Clay Sanders was a foundational player on the diamond for legendary baseball coach Dave Whitten, as the Bruins transitioned from NAIA to NCAA Division I.

The Hendersonville, Tennessee, was named all-conference as a senior, and led Belmont to victories over more established NCAA programs, including Troy, North Alabama and IUPUI. Sanders finished his career with a .385 batting average. Among his peers, he was chosen team MVP twice during his career.