Schmidt, 'Rocket' and 'Tex' highlight 2024 College Baseball Hall of Fame class
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- The College Baseball Foundation has announced 11 standouts who will be inducted as part of the 2024 class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The class is comprised of seven players, three coaches and an umpire -- all who have contributed to college baseball history at the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA levels.
Highlighting the 2024 class are Ohio University great and 12-time MLB All-Star Mike Schmidt, University of Texas legend and seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, and Georgia Tech National Collegiate Player of the Year and three-time MLB All-Star Mark Teixeira. The class also includes five additional players, three coaches and a former umpire with storied histories in the college game. Two inductees will be honored posthumously.
The 17th induction class will be honored at the Night of Champions presented by Prairiefire on Feb. 13, 2025 in Overland Park, Kan., the home of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The event will serve as the ceremonial start to the 2025 college baseball season, which begins Feb. 14, 2025.
To be eligible for the College Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, players must be out of college for 15 years and have completed one year of competition at a two-year institution in the CCCAA, NJCAA or a four-year NCAA (Division I, II or III) or NAIA institution. Ballot-eligible coaches must be retired for two years or be active and no less than 75 years old.
Along with the Hall of Fame inductees, the Night of Champions presented by Prairiefire will celebrate the winners of the 2024 College Baseball Foundation awards including Griff O¡¯Ferrall, Virginia (Brooks Wallace Award), Hagen Smith, Arkansas (National Pitcher of the Year), Jac Caglianone, UFlorida (John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year) and Jeff Willis of LSU-Eunice as winner of the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year.
¡°From MLB All-Stars to College World Series legends, the 2024 College Baseball Hall of Fame class includes some of the most decorated players and coaches in the history of college baseball,¡± said Craig Ramsey, Chair of the College Baseball Foundation Board of Trustees. ¡°It is only fitting, as we prepare for another exciting season of college baseball, we take an opportunity to honor those who have contributed to the storied history of our extraordinary game. We look forward to honoring these greats in Overland Park next February.¡±
The College Baseball Foundation has partnered with global design firm Populous to design the permanent location of the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Overland Park.
The partnership teams the College Baseball Hall of Fame with one of the most renowned global design firms to construct a dynamic showcase of college baseball within a community they both call home. In addition, the Kansas City metro area is also the location for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The addition of the College Baseball Hall of Fame will further embed the deeply rooted connection between Kansas City and America¡¯s favorite pastime.
The College Baseball Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign for the construction of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. All donations to the College Baseball Hall of Fame are tax deductible. The College Baseball Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization.
For more information on the Night of Champions or for those interested in making a donation to the College Baseball Hall of Fame, visit the College Baseball Foundation website.
THE 2024 COLLEGE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS
- Mike Schmidt, Shortstop, Ohio, 1969-71
- Roger Clemens, Pitcher, San Jacinto JC, 1981/University of Texas, 1982-83
- Mark Teixeira, Third Base, Georgia Tech, 1999-2001
- Bill Thom, Pitcher, Southern California, 1957-59
- Jeff King, Third Base, Arkansas, 1984-86
- Woody Hunt, Coach, Cumberland, 1982-2021
- *Murray Wall, Pitcher, UTexas, 1947-50
- Wilbert Ellis, Coach, Grambling State, 1977-2003
- Randy Ross, Shortstop, North Park, 1981-84
- *Jim Paronto, Umpire/Administrator, 1973-2023
- Mike Fox, Coach, North Carolina Wesleyan, 1983-1998/North Carolina, 1999-2020
* Will be inducted posthumously
About the College Baseball Hall of Fame
Each year, more than 190 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since that time, 165 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction. Click here for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.
About the College Baseball Foundation
The College Baseball Foundation¡¯s purpose is to preserve, elevate and advance the game; to inspire the next generation; to teach those who love college baseball about its rich history and traditions; to celebrate those who make college baseball special; and to honor those who have come before us and built the foundation upon which college baseball thrives today.