UNC Asheville baseball mourns former pitcher Philip Mullinax after cancer battle
UNC Asheville baseball is mourning Philip Mullinax, a Flat Rock native and longtime closer who set a saves mark and helped fuel key winning streaks.
Former UNC Asheville pitcher Philip Mullinax died June 16, 2026, at age 58 after a long battle with cancer.
Mullinax, a Flat Rock native who transferred from Montreat-Anderson College, pitched for UNC Asheville in 1989 and 1990 and served as the team’s closer in both seasons. He finished his Bulldogs career with eight saves, a school record for many years, while compiling a 6-5 record, a 3.88 ERA, 62 strikeouts and 72 innings pitched. He had four saves in each season. UNC Asheville finished 1989 with an eight-game winning streak, and Mullinax saved three of those victories. The Bulldogs followed in 1990 with a school-record 10-game winning streak, during which Mullinax picked up two saves and two wins.
Marc Rosenbalm said Mullinax helped him develop a changeup. Derek Helton, who played with him at Montreat-Anderson and UNC Asheville, described him as highly competitive and highly supportive of everyone. Mike Shildt, now a UNC Asheville Athletics Hall of Famer and former major league manager, called him a terrific teammate and fierce competitor with a heart of gold.
Mullinax was born on May 21, 1968. He was the son of Garland E. Mullinax and the late Arnetta Osteen Mullinax. He graduated from UNC Asheville. He was also a member of Unity Church and spent 32 years as a sales manager at Bryan Easler Toyota. A memorial fundraiser listed interests including golf, music, the UNC Tar Heels and the Atlanta Braves.
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