The Howard Payne University athletic department will formally induct Blake Belcher ’99 and Charles Pattillo ’65 into the Howard Payne Sports Hall of Fame during the HPU Sports Alumni Banquet on Saturday, May 15, 2021.

The annual HPU Sports Alumni banquet will also honor the 1975 HPU volleyball team (first in school history), Woody ’80 and Miki Martin ’80 as HPU Sports Alumni of the Year, with Nadir Dalleh ’00 and Jeff Dixon ’86 as Alumni Coaches of the Year.

Blake Belcher was the unquestioned leader and best player on the HPU’s 1997 American Southwest Conference championship baseball team.

After playing at Abilene Christian University, Blake then transferred to HPU from Ranger College, and the team immediately began experiencing unprecedented success. As a junior, Blake was selected as the American Southwest Conference Most Valuable Player when he led the Yellow Jackets to a 28-19 season and the conference championship with a 15-5 mark. The first baseman hit .401 with 9 HRs, 18 2Bs, 49 RBIs, and 50 runs scored in 47 games. He had 35 walks against only 18 strikeouts.

During that season, the team recorded a win over now Division I opponent UT-Arlington and advanced to the NAIA national tournament for the first time. The offense hit for a school record .359 average and led the nation in doubles that season.

As a senior, Blake hit .390 with 4 HRs, 21 2Bs, 47 RBIs, and 51 runs in 44 games as the team won a school-record 32 games in 1998, finishing second in the American Southwest Conference by one game at 18-6. The Yellow Jackets were ranked in the Division III Top 25 most of the season. That season, he was voted first-team all-conference.

Originally from Holiday, Texas, Blake graduated with an Education degree and spent a year as a graduate assistant on the HPU baseball team. He has spent the past two decades as a teacher and high school baseball coach. He is currently the head coach at Jacksboro High School. He is married to his wife Melanie, whom he met at HPU; they have three children.

In just over 15 seasons as Howard Payne’s head men’s basketball coach, Charles Pattillo posted a 180 win and 204 loss record. Coach Pattillo is a 1965 graduate of Howard Payne and has 582 wins in his combined high school and college coaching career.

While coaching in high school, his teams won 12 district championships with four regional tournament appearances. He produced 15 all-state players and garnered eight district “Coach of the Year” honors.

During the mid-’90s, Pattillo’s HPU Yellow Jackets won three straight Conference Championships (1994-95 – TIAA Championship, 1995-96 – TIAA Co-Championship, 1996-97 – ASC Tri-Championship), earning the team appearances in the NAIA National Tournament each year.

He has developed 25+ All-Conference players and three All-Americans. His success has also led to four “Coach of the Year” awards on the collegiate level (three TIAA and one ASC)

In the 2005-2006 season, the Jackets went 20-7 and won the American Southwest Conference West Division Championship. That year, HPU hosted an ASC Conference tournament for the first time in school history, and Pattillo was named the ASC West Division Coach of the Year.

Pattillo and his wife, J’net, are now retired and active members at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood.

[Story courtesy of HPUSports.com]