It’s not hard to figure out why the Lubbock Christian University baseball program has regained its status among the nation’s top NAIA powers ... leadership. With Chaparral head coach Nathan Blackwood at the controls the last seven years have seen a resurgence in the once-storied program and the impetus behind that rebirth has been the excellence and integrity that Blackwood and his staff demand from their players.

Heading into the eighth season of his watch, the Chaps have amassed an overall mark of 325-105 (.756) and they consistently challenge for Sooner Athletic Conference and national titles.  Lubbock Christian University has made tee trips tot he NAIA World Series under Blackwood's guidance.

In 2010, LCU made a trip to the World Series after posting a 24-5 record in SAC play to claim their third consecutive regular season conference title.  The Chaps went 46-16 during the regular season and led the NAIA with a .371 batting average.  Blackwood claimed Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and ABCA Regional Coach of the Year honors.  The conference honor for Blackwood was his fourth over a seven year span.

The Chaps had a remarkable season in 2009 claiming the second National Championship in school history (first one since 1983) while amassing a 52-8 overall record.  They claimed their third Sooner Athletic Conference title under Blackwood’s guidance and were ranked No. 1 in the final national poll for the second consecutive year.  He was named the 2009 National Coach of the Year and the SAC Coach of the Year.

The Chaps had a remarkable season in 2008 with a 53-4 final record, which was the lowest single-season loss total in Lubbock Christian history. They claimed their second Sooner Athletic Conference title under Blackwood’s guidance and were ranked No. 1 in the final regular season NAIA Top 25 Poll. It was the first time the Chaps had received the No. 1 ranking since 1985.

The 2007 season saw the Chaps post an overall record of 37-17, finishing the campaign in the semi-finals of the NAIA Region VI Tournament in Houston. Their run in the post-season left them as the final SAC team in action in 2007. The Chaps managed a runner-up finish in the always-brutal SAC by posting a school-best 18-3 league mark, finishing just one-half game out of the conference title spot.

In only his third year at the helm of the Lubbock Christian University baseball team, Blackwood enjoyed a level of success few coaches ever get the opportunity to experience. In 2006, LCU completed the third most successful season in school history as the Chaps won the NAIA Region VI title for the first time and then proceeded to win the NAIA Mid-South Super-Regional and advance to the NAIA World Series, where they finished third. On the year, LCU finished 50-17 to post back-to-back 50 win seasons and ended the regular season ranked #6 in the nation.

In 2005, the Chaps completed a 17 game turnaround as they posted a 53-15 record, won their fourth Sooner Athletic Conference title, and advanced to the NAIA Region VI championship game. The marked turnaround demonstrated Coach Blackwood’s ability to adjust quickly and was impressive enough to earn him both Sooner Athletic Conference and NAIA Region VI Coach of the Year Honors.

A native of Lubbock, Texas, Blackwood attended Lubbock Christian Schools where he played football, basketball, and baseball for the Eagles in the late 1980s. Following graduation, Blackwood moved across the street to Lubbock Christian University where he played baseball in 1991 and 1992, and he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies upon graduation in 1995.

After finishing up his undergraduate work, Blackwood held several different coaching positions around West Texas including stints in Ralls and Haskell. In 1998, he secured a job as the Assistant Baseball Coach at Harding University.  While at Harding, Blackwood played an integral role in turning around the Bison program, and he also found time to attend class. In 2000, Blackwood received his Master’s of Education Degree in Exercise Science, allowing him to return to LCU later that year as the Interim Chair of the Kinesiology Department until taking over the head coaching position for the Chaps in the summer of 2003.

Despite all of his talents and accomplishments, Blackwood’s crowning achievements are his marriage to the former Kim Lindsey (LCU alumnus) in 1995 and his two children, Brennan (13) and Lindsey (11).