Southern-Spring 2017

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SPRING 2017 / 13
Bruce Maxwell ’12, who helped lead BSC to a Southern Collegiate
Athletic Conference title and appearance in the NCAA Central Region
championship game, is starting the season playing AAA ball with the
Nashville Sounds.
Maxwell made his major league debut last July when he was called
up from Nashville by the Oakland Athletics; he stayed with the club
for the rest of the season. But even while stepping up to the big
leagues, he has also launched another passion: his desire to coach.
Maxwell, who splits his offseason between Arizona and Harvest,
Ala., is a volunteer coach at Mountain Pointe High School in
Phoenix. Last fall, he emailed three local programs offering his
services, and he stayed with Mountain Pointe even after the A’s spring
training practices began.
Though the notion of working as a coach and finding his way into
the prep ranks might surprise someone familiar with his playing
career, the 6’1,” 250-pound left-handed catcher says he wouldn’t have
it any other way.
“I love kids and I love to coach and teach,” said Maxwell, who
has helped coach Arizona-based youth travel ball teams in the
past. “I started working at a high school so I could keep busy
during the offseason.”
Before Maxwell was called up, he appeared in 60 games for the
Nashville Sounds, earning PCL Player of the Week honors. He is the
second Panther to make it to the big leagues; Connor Robertson ’05
played for the Oakland A’s and Arizona Diamondbacks.
During his BSC athletic career, Maxwell was named SCAC
Offensive Player of the Year and South Region
Player of the Year, as well as First-Team All-America
and All-South, SCAC First Team and All-Tournament, and BSC Male
Athlete of the Year.
Maxwell is hoping to gain a spot this season on the roster for the
A’s, and has put coaching on hold—for now.
“Ten years from now, I hope to have a family and still be playing
in the big leagues,” he said. “Once I’ve retired from the majors, I
wouldn’t mind coaching at BSC.”
Major leaguer Bruce Maxwell
pursues passion for coaching
Champions made here
The men’s and women’s swimming and
diving teams dominated the 2017 Southern
Athletic Association Championships held
at the Birmingham CrossPlex in February.
The men took home their third consecutive
league title and set a new SAA team points
record of 1.013.5—that’s 271 points ahead
of second-place finisher Centre College.
The women reclaimed their team title after
outscoring the second-place finisher by 57
points. Head Coach Toby Wilcox earned
SAA Coach of the Year after the wins.