The National College Baseball Hall of Fame is an institution operated by the College Baseball Foundation serving as the central point for the study of the history of

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. In partnership with the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library located on the campus of

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sy ...

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the nort ...

, the Hall of Fame inducts former collegiate players and coaches who have met selection criteria of distinction.

History

The College Baseball Foundation was formed in 2004 as a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, with the dual aims of continuing the

Brooks Wallace Award The Brooks Wallace Award is an award given by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) to the best college baseball shortstop of the year. The award has been given annually since 2004. Until 2008 the award was presented to the nation's most outstandi ...

and creating a national college baseball hall of fame. The inaugural Wallace Award was bestowed in 2004, but the inaugural Hall of Fame induction class was not chosen until 2006. As of 2006, organizers hoped to have a permanent building constructed by 2008. As of January 2013, the Foundation had raised approximately $7 million of the $13 million goal, after receiving a $5 million grant from the

Moody Foundation The Moody Foundation is a charitable foundation incorporated in Texas and based in the island city of Galveston. It was chartered in 1942 by William Lewis Moody Jr. and his wife Libbie Rice Shearn Moody ''"to benefit, in perpetuity, present and ...

. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in June 2015 in Lubbock. In April 2017, the Foundation announced that it would no longer pursue constructing a museum in Lubbock.

Inductees

The 2006 inaugural class for the National College Baseball Hall of Fame consisted of five former coaches and five former players. Annually thereafter, through 2016, additional players and coaches were enshrined. In May 2017, organizers cancelled that year's annual “Night of Champions” induction ceremony.

Players

Head coaches

Veteran players (pre-1947 era)

Executives

Umpires

Induction

Criteria

Selection criteria and categorization has changed over time. The original criteria, established in 2006, allow for recognition of: * Coaches — eligible after ending their active collegiate career (and not actively coaching a professional baseball team) who have achieved 300 career wins or won at least 65% of their games. * Players — eligible five years after their final collegiate season (and not actively playing professional baseball) who competed for at least one year at a four-year institution, and made an All American (post-1947) or All League (pre-1947) team. * Teams — of "great achievement" at a four-year institution. The top ten voter-getters were selected for induction to the Hall of Fame. Veteran and Historical Committees could nominate individuals from the pre-1947 era, however there was no differentiation in how approved nominees were recognized. In 2009, a small school category was added, "featuring players and coaches from NAIA, NCAA Divisions II and III, and two-year colleges." In 2011, a Legends and Pioneers Committee was created, "...designed to provide recognition to black pioneers in college baseball and to honor outstanding players and coaches whose careers at

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. ...

began prior to 1975." Also, nominees would now be required to reach a threshold of votes, rather than automatically inducting the top ten vote-getters. In 2012, voting was revised with five ballot categories: Vintage Era (pre-1964) players and coaches, small school players, small school coaches, 1964–2001 players, and NCAA Division I coaches.

Ceremony

The induction ceremony for the inaugural class occurred on July 4, 2006. The “Night of Champions” was usually held the day after the

winner was announced; the most recent induction ceremony was held in 2016.

References

External links

* {{coord, 33.580227, -101.845830, display=title * College baseball in the United States College baseball trophies and awards in the United States Baseball museums and halls of fame

Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

Texas Tech University Sports museums in Texas Museums in Lubbock, Texas Awards established in 2006 2006 establishments in Texas Baseball in Lubbock, Texas Baseball venues in Texas Sports venues in Lubbock, Texas College sports halls of fame in the United States