July 5, 2011

Courtesy GSU Sports Information -

Grambling State's former president Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones along with six others were inducted as members of the 2011 College Baseball Hall of Fame class and was honored during the induction ceremony on July 3rd in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the College Baseball Foundation's annual celebration of the greatest players in the past and present of college baseball.

President Jones coached at Grambling State from 1926 to 1977. During his tenure, he won six titles in the now-defunct Midwest Athletic League from 1952 to 1958 and five titles in the Southwestern Athletic Conference from 1961 to 1967. He was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1967. Jones coached 11 NAIA All-Americans including Tommie Agee and Ralph Garr, while compiling a career record of 816-218.

Jones, who served as the university's president from 1936 to 1977 was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame in 1992 and in May of this year, had the distinction of having GSU's baseball stadium named in his honor.

The rest of this year's class includes; Terry Francona (OF, University of Arizona, 1978-80), Danny Goodwin (C, Southern University, 1972-75), Dick Goat (SS, Duke, 1951-52), Oddibe McDowell (OF, Arizona State, 1983-84), Tim Wallach (1B, Cal State Fullerton, 1978-79) and Bill Wilhelm (Coach, Clemson, 1958-93)