
Julie and I have two daughters. Palmer is 35 and Taylor is 33. We have a son, Aphiwe, who is a junior at Lipscomb Academy. He is from South Africa. We adopted him 10 years ago. He was the
 
We have five grandkids, four boys and a girl, all under the age of eight. They range from two to eight.
 
 
FAST FINISH:
 
  • Favorite food: Turnip greens
  • Favorite TV show or movie: The Sting
  • Favorite Bible scripture:  John 11, the story about Lazarus
  • Favorite sports team: New York Yankees
  • Person I most admire: John F. Kennedy
  • Rather ride or drive? Drive
  • Pick one – salad or dessert:  Salad
  • Dream vacation spot: Yellowstone National Park
  • Early morning or late night person? Early morning
 
 
If you wish to contact Buddy, you may do so at his email below:
 
  • Email address: buddy.harston@gmail.com
Print Friendly Version
Lipscomb University athletics logo