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Anthony Chiusano | krikya18.com | July 19, 2019

Where Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Famers played college baseball

High Five: College Baseball's Best Players

Six more baseball legends will be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 21 in Cooperstown, New York. That brings the all-time inductee total to 335, including 232 former Major League Baseball players. 

Of these players forever immortalized in the halls of the museum, 58 once took the field collegiately. Here are the former college baseball players represented in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including Class of 2019 inductee Mike Mussina:

INDUCTION YEAR HALL OF FAMER COLLEGE
2019 Mike Mussina Stanford
2018 Trevor Hoffman Arizona
2018 Jack Morris BYU
2017 Jeff Bagwell Hartford
2015 Craig Biggio Seton Hall
2015 Randy Johnson Southern California
2014 Frank Thomas Auburn
2012 Barry Larkin Michigan
2009 Andre Dawson Florida A&M
2009 Joe Gordon Oregon
2008 Rich Gossage Colorado State-Pueblo
2007 Tony Gwynn San Diego State
2004 Paul Molitor Minnesota
2003 Eddie Murray Cal State, Los Angeles
2002 Ozzie Smith Cal Poly
2001 Hilton Smith Prairie View A&M
2001 Dave Winfield Minnesota
2000 Carlton Fisk New Hampshire
1996 Jim Bunning Xavier
1995 Mike Schmidt Ohio
1995 Vic Willis Delaware
1993 Reggie Jackson Arizona State
1992 Tom Seaver Southern California
1991 Gaylord Perry Campbell
1989 Carl Yastrzemski Notre Dame
1985 Lou Brock Southern U.
1984 Rick Ferrell Guilford
1983 George Kell Arkansas State
1982 Travis Jackson Ouachita Baptist
1981 Bob Gibson Creighton
1977 Joe Sewell Alabama
1976 Robin Roberts Michigan State
1973 Monte Irvin Lincoln
1972 Sandy Koufax Cincinnati
1971 Harry Hooper Saint Mary's (CA)
1970 Lou Boudreau Illinois
1970 Earle Combs Eastern Kentucky
1976 Lloyd Waner East Central
1964 Luke Appling Oglethorpe
1964 Red Faber Loras
1964 John Ward Penn State
1963 Eppa Rixey Virginia
1962 Jackie Robinson UCLA
1955 Gabby Hartnett Dean
1955 Ted Lyons Baylor
1953 Chief Bender Dickinson
1952 Paul Waner East Central
1949 Charles Gehringer Michigan
1947 Mickey Cochrane Boston U.
1947 Frankie Frisch Fordham
1946 Eddie Plank Gettysburg
1946 Ed Walsh Fordham
1945 Hughie Jennings Mansfield
1939 Eddie Collins Columbia
1939 Lou Gehrig Columbia
1939 George Sisler Michigan
1937 Tris Speaker Texas Wesleyan
1936 Christy Mathewson Bucknell

Michigan has the most representatives with three (Barry Larkin, Charles Gehringer, George Sisler). Columbia, East Central, Fordham, Minnesota and USC all have two former players in the Hall. Overall, 51 NCAA schools are represented.

This list focuses on Hall of Famers who played for their school's baseball program before embarking on professional careers. It excludes, for example, Larry Doby, who was a member of Virginia Union's 1942 conference champion basketball team, and Jim O'Rourke, who 15 years after his 1872 pro debut.

Then there's the case of Johnny Mize. A bat boy for Piedmont College at age 15, Mize's talent was so apparent that for three years โ€” as a high schooler. Piedmont later .

Here are more facts to know about the standout college careers of some notable Baseball Hall of Famers.

Mike Mussina | Stanford (1988-90)

Mussina went 25-12 with a 2.78 ERA and 250 strikeouts in three seasons at Stanford. His 14 wins as a junior in 1990 is second-most in program history. Mussina was part of two College World Series teams. As a freshman in 1988, Stanford captured its second national title; in 1990, the Cardinal reached the CWS semifinals. Mussina (270 wins, 18 MLB seasons) is the only former collegiate player of six Class of 2019 inductees.

