Video: Nomar Garciaparra Acceptance Speech (InterSport)
OMAHA, Neb. – Georgia Tech Hall of Famer and standout Yellow Jacket shortstop Nomar Garciaparra will be inducted into the Omaha College Baseball Hall of Fame on June 30, in Omaha, Neb. Garciaparra, along with Terry Francona (Arizona) comprise the Omaha College Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2018. These two individuals will be recognized in front of fans at the 2018 Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans College Home Run Derby at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha on June 30, live on ESPN2 beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
“It is an honor to be inducted into the Omaha College Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Garciaparra. “When I think about my time in Omaha, it was truly one of the highlights of my baseball career. The experience, the environment and mostly the fans make you feel like a big leaguer. Thank you for this honor.”
Garciaparra helped lead Georgia Tech to their first-ever appearance in the College World Series in 1994 when he hit .427 with 16 home runs, 73 RBIs and 33 stolen bases that season, including .300 with two home runs, a double and four RBIs in four games in Omaha. He played three seasons for Georgia Tech, his first two under former head coach Jim Morris and his final campaign under then first-year head coach Danny Hall in 1994. That 1994 squad, which also featured Jason Varitek, Jay Payton and Brad Rigby, won 50 games and fell to Oklahoma in the championship game of the College World Series.
A two-time first-team all-America and first-team all-ACC selection, Garciaparra finished his career with a .372 average (seventh all-time at Tech), 58 doubles (sixth), 14 triples (fourth) and 66 stolen bases (tied seventh).
The Boston Red Sox took him with the No. 12 pick in the 1994 MLB Draft. Garciaparra was the 1997 American League Rookie of the Year, an MLB All-Star in five of his nine seasons with the Red Sox from 1996-2004 and has the fourth-best career batting average (.323) and fifth-best slugging percentage (.553) in Red Sox history. He led the AL with 209 hits and 684 at-bats in 1997, the same year he had a 30-game hit streak. His .372 average in 2000 is the fourth-highest in Red Sox single-season history. He hit .313/.361/.521 during his MLB career that also included time with the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics.
The shortstop was named to the College World Series Legends Team in 2010 and was inducted into Georgia Tech’s Hall of Fame in 2004. He is the first Yellow Jacket player to enter the Omaha College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Although still in its infancy, The Omaha College Baseball Hall of Fame already has a prestigious history of inductees. The inaugural class included Rod Dedeaux (USC coach), Augie Garrido (Texas coach), Bob Horner (Arizona State), Brooks Kieschnick (Texas), Robin Ventura (Oklahoma State) and Dave Winfield (Minnesota). The last four classes have included Ron Fraser (Miami coach), Cliff Gustafson (Texas coach), Dustin Ackley (North Carolina), Steve Arlin (Ohio State), Sal Bando (Arizona State), Barry Bonds (ASU), Pat Burrell (Miami), Will Clark (Mississippi State), Burt Hooton (Texas), Mark Kotsay (Cal State Fullerton), Fred Lynn (USC), Keith Moreland (Texas) and Todd Walker (LSU).
Established in 2013 by Chicago-based Intersport to celebrate college baseball’s rich history, the Omaha College Baseball Hall of Fame honors the game’s legends that have made their mark in Omaha. Inductees were selected because of their outstanding contributions to college baseball, specifically through extraordinary performances on the game’s grandest stage: in Omaha. Finalists and winners were selected by a committee comprised of Omaha College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees as well as members of the media.
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