Buster Posey, Barry Bonds and Jeff Brantley Among College Baseball Legends Selected for the 2026 College Baseball Hall of Fame Class
Read Class of 2026 Inductee Bios
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The College Baseball Foundation (CBF) has announced 21 standouts who will be inducted as part of the 2026 class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The class is comprised of players, coaches and other builders of the game – all who have positively impacted college baseball.
The 2026 class includes 16 former players, including 2008 Dick Howser Trophy, Brooks Wallace Award and Golden Spikes recipient Buster Posey, who played at Florida State. Posey is also the namesake of the CBF affiliated Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, presented by Hasty Awards. The class also features Major League Baseball (MLB) stars Barry Bonds (Arizona State), Jeff Brantley (Mississippi State), Marquis Grissom (Florida A&M) and Dave Stegman (Arizona).
Additional Hall of Fame player selections include Earl Bass (South Carolina), Dave Clark (Jackson State), Bruce Gardner (USC), Bobby Jones (Fresno State), Bobby Layne (Texas), Scott Livingstone (Texas A&M), David McCarty (Stanford), Lloyd Peever (Seminole State College / LSU), Mike Smith (Indiana), Huston Street (Texas) and Brent Strom (USC).
Coaches Danny Hall (Kent State and Georgia Tech) and Hal Smeltzly (Florida Southern), join longtime umpires Gus Rodriguez and Tony Walsh as well as Jim Darby, a special contributor to college baseball, in the class. Bass, Gardner, Layne, McCarty and Smeltzly will be honored posthumously.
"On behalf of the College Baseball Foundation Board of Trustees, we are honored to welcome these 21 extraordinary individuals into the College Baseball Hall of Fame," Chairman of the Board of Trustees Craig Ramsey said. "The Class of 2026 represents excellence across every level of our game—from legendary players and championship coaches to dedicated umpires and lifelong contributors whose impact extends far beyond the field. Their achievements helped shape the history of college baseball, and their stories will inspire future generations of student-athletes, coaches and fans. We are proud to recognize their contributions and look forward to celebrating each of them at the Night of Champions as we continue building a permanent home that preserves and honors the rich heritage of college baseball."
The 19th induction class will be honored at the 2027 Night of Champions presented by Prairiefire on February 11, 2027, in Overland Park, Kansas, the home of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. For more information and to purchase your tickets, please visit 2027 Night of Champions.
As part of CBF’s new partnership with Lamar Advertising, the 2026 College Baseball Hall of Fame class will be recognized with custom congratulatory digital signage near the location of the award winner’s institution and hometown as well as other markets throughout the nation. The digital recognition program was launched today in coordination with the Hall of Fame class announcement.
We are so excited to announce the 2026 Hall of Fame Class as we continue the buildout for what will become their permanent ‘home’ in Overland Park, Kansas at the College Baseball Hall of Fame,” CEO/Executive Director of the CBF and College Baseball Hall of Fame Tom Jacobs said. “This is another stellar class that represents the absolute best of college baseball. We look forward to celebrating and honoring their accomplishments on February 11, 2027, at the Night of Champions, when they will officially be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. We hope you will join us for their special evening!”
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.
Each year, more than 200 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, 196 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction. Click here for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.
The CBF has partnered with global design firm Populous to design the permanent location of the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Overland Park, Kansas. 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 CBF 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 (CBF) is a 501(c)(3) organization. For those interested in making a donation to the College Baseball Hall of Fame, click here.
THE 2026 COLLEGE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS
*To be inducted posthumously
Players
Earl Bass*, Pitcher, University of South Carolina, 1972-75
Barry Bonds, Outfielder, Arizona State University, 1983-85
Jeff Brantley, Pitcher, Mississippi State University, 1982-85
Dave Clark, Outfielder, Jackson State University, 1981-83
Bruce Gardner*, Pitcher, University of Southern California, 1958-60
Marquis Grissom, Outfielder/Pitcher, Florida A&M University, 1987-88
Bobby Jones, Pitcher, Fresno State, 1989-91
Bobby Layne*, Pitcher, University of Texas, 1944, 1946-48
Scott Livingstone, Third Baseman, Texas A&M University, 1985-88
David McCarty*, First Baseman, Stanford University, 1989-91
Lloyd Peever, Pitcher, Seminole State College, 1990-91 / LSU, 1992
Buster Posey, Shortstop/Catcher, Florida State University, 2006-08
Mike Smith, Infielder, Indiana University, 1989-92
Dave Stegman, Outfielder, University of Arizona, 1973-76
Huston Street, Pitcher, University of Texas, 2002-04
Brent Strom, Pitcher, University of Southern California, 1968-70
Coaches
Danny Hall, Head Coach, Kent State University, 1988-93 / Georgia Institute of Technology, 1994-2025
Hal Smeltzly*, Head Coach, Florida Southern University, 1958-76
Administrators / Contributors / Umpires
Jim Darby, Contributor, University of California, Berkeley, 1977-current
Gus Rodriguez, Umpire, Dominican University New York, 1982-2016
Tony Walsh, Umpire, University of Memphis, 1979-2022
