The 2024 Class of College Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees

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. Read Full Release.

Players

  • 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

    *Inducted posthumously

Mike Schmidt, Shortstop, Ohio, 1969-71

A two-time All-American, Mike Schmidt led Ohio to its only College World Series appearance in 1970, finishing his collegiate career with 27 home runs and a .640 slugging percentage. Drafted by the Phillies in 1971, he became one of baseball’s all-time greats.

Over 18 seasons (1972–1989), Schmidt hit 548 home runs, won three NL MVP awards, 10 Gold Gloves, and led the Phillies to the 1980 World Series title. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995.

Schmidt’s collegiate legacy includes induction into the Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame (1977) and the MAC Hall of Fame (2012). Ohio retired his jersey in 2014.

Roger Clemens, Pitcher, San Jacinto JC, 1981/University of Texas, 1982-83

A two-time All-American, Roger Clemens was one of the most dominant pitchers in Texas baseball history. Over two seasons, he recorded 25 wins, 20 complete games, six shutouts, and 241 strikeouts. In 1983, Clemens led the Longhorns to a National Championship, pitching a complete-game 4-3 victory over Alabama in the title game. That season, Texas set school records for team wins (66) and innings pitched (669).

Clemens was drafted 19th overall by the Boston Red Sox in 1983 and went on to a 24-year MLB career, earning seven Cy Young Awards and two World Series titles. His collegiate legacy was honored with induction into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor (1994) and the retirement of his jersey in 1993.

Mark Teixeira, Third Base, Georgia Tech, 1999-2001

Mark Teixeira is one of Georgia Tech’s most decorated players, winning the 2000 Dick Howser Trophy, ACC Player of the Year, and consensus First-Team All-American honors. As a freshman in 1999, he was named National Freshman of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, and a Second-Team All-American. A two-time All-ACC selection, Teixeira batted .427 with 18 home runs and 80 RBIs in 2000, leading Georgia Tech to ACC and NCAA Regional titles.

Drafted fifth overall by the Texas Rangers in 2001, Teixeira enjoyed a 14-year MLB career, earning three All-Star selections, five Gold Gloves, and a World Series title with the Yankees in 2009. Georgia Tech retired his No. 23 jersey in 2023.

Bill Thom, Pitcher, Southern California, 1957-59

A standout pitcher for the USC Trojans, Bill Thom compiled a stellar 23-5 record and 165 strikeouts over his three varsity seasons. In 1959, he earned First Team All-America honors with a 10-win season, a 1.44 ERA, and 58 strikeouts. Thom was the first USC player to be named College World Series Most Outstanding Player, leading the Trojans to the 1958 national championship. He threw a three-hit shutout in the semifinal against Missouri and returned the next night to pitch 4 1/3 scoreless innings in the decisive game.

Thom tallied a career-high 76 strikeouts in 1958, earning First Team All-CIBA honors in 1958 and 1959, as well as All-District VIII recognition in 1958. His legacy was cemented with his induction into the USC Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.

Jeff King, Third Base, Arkansas, 1984-86

A three-time All-American and the first overall pick in the 1986 MLB Draft, Jeff King left an indelible mark on Arkansas baseball. From 1984 to 1986, he earned All-America honors each season and still holds the third-highest career batting average in program history (.372). King was pivotal in Arkansas’ run to the 1985 College World Series, tallying 93 hits, 26 doubles, 17 home runs, and 82 RBIs that season. He earned a spot on the SWC All-Tournament Team twice and was named to the 1985 CWS All-Tournament Team.

King went on to play 11 MLB seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals. His legacy includes inductions into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor (2000) and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame (2019).

Woody Hunt, Coach, Cumberland, 1982-2021

Woody Hunt led Cumberland University baseball to three NAIA national championships (2004, 2010, 2014) and two runner-up finishes during his remarkable 41-year coaching career. He compiled a 1,630-774-5 overall record, including 12 NAIA World Series appearances and 20 conference championships across three leagues. Hunt’s teams posted 24 seasons with 40+ wins, including a program-record 59 victories in 2004.

As one of the most successful coaches in NAIA history, Hunt’s legacy is firmly cemented in Cumberland baseball history.

Murray Wall*, Pitcher, UTexas, 1947-50

Murray Wall was a key figure in the Texas Longhorns’ dominance from 1947 to 1950, helping the team capture back-to-back national championships in 1949 and 1950, as well as four Southwest Conference titles. A native of Dallas, Texas, Wall earned ABCA All-America and All-Southwest Conference honors in 1949 and 1950. He finished his collegiate career with a 28-7 record, including an impressive 20-3 mark in conference play.

Wall went on to play four seasons in Major League Baseball with the Boston Braves, Boston Red Sox, and Washington Senators. His accomplishments earned him induction into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in 1978.

Wilbert Ellis, Coach, Grambling State, 1977-2003

Wilbert Ellis dedicated 43 years to Grambling State baseball, including 26 seasons as head coach after succeeding R.W.E. Jones in 1977. He compiled a 701-478-2 career record, leading the Tigers to three SWAC Championships (1983, 1984, 1985) and three NCAA Tournament appearances. A true Grambling legend, Ellis had his No. 31 jersey retired in recognition of his lasting impact.

Ellis’s contributions to the game earned him induction into the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, the SWAC Hall of Fame, the Grambling Legends Hall of Fame, and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Randy Ross, Shortstop, North Park, 1981-84

Randy Ross is one of the most accomplished players in Division III baseball history. A shortstop for North Park, he was a three-time First-Team ABCA All-American (1982–1984) and a four-time All-CCIW selection. Ross was the first Division III player to earn First-Team All-America honors three times.

He finished his career with a .469 batting average—the highest in Division III history at the time—and a .767 slugging percentage. In 1983, Ross led the nation in batting average, earned the CCIW’s Jack Horenberger Most Outstanding Player award, and guided North Park to CCIW championships in 1983 and 1984.

Jim Paronto*, Umpire/Administrator, 1973-2023

Jim Paronto dedicated over five decades to baseball as an umpire, coach, administrator, and one of the nation’s leading rules experts. A longtime umpire, Paronto officiated games in the Pac-12, WAC, Mountain West, and Junior College World Series, working the JUCO World Series 15 times and the Connie Mack World Series five times. He also served as the coordinator of umpires for the Mountain West (2003–2021), Scenic West, and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (2015–2022).

In 2003, Paronto became the NCAA Baseball Rules Secretary, a role he held until 2015. Beyond umpiring, he was a teacher, coach, and administrator, leaving a lasting legacy on the game of baseball.

Mike Fox, Coach, North Carolina Wesleyan, 1983-1998/North Carolina, 1999-2020

Mike Fox retired with a stellar 1,487-547-5 record (.731) over 37 seasons, including 15 years at North Carolina Wesleyan, where he led the Battling Bishops to 14 NCAA Tournaments, eight Division III College World Series appearances, and the 1989 national championship.

At North Carolina, his alma mater, Fox became the program’s winningest coach, compiling a 948-406-1 record. His teams won three ACC titles (2007, 2013, 2018), made seven College World Series appearances, and set a school-record 59 wins in 2013. Named Baseball America’s National Coach of the Year in 2008, Fox was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.