Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Cannon Lester played baseball at Southern Arkansas from 2007-2010. By the end of his time as a Mulerider, Lester was a two-time All-America First-Team performer who had put together one of the best all-around offensive careers in the storied history of the program with 10 career records to his name. Currently, Lester still holds eight of those records with his marks in Home Runs (41) and At-Bats (765) recently being eclipsed, and just by one in each category.
 
Of the remaining eight career record categories, Lester’s name is still at the top of Games Played (220), Games Started (215), Hits (290), Runs Scored (247), Doubles (75), Runs Batted In (219), Total Bases (498), and Hit-By-Pitch (68).
 
In addition to his career records, Lester also set single-season records in Runs Scored (89 | 2010) and Total Bases (167 | 2009) as well as staking claim to the single-game record for Doubles (4 | 2009 vs, Henderson State) and tying the game mark for Home Runs (3 | 2009 vs. St. Edward’s).
 
Lester’s career got off to a relatively humble beginning in 2007. That year, as a freshman, Lester played in 52 games and made 47 starts. He would hit .309 with 11 doubles, two home runs and 30 RBIs. His sophomore year, however, Lester broke out in a major way offensively as he hit an even .400 with 19 doubles, a triple, five home runs, 51 runs scored and 41 RBIs en route to being named All-Gulf South Conference West Division Second-Team.
 
The upward trend continued for Lester in his junior season as he helped lead the Muleriders to a GSC West Division title, the most wins in school history (52), a #1 national ranking, and hosting rights for that year’s NCAA South Region Tournament. Individually, Lester would hit .393 with 20 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 69 runs scored and 72 RBIs.
 
Those eye-popping stats resulted in Lester racking up the hardware as well as he was an All-GSC West Division First-Team selection at second base, a consensus All-South Region First-Team pick and was named to three All-America teams, earning first-team honors from Daktronics and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).  
 
Lester switched positions on the infield as a senior moving over to third base, but his bat did not slow down as he hit .396 with 25 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs, 89 runs scored (to lead all of DII) and drove in 76. The consistency in his numbers from his junior year to his senior year resulted in consistent awards and accolades as Lester repeated all of his junior accomplishments while bolstering himself to a unanimous All-South Region First-Team player as well a consensus All-America First-Team pick.
 
Lester’s powerful bat and accolades to match helped SAU to another great year as they won the second-most games in a season going 47-10, repeated as GSC West Division Regular Season Champions, spent time as the #1 ranked team in DII, and played in the South Regional Final as the top-seed in that year’s tournament.
 
Furthermore, Lester’s senior season saw him be a semi-finalist for the inaugural Tino Martinez DII National Player of the Year Award as well as capture SAU’s Auburn Smith Award as the University’s Outstanding Male Senior Athlete that year.
 
Not long after the conclusion of Lester’s fabled career, he added one more prestigious honor as he was named a unanimous selection to the GSC’s West Division All-Decade Team for the 2000s. Later, Lester initially signed with San Francisco Giants to play professionally, but ultimately played three productive years with the Southern Illinois Miners of the Independent Frontier League.