Cowley World Series teams to be joined at Kansas Hall of Fame by former WSU major leaguers
December 12, 2018
The Cowley College back-to-back World Series winning 1997 and 1998 teams will be joined by former Wichita State University major leaguers Koyie Hill and Mike Pelfrey, along with former Kansas State University coaches Dave Baker and Brad Hill, as inductees at the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame's annual ceremony on January 26 in Wichita, KS. The ceremony will be held at noon at LaVela, 6147 East 13th Street North.
The 1997 and 1998 Tiger baseball teams join only the 1907 Wichita Jobbers, 1954-55 Boeing Bombers, and 1962, 63, and 65 Wichita Rapid Transit Dreamliners as baseball teams in the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame.
The 1997 Tiger baseball team, led by future major leaguer Travis Hafner, went 33-3 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division and 53-11 overall as they captured the program's first-ever World Series title. The team was inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.
The 1998 Tiger baseball team started 4-6 before winning 50 of their next 53 games. They defeated San Jacinto 15-11 in the title game to repeat as World Series champs.
Koyie Hill hit .355 in three seasons as a third baseman at Wichita State and played for Team USA in 1999. Following his WSU career, Hill transitioned to catcher and caught for five teams over 11 major league seasons.
Pelfrey was an All-American who went 33-7 over three seasons at Wichita State. He was drafted ninth overall by the New York Mets and pitched 12 seasons in the Major Leagues, winning 68 games.
Baker was head coach at Seward County Community College, Creighton University and Kansas State. He is the only African-American head baseball coach in Big 8/Big 12 history.
Brad Hill is the winningest coach in Kansas State University history and was twice Big 12 Coach of the Year. Hill also won a Division II championship as coach at Central Missouri State. He was previously an assistant at Kansas and began his coaching career at Hutchinson Community College.
Also being inducted is Craig Dingman and the late Elmer Stricklett.
Dingman attended Hutchinson Community College and pitched in the Major Leagues with the Yankees, Rockies and Tigers before an injury to his throwing arm prematurely ended his career.
Stricklett played minor league ball in Topeka, Salina and Atchison. While in the minors, he learned the spitball and threw it for four major league seasons, winning 35 games.
For more on the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame and its members, visit www.wichitahof.com.
The 1997 and 1998 Tiger baseball teams join only the 1907 Wichita Jobbers, 1954-55 Boeing Bombers, and 1962, 63, and 65 Wichita Rapid Transit Dreamliners as baseball teams in the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame.
The 1997 Tiger baseball team, led by future major leaguer Travis Hafner, went 33-3 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division and 53-11 overall as they captured the program's first-ever World Series title. The team was inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.
The 1998 Tiger baseball team started 4-6 before winning 50 of their next 53 games. They defeated San Jacinto 15-11 in the title game to repeat as World Series champs.
Koyie Hill hit .355 in three seasons as a third baseman at Wichita State and played for Team USA in 1999. Following his WSU career, Hill transitioned to catcher and caught for five teams over 11 major league seasons.
Pelfrey was an All-American who went 33-7 over three seasons at Wichita State. He was drafted ninth overall by the New York Mets and pitched 12 seasons in the Major Leagues, winning 68 games.
Baker was head coach at Seward County Community College, Creighton University and Kansas State. He is the only African-American head baseball coach in Big 8/Big 12 history.
Brad Hill is the winningest coach in Kansas State University history and was twice Big 12 Coach of the Year. Hill also won a Division II championship as coach at Central Missouri State. He was previously an assistant at Kansas and began his coaching career at Hutchinson Community College.
Also being inducted is Craig Dingman and the late Elmer Stricklett.
Dingman attended Hutchinson Community College and pitched in the Major Leagues with the Yankees, Rockies and Tigers before an injury to his throwing arm prematurely ended his career.
Stricklett played minor league ball in Topeka, Salina and Atchison. While in the minors, he learned the spitball and threw it for four major league seasons, winning 35 games.
For more on the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame and its members, visit www.wichitahof.com.