Brewing success: Wright State Athletics breaks barriers and builds a lasting legacy

Wright State graduate Joylynn Brown was appointed director of athletics in 2024.

The 2024-25 academic year has been a busy one for Wright State Athletics, both on the fields of competition for our current Raiders as well as our Raider alumni continuing to do great things.

Wright State graduate Joylynn Brown became just the fourth director of athletics in Wright State history, and the first woman to assume the role, when she was named to the position last July. A volleyball student-athlete for the Raiders from 1989-92, she also coached the volleyball program and has been a part of Wright State’s athletics administration team since 2014.

The Raiders partnered with Southern Ohio Brewing and Wright State graduate James Williams to produce the first-ever Raider-branded beer over the fall, with the Rowdy Blonde Ale released at the beginning of basketball season after rounds of voting and tastings to decide the first Raider brew. The Rowdy Blonde Ale is available at Wright State sporting events, Southern Ohio Brewing and local restaurants with pouring rights.

President Sue Edwards at the Stars, Stripes, Flight Classic.

The Stars, Stripes, Flight Classic series was also introduced this season, with the Raiders facing the Air Force Academy on the hardwood and baseball diamond in a pair of matchups that celebrated the region’s veterans and active-duty military, along with Wright State’s partnership with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and strong ties to the military. Wright State’s largest crowd since 2009, the basketball contest drew 9,672 fans into the Nutter Center.

Brown created Wright State’s first National Girls and Women in Sports Day networking luncheon in February, bringing together 110 current Raider student-athletes and staff with over 30 leaders from the community, including Wright State alumni.

The Wright State baseball team hosted the Air Force Academy as part of the Stars, Stripes, Flight Classic.

Away from campus, Wright State men’s basketball alums Tanner Holden and Loudon Love are each currently playing in the NBA G League, with the pair facing off on the court February 7 and 8, 2025. This marked the first time two Raiders players played against each other in the G League and was just the second time Wright State alums have played against each other professionally in the United States, joining several meetings between Joe Smith and Sean Murphy on the baseball diamond. In addition to Holden and Love in the NBA G League, Wright State continues to have a multitude of Raiders who have continued their basketball careers overseas on the men’s and women’s sides.

Spring also signals the start of baseball season, with Murphy (Atlanta Braves) and Jesse Scholtens (Chicago White Sox) solidified as Major Leaguers to lead a crop of Raider alums playing professional baseball. Former Wright State standouts Tyler Black (Milwaukee Brewers organization) and Quincy Hamilton (Houston Astros organization) each began the 2025 season in Triple A, one step from the majors, highlighting a group of nearly 15 Raider alums currently in the minor leagues.

This article was originally published in the 2025 issue of the Wright State Magazine. Read more stories at wright.edu/magazine.