MUSSINA AT STANFORD: History, record and notable moments from the new Hall of Famer

Craig Biggio | Seton Hall (1985-87)

Biggio was a two-time All-Big East catcher and a 1987 First Team All-American in three years with the Pirates. He finished his Seton Hall tenure with a .342 batting average and ranks in the top 10 in 20 of the program's single-season and career records. In 1987, Biggio led the Pirates to their first Big East championship. Biggio played 20 Major League seasons with the Houston Astros and is one of 32 players to reach 3,000 career hits.

Barry Larkin | Michigan (1983-85)

Larkin was a two-time All-American and played in both the 1983 and '84 College World Series as a Wolverine. The shortstop finished his Michigan career with 172 runs scored (fifth in program history), 44 stolen bases (ninth) and 332 total bases (10th). In 1985, he hit .368 with 16 homers. Larkin was a 12-time MLB All-Star in 19 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds.

Tony Gwynn | San Diego State (1977-81)

Before Gwynn racked up 3,141 hits in 20 years as a San Diego Padre, the local legend was a two-sport star at San Diego State. Gwynn played basketball all four years, averaging 8.6 points and 5.5 assists per game as the Aztecs' point guard. He still holds the program's all-time assists record with 590. On the baseball diamond for three years, he was a two-time All-American. He batted .416 with 27 extra base hits as a senior in 1981 before being drafted in the third round. Gwynn returned as SDSU's baseball coach from 2002-14.

Dave Winfield | Minnesota (1971-73)

Winfield is the only athlete to drafted by four different professional leagues (MLB, NBA, ABA, NFL). In the end, he chose baseball and played 22 years. A two-way player for the Gophers, Winfield won 1973 College World Series Most Outstanding Player honors despite Minnesota's third-place finish. He struck out 29 in 17.1 innings on the mound and batted .467 with a homer and two RBIs in Omaha.

Mike Schmidt | Ohio (1967-71)

Ohio reached its only College World Series in 1970 behind the power bat and slick fielding of Schmidt. He was named an All-American twice and first-team All-MAC three times in his four years with the Bobcats, finishing with a .330 average and 27 home runs. He went on to crush 548 career homers and win NL MVP three times with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Tom Seaver | Southern California (1965)

Seaver only pitched one season for the Trojans but the righty was dominant in 1965. He finished 10-2 with a 2.47 ERA and was named to the All-Pac-8 squad as a junior, following his first two years at Fresno City College. He signed with the New York Mets in 1966 and emerged as "The Franchise." Seaver won 1967 Rookie of the Year, three Cy Young Awards and was the leader of the Miracle Mets' 1969 World Series run.

Bob Gibson | Creighton (1955-57)

Gibson was another example of multi-sport star, excelling for both the Bluejays' baseball and basketball teams. On the hardwood, Gibson averaged more than 20 points per game and has his No. 45 retired. His Creighton baseball stats , but he played both pitcher and outfielder. Gibson was an eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series MVP as a St. Louis Cardinal.  

Jackie Robinson | UCLA (1939-41)

Robinson was a letter-winner in baseball, football, basketball and track and field at UCLA. He twice led the nation in punt return average in football and won the 1940 NCAA long jump title in track and field. Baseball was actually his most troublesome sport. He hit just .097 as UCLA's starting shortstop in 1940, the only year he played collegiate baseball. But that wouldn't stop him from breaking baseball's color barrier in 1947. The Dodger legend was named Rookie of the Year in that groundbreaking year and later won 1949 NL MVP.

FOUR-SPORT STAR: Before the Dodgers, Jackie Robinson excelled in four sports at UCLA

Lou Gehrig | Columbia (1921-23)

Gehrig was both a pitcher and slugger for Columbia baseball, as well as starting fullback and defensive tackle for the Lions' football team. He's known for hitting two mammoth home runs at Columbia's South Field, one reportedly soaring into a second-story window of the journalism school more than 400 feet away and another landing across College Walk, then a through city street, . One of the greatest Yankees of all time, Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games and won six World Series titles before his career and life was cut short by ALS.

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