College Baseball Foundation Announces 2012 College Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees

The Lubbock-based College Baseball Foundation this morning announced the 2012 Class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Players to be inducted this year will be Nomar Garciaparra, who played shortstop at Georgia Tech from 1992-1994; Lou Brock, who played outfield at Southern University from 1958-1960; Brad Wilkerson, who played at Florida from 1996-98 and Tim Jorgensen, shortstop at Wisconsin-Oshkosh from 1992-95.

According to the College Baseball Foundation, Brock was selected by the Black College Legends and Pioneers Committee, which is designed to honor players and coaches at Historically Black Colleges and Universities whose careers began prior to 1975. Brock joins last year’s selections, Danny Goodwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones.

“Selecting Lou Brock to represent the committee’s pick for induction into this year’s Hall of Fame class was an easy one,” said Jay Sokol of blackcollegenines.com. “Though most know him as a Major League Hall of Famer, his baseball credentials at Southern University stand on their own and make him a worthy candidate and deserving to be included amongst the greats of college baseball.”

Three coaches will also be inducted in this year's class: Wayne Graham, the current head coach at Rice (pictured); Ed Cheff, who coached Lewis Clark State from 1977-2010 and won 16 NAIA national championships and the late Frank Sancet, who coached the Arizona Wildcats from 1950-72.

Graham began his head-coaching career at San Jacinto College, where he won five NJCAA National Championships. At Rice, he has won 912 games in 20 seasons and a national championship in 2003.

“This is an outstanding class and we are excited to welcome them to Lubbock and the College Baseball Hall of Fame festivities this summer,” Gustafson said. “They join the ranks of some exceptional college baseball players and we are thrilled to call them Hall of Famers.”

The 2012 class will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the College Baseball Night of Champions celebration June 29-30 here in Lubbock.