BATON ROUGE — Former LSU all-American Ben McDonald, the 1989 Golden Spikes Award winner, has been named one of 50 candidates for induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, Texas.
The College Baseball Foundation announced this week the names of 50 all-time collegiate baseball greats — 26 former players, 12 coaches and 12 veteran candidates who comprise the 2007 official ballot for induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Voting Committee will participate in two rounds of elimination votes in order to pare these legendary names to the final list of 2007 Hall of Fame inductees.
Former LSU coach and current athletics director Skip Bertman was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame last July.
A 6-7 right-hander from Denham Springs, La., McDonald capped a magnificent 1989 season by receiving the Golden Spikes Award, given by the United States Baseball Federation to the nation’s most outstanding amateur player. McDonald was named National Player of the Year by Baseball America, The Sporting News and Collegiate Baseball, and was award the R.E. “Bob” Smith Award, as college player of the year.
McDonald, who set an LSU career mark with 373 strikeouts, established Southeastern Conference standards for single-season strikeouts (202), innings pitched (152.1) and consecutive scoreless innings (44.2). A two-time All-American and a 1988 Olympic gold medalist, he finished his LSU career with a 29-14 record and a 3.24 ERA.
McDonald also lettered as an LSU basketball player. He was a member of the 1986-87 Tiger hoops squad which advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
McDonald was the first player chosen in the 1989 free-agent amateur draft and made his major league debut with the Baltimore Orioles in September of ?89. He enjoyed an excellent 10-year major league career with the Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers.
Along with McDonald, the nominees list of legendary former players include Barry Larkin and Jim Abbott of Michigan, Mickey Sullivan of Baylor, Jackie Jensen of California, Tim Wallach of Cal State Fullerton, Derek Tatsuno of Hawai’i, Pete Incaviglia of Oklahoma State, Billy Swift of Maine, Neal Heaton of Miami, Paul Molitor of Minnesota, B. J. Surhoff of North Carolina, Joe Carter and Phil Stephenson of Wichita State, Steve Arlin of Ohio State, Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell of Texas, Fred Lynn and Hank Workman of USC, John Olerud of Washington State, Kevin McReynolds of Arkansas, Rafael Palmiero of Mississippi State, Mike Smith of Indiana, Bob Gibson of Creighton, Eddie Bane of Arizona State and Dick Howser of Florida State.
The list of former coaches includes Jerry Kindall of Arizona, Dr. Jim Brock of Arizona State, Bill Wilhelm of Clemson, Dick Seibert of Minnesota, Bibb Falk of Texas, Charles “Bobo” Brayton of Washington State, Norm DeBryin of Arkansas, Jack Stallings of Georgia Southern, John Winkin of Maine, Al Ogletree of UT Pan American, Bob Bennett of Fresno State and John “Hi” Simmons of Missouri.
The list of veteran pre-1947 candidates include coaches Clint Evans of California, Ray Fisher and Branch Rickey of Michigan, Billy Disch of Texas, Ethan Allen of Yale; player/coach Carl Lundgren of Illinois and players Ted Lyons of Baylor, Frankie Frisch of Fordham, Bobby Layne and Ernie Koy, Sr. of Texas, Owen Carroll of Holy Cross and George Sisler of Michigan.
The College Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2007 will be announced at the completion of voting in mid-March and officially inducted during a three-day celebration of collegiate baseball, which features the annual theme ?The Past Meets Present’. The CBF plans to kick off the celebration on Monday, July 2nd with the first annual Mayor’s Kickoff Breakfast, followed by the fourth annual Brooks Wallace College Baseball Player of the Year Award dinner to be held at the United Spirit Arena, on the campus of Texas Tech University on Tuesday, July 3rd.
The 2007 Hall of Fame Class will be in attendance and recognized at the ceremony, then make their acceptance speeches during the Official Induction Ceremonies on July 4th as part of the annual 4th on Broadway Festival in Lubbock, considered the “Largest Free Festival in the State of Texas.” Both events will be will be carried nationally by Fox College Sports Networks (Atlantic, Central and Pacific), as well as selected Fox Sports Network regional affiliates.