Former University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh shortstop Tim Jorgensen has been selected for induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Tim Jorgensen hit 70 home runs, including once for the HR cycle (solo 2-run,3-run, grand slam home runs in the same game). UW-Oshkosh athletics photo

Jorgensen established numerous National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III records while playing for the Titans from 1992-95. He will be a member of the Hall’s seventh induction class that also includes Lou Brock of Southern University (La.), Nomar Garciaparra of Georgia Tech and Brad Wilkerson of the University of Florida. Coaches Ed Cheff of Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho), Wayne Graham of Rice University (Texas) and Frank Sancet of the University of Arizona will also be inducted as part of the College Baseball Night of Champions celebration on June 29-30 in Lubbock, Texas.

The first inductee from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), Jorgensen was the National Player of the Year in both 1994 and 1995. His career mark of 70 home runs is tied for the most in NCAA Division III history. Jorgensen’s 39 home runs in 1995 remains the all-time record, with the next-best total being 26.

“It’s an extreme honor that I can’t really put into words,” Jorgensen said. “When you look at the folks who are being inducted and the ones who are already there, it’s very humbling.”

In his 162 career games, Jorgensen compiled 237 runs batted in for the sixth-highest total in NCAA Division III history. He also posted a .416 batting average on 234 hits while scoring 200 runs. The Titans achieved a 144-32 record and won four WIAC titles with Jorgensen on the roster.

UW-Oshkosh went 41-4 and won the national championship in 1994 behind Jorgensen’s breakout campaign. His season totals included a .455 batting average, 23 home runs, 58 runs scored and 64 runs batted in. The Titans won their final 13 games and Jorgensen was named the NCAA Division III World Series Most Valuable Player.

Jorgensen reached another level of dominance in 1995. As UW-Oshkosh compiled a 39-5 record, Jorgensen hit .491 with 83 runs scored and 121 runs batted in. He belted six grand slams while breaking eight NCAA Division III records. Jorgensen’s finest day came on May 14, when he tallied six home runs and 16 runs batted in a doubleheader against UW-Eau Claire. During the nightcap, Jorgensen slammed a solo home run, a two-run shot, a three-run blast and a grand slam.

“Tim's individual accomplishments are marked with a consistency of excellence, unparalleled in Division III history,” UW-Oshkosh head coach Tom Lechnir said.  “His 39 home runs and 121 runs batted in during a 41-game season will continue to be the standard forever.”

Following the 1995 season, the Cleveland Indians selected Jorgensen in the eighth round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.  He spent three years in the Cleveland minor-league system before an injury in 1998. Jorgensen then played for Pittsburgh’s minor-league system during the 1999 season.

This year’s seven-man induction class brings the number of College Baseball Hall of Fame members to 71. Previous inductees since the Hall opened in 2006 include Terry Francona, Lou Gehrig, Barry Larkin, Rafael Palmeiro and Jackie Robinson.

Jorgensen was among 69 finalists for induction this year. Another candidate was UW-Oshkosh graduate Norm DeBriyn, who coached the University of Arkansas to 1,161 wins from 1970-2002. The nominees were separated into five categories – players (since 1964), coaches, vintage players (before 1964), small-school players and small-school coaches.

Associated Bank in Green Bay employs Jorgensen, a 1997 UW-Oshkosh graduate and 2005 UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame inductee. He is a graduate of Luxemburg-Casco High School.