OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Joining a group that features MLB All Stars Mike Schmidt, Roger Clemens, and Mark Teixeira, The College Baseball Foundation announced that North Park alum Randy Ross (C '84) will be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

One of the most accomplished Division III baseball players in history, Randy Ross was a star for North Park University from 1981 to 1984. The shortstop was a three-time first-team ABCA All-America selection (1982, 1983, 1984) and a four-time All-CCIW selection (1981, 982, 1983, 1984) for the Vikings. In fact, Ross is believed to be the first Division III player to be selected three times as a first-team Rawlings/ABCA All-American. When he finished his career, his lifetime .470 batting average was the highest in the history of NCAA Division III.  He slugged an astonishing .767 in his collegiate career and finished with a "Ruthian" career OPS of 1.292.  Ross also stole an astounding 93 bases in his career, placing him in the upper echelon of power/speed players in the history of the NCAA at any level.

When Ross finished his collegiate career in 1984, he owned the top career batting average in Division-III history as well as the most career hits. Ross led the nation in batting average in 1983 and helped lead his team to CCIW team championships in 1983 and 1984. After splitting time at third base and left field as a freshman, Ross was a three-year fixture as a shortstop and was a 15^thround pick in 1983 by the Los Angeles Dodgers.  He ultimately decided to return to North Park as a senior in 1984, becoming the first person in his family to graduate college.   

As a freshman, Ross hit .429, slugged .664, and was on base at a .485 clip. In his sophomore campaign, he posted a .511 batting average, .901 slugging percentage and .558 on-base percentage while earning 12 home runs and 74 RBI. His 83 hits as a sophomore led the NCAA. Ross capped his collegiate career by hitting .416 in his senior year while racking up 32 stolen bases.  

Remarkably, he put up those prolific career numbers while striking out only 20 times in four years. In addition to leading the nation in hits in 1983, he also led the CCIW in batting and hits twice (.492, 29 in 1981, .544, 23 in 1983), in home runs and RBI in 1983 (5, 28) and in stolen bases with in 1982 (13). He was awarded the CCIW's Jack Horenberger Most Outstanding Player award in 1983.

"Being inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame is the highest honor that exists for college baseball," said North Park Head Baseball Coach Luke Johnson. "When you look at the totality of Randy Ross's college career, the position he played, and the fact that he was in the upper echelon of production nationally all four years of his college career says a lot.  It is unbelievably difficult to repeat All-American caliber seasons from year to year, for a number of reasons.  The incredible talent required is just the first piece of that puzzle.  Being that productive takes a competitiveness and higher-level mental approach that many players simply don't possess.  Randy Ross now has his name alongside cultural and baseball icons like Lou Gehrig and Jackie Robinson.  How incredibly well deserved an honor it is for him and North Park University."          

By the time Mike Fox retired from college baseball in 2020, he had already secured his place among the most successful coaches in the game. Fox concluded his 37-year head coaching career with a 1,487-547-5 record, a winning percentage of .731. Fox spent 15 seasons as the head coach at North Carolina Wesleyan in Rocky Mount, where he led the Battling Bishops to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, eight trips to the Division III College World Series and the 1989 national championship. His teams posted 15 consecutive top-20 finishes and won 11 Dixie Conference championships. His record of 539-141-4 at Wesleyan ranked second in winning percentage (.791) among all active Division III head coaches. The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame inducted him as a member in 2017.

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.

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.

THE 2024 COLLEGE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS

• Mike Schmidt, Shortstop, Ohio University, 1969-71
• Roger Clemens, Pitcher, San Jacinto JC, 1981/University of Texas, 1982-83
• Mark Teixeira, Third Base, Georgia Tech University, 1999-2001
• Bill Thom, Pitcher, University of Southern California, 1957-59
• Jeff King, Third Base, University of Arkansas, 1984-86
• Woody Hunt, Coach, Cumberland University, 1982-2021
• *Murray Wall, Pitcher, University of Texas, 1947-50
• Wilbert Ellis, Coach, Grambling State University, 1977-2003
• Randy Ross, Shortstop, North Park University, 1981-84
• *Jim Paronto, Umpire/Administrator, 1973-2023
• Mike Fox, Coach, North Carolina Wesleyan, 1983-1998/University of North Carolina, 1999-2020

* Will be inducted posthumously