June 3, 2008

NACOGDOCHES - Donnie Watson's contract as the head baseball coach at Stephen F. Austin will not be renewed Director of Athletics Robert Hill announced Tuesday afternoon.

Watson was put in charge of rebuilding the program after an 11-year hiatus following its discontinuation in 1995. He was hired in September, 2004, and posted a 71-98 (.420) overall record in three seasons on campus.

"I am appreciative for the work Coach Watson did in restarting our baseball program and getting the team into a respectable position among Southland Conference teams," said Hill. "Baseball is made up of many parts that have to work together to be successful and we have reached a point in the program's development when new leadership is needed."

Assistant Johnny Cardenas will immediately take over as the interim head coach to handle the day-to-day operations of the program. Cardenas was hired in August of 2005, and has been with the program since its return.

"Over the last three seasons, Johnny has had a hand in every facet of this team, from recruiting, to player development, to on-field coaching," said Hill. "I am very confident in his ability to lead our program while we decide who the next head coach will be."

The Lumberjacks closed out the 2008 season with a 25-29 (.463) overall record. SFA finished ninth in the Southland Conference with a 12-17 (.414) league mark, missing a berth in the conference playoffs.

-SFA-