LUBBOCK, Texas (Dec. 21, 2022) - Former three-time All-American and 1988 NCAA Division III Player of the Year, North Central College baseball player Ken Ritter '88 has been named to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, the College Baseball Foundation announced on Wednesday.
 
"I am very honored to represent Division III athletes, it's pretty special," said Ritter. "The list of people in the Hall of Fame is unbelievable and to be a part of that is incredible. To be recognized as one of the top Division III players ever is awesome."
 
Ritter will be joined by the rest of the Hall of Fame Class of 2022 in Omaha, Nebraska on February 3rd to officially get inducted into the hall of fame as part of the College Baseball Night of Champions. This year's inductees will join the 129 individuals who have been honored since the inaugural ceremony in 2006. Ritter is the fifth player from Division III to join the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.
 
During his senior season, Ritter put together one of the best seasons in college baseball history. He posted a .577 batting average which still stands as the best single-season batting average in DIII history while his 1.207 slugging percentage ranks fourth all-time for a season. Following that season, Ritter was named the best player in Division III, an American Baseball Coaches First Team All-American selection, the College Conference of Illinois, and Wisconsin Player of the Year.
 
For his career, Ritter ranks ninth in Division III for runs batted with 234. Ritter sits atop the Cardinal record books for career batting average (.463), slugging percentage (.890), on-base percentage (.568), RBI (234), total bases (471), home runs (53), and walks (131). Over his four years, the Cardinals won 110 games, advanced to the DIII College World Series for the first time in program history, won the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship, earned three CCIW Regular Season Titles, and three CCIW Tournament Titles.
 
"The All-Americans meant a lot to me but the biggest accomplishment to me was going to the World Series in 1987," Ritter said. "That was something the entire team worked together to achieve. The individual accolades are great, but I feel like we accomplished everything that we could by going to the World Series. It was a three-year process for my class and a work in progress for the program."
 
Ritter played for the most successful Cardinal baseball coach at the time, Tom Purcell who coached at North Central for 13 seasons. Purcell was a big part of why Ritter came to North Central.
 
"Coach Purcell drew me to North Central. I was all set to go to the University of Illinois to be a student but Coach Purcell called me and asked if I wanted to play baseball," Ritter said. "His attitude and enthusiasm for competing sealed the deal for me. Looking back at it, he brought the best out of me and I really enjoyed what Coach Purcell brought to the whole team."
In 2004, Ritter was inducted into the North Central College Athletics Hall of Fame, the first Cardinal baseball player to do so. Following graduation, he signed with the Oakland Athletics to play professional baseball and spent two years in Class A ball. Months after he played his final game in a Cardinal uniform, Ritter's number 47 jersey was retired. In 1994, he came on staff to help coach with current head coachEd Mathey in his first stint at North Central.
 
Joining Ritter in the National College Baseball Hall of Fame this year is Bill Almon (Brown University), Roger Cador (Southern University), Casey Close (University of Michigan), Ken Dugan (Lipscomb University), Jim Garman (umpire), Condredge Holloway (University of Tennessee), Andy Lopez (Pepperdine University, University of Florida, University of Arizona), Art Mazmanian (University of Southern California), and Rickie Weeks (Southern).
 
"This class checks all the boxes," said Mike Gustafson, president and CEO of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. "With national players of the year from various levels of college baseball to coaching legends and a pioneer, it is an accomplished list."