FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
LUBBOCK, Texas — Once again the National College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class made history in 2010 with the inclusion of the first coach from a two-year institution.
Wally Kincaid, who coached at Cerritos College from 1958 to 1977 and from 1979 to 1980, is one of 10 men who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 1 as part of a week of celebrations recognizing the past and present greats of college baseball.
“We are very pleased that coach Kincaid will be a part of this year’s Hall of Fame class,” said Mike Gustafson, Hall of Fame chairman and executive director of the College Baseball Foundation. “Last year we had our first small-school inductee and with a two-year college representative this year we take another step toward fully representing all levels of college baseball in the Hall of Fame.”
In his time at Cerritos College, Kincaid compiled a 678-163 record and led his teams to 15 conference championships and 51 tournament championships.
The top vote-getter in the 2010 class was Dave Magadan, who current serves as the hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox. He spent time at both first base and third base for the University of Alabama from 1981-1983. In 1983, he was named Baseball America’s Player of the Year and won the Golden Spikes Award. During that season, he hit .525 and led the team in hits, doubles, total bases and slugging percentage.
“Dave Magadan was an overwhelming choice for this year’s class,” Gustafson said. “He put up amazing numbers during his college career and will be a wonderful addition to the Hall of Fame.
The remaining members of the 2010 National College Baseball Hall of Fame class are: Alan Bannister, shortstop, Arizona State; Bob Bennett, coach, Fresno State; Eddy Furniss, first baseman, Louisiana State; Don Heinkel, pitcher, Wichita State; George Sisler, pitcher/outfielder, Michigan; B.J. Surhoff, catcher, North Carolina; Charles Teague, second baseman, Wake Forest; and Richard Wortham, pitcher, Texas.
Alan Bannister, who played at Arizona State from 1970 to 1972, was a two-time, first-team All-WAC selection and a .355 career hitter. He helped lead the Sun Devils to the 1972 College World Series title before becoming the No. 1 overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1973 MLB Draft.
Bob Bennett coached at Fresno State from 1977 to 2002 and recorded 1,300 career wins. He led the Bulldogs to 26 consecutive winning seasons, beginning with his first season. He was named conference Coach of the Year 14 times and in 1988 was named NCAA Coach of the Year. In 2000, he also won the American Baseball Coaches Association’s Lefty Gomez Award, which recognizes contributions to the game of baseball.
Eddy Furniss, who played at LSU from 1995 to 1998, won the Dick Howser Trophy in 1998. He finished his career in Baton Rouge as the Southeastern Conference leader in hits, home runs, RBIs, doubles and total bases. In addition to multiple All-America honors, Furniss also was recognized multiple times as an Academic All-American for his work in the classroom. He was a fourth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1998.
Don Heinkel, a pitcher at Wichita State from 1979 to 1982, is the winningest pitcher in NCAA Division I history with 51 victories. As a freshman, he threw a seven-inning no-hitter again Illinois. His recorded eight career shutouts and 354 strikeouts with a 2.62 ERA in 467 innings.
George Sisler, who played at Michigan from 1913 to 1915, led Michigan to a 22-4-1 record in 1913 as a sophomore with a .445 batting average. He hit .451 in his final season as a Wolverine. Despite pitching records not being kept, it is believed that Sisler only suffered three pitching defeats during his college career.
B.J. Surhoff, who played at North Carolina from 1983 to 1985, was the 1985 National Player of the Year and a 1984 Olympian. He still holds the Tar Heel record for career batting average at .392 and is in the top five in program history for hits, runs and steals. In addition to multiple All-American honors, he is one of only two Tar Heels to have his number retired.
Charles Teague played second baseman at Wake Forest from 1947 to 1950 and became the school’s first baseball All-American in 1947. He was the first player named Most Outstanding Player at the College World Series and in 1994 he was named to Baseball America’s 1947-1964 College All-Star Team. He compiled a career .335 batting average with 119 runs, 166 hits and 99 RBIs. He also is one of only 11 three-time, first-team All-Americans.
Richard Wortham pitched at Texas from 1973 to 1976 and became the first 50-game winner in NCAA history and remains the second-winningest pitcher in NCAA Division I history. He recorded 12 career shutouts and 481 strikeouts. While at Texas, he was a part of four Southwest Conference titles and was named team MVP in 1975.
Hall of Fame inductees are chosen based on the votes of more than 110 representatives from coast to coast. Voters include retired and active coaches, media members and previous inductees.
To be eligible for the College Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, players must have completed one year of competition at a two-year institution in the CCCAA or NJCAA or a four-year NCAA (Division I, II or III) or NAIA institution. Ballot-eligible coaches must have retired or be active and no less than 75 years old.
The 2010 inductees will be honored on July 1 as part of the College Baseball Foundation’s annual celebration of both the past and present of college baseball from July 1 through July 3 in Lubbock.
For more information about the 2010 National College Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Class or the Hall of Fame events, contact Mike Gustafson at gus@collegebaseballfoundation.org.
