Prairie View A&M University Athletics

Bland was a four-year letterwinner for the PVAMU baseball program under legendary coach John Tankersley from 1987 to 1990.

A native of Chicago, Ill. Bland was a dual athlete on the baseball diamond as a starting pitcher and position player during his tenure.  As a freshman in 1987, Bland set the PVAMU freshman single season home run record with 14 while also finishing with the team’s highest batting average.

In 1988, Bland was named team captain as a sophomore and also earned All-SWAC honors as a starting pitcher.  The following year in 1989, Bland once again was named All-SWAC on the mound and had his most memorable game as the Panthers picked up a big non-conference win over New Mexico State thanks to a 5-for-5 outing at the plate which also included six RBIs and a home run.

In 1990, Bland was named Team MVP for his efforts as he completed the year with the team’s highest batting average. 

After graduating with a bachelor’s in business management, Bland remained active on the diamond well after his playing career.  He served as an assistant baseball and softball coach for several seasons at Prairie View A&M before taking over the softball program in 2012.  In his first season as head coach in 2012, Bland made history as he led the PVAMU Lady Panther softball team back to the SWAC Tournament after a two-year hiatus with a semifinal round appearance during the 2013 season.