The American Baseball Coaches Association has announced six individuals to be inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame in January 2020.
The ABCA Hall of Fame Class of 2020 includes:
John Casey, Tufts University (Mass.)
Tim Corbin, Vanderbilt University (Tenn.)
Wayne King, Jr., Joliet Junior College (Ill.)
Mike Kinnison, Delta State University (Miss.)
Mike Metheny, Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Dennis Rogers, Riverside City College (Calif.)
The 2020 ABCA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held during the 76th annual ABCA Convention on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020 at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee. Registration for the convention as well as tickets to attend the Hall of Fame banquet will go on sale September 1.
Induction to the ABCA Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed by the organization. The ABCA was founded in 1945 and the Hall of Fame began in 1966.
LINK: ABCA Hall of Fame Website
John Casey, Tufts University (Mass.)
The 2019 season marked John Casey’s 36th as head coach of the Tufts University baseball program and his 38th season with the program overall. As a head coach, Casey’s team have combined for 30 winning seasons and his career record stands at 750-333-5 (.689).
Casey's Jumbos have been one of the best teams in New England throughout his tenure. In 2019, he guided the program to its sixth New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championship and its third conference title in four years. The 2019 season also marked the program’s fourth straight appearance in the NESCAC championship game and its 12th appearance overall. After taking home the program’s fourth NESCAC Tournament title, his 2016 Jumbos team set a program record for wins, finishing the season with a 35-8 record.
Under Casey’s leadership, Tufts has qualified for the NCAA Div. III tournament eight times (1995, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019), including four of the last six seasons.
In 2018, Casey became the 17th active NCAA Div. III coach and 35th all-time to reach the 700-win milestone. He is one of only two active NCAA Div. III New England coaches to reach the 700-win mark and just the sixth all-time.
A three-time NESCAC Coach of the Year (2010, 2016, 2017), Casey's teams have featured five players who signed professionally and several All-Americans.
In May 2019, Casey was inducted into the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) Hall of Fame, an organization in which he served as a member of the Executive Board committee and in his current role with the All-Star Game committee. Casey was also presented with the NEIBA’s most prestigious honor, the Jack Butterfield Award, in 2000 and the NEIBA Andy Baylock Distinguished Service Award in 2005.
In addition to his ABCA and NEIBA Hall of Fame nods, Casey was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Boston Park League, the oldest amateur baseball league in the country, in 1999.
A 1980 Tufts graduate, Casey helped pitch the Jumbos to consecutive ECAC Division II-III Tournament appearances. Also a tight end on Tufts’ 1979 undefeated football team, he returned to Tufts a year later as a baseball and football assistant. He replaced Lee Sargent as head baseball coach in 1984.
Casey was promoted to Assistant Athletics Director at Tufts in 2001 and currently holds the title of Associate Director of Athletics in addition to his head coaching duties.
Casey, a 37-year Lifetime ABCA Member, served as President of the ABCA in 2016 and currently serves on the ABCA Board of Directors.
Tim Corbin, Vanderbilt University (Tenn.)
The winningest coach in Vanderbilt history, Tim Corbin will begin his 18th season at the helm of the Commodores baseball program this fall. Corbin, and his staff are coming off a 2019 season that saw the Commodores secure the program’s second national championship in six seasons and set a Southeastern Conference (SEC) single-season record with 59 wins.
The three-time SEC Coach of the Year (2007, 2013 and 2019) boasts an overall record of 740-354-1 (.676) at Vanderbilt, making him the school’s all-time leader in wins and first in winning percentage for coaches with 100 games or more. In his career as a head coach Corbin is 846-492-1 (.632).
Under Corbin, the Commodores have won two national championships (2014 and 2019) and made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 14 straight-the longest active streak in the SEC. His teams have also advanced to nine Super Regionals and four College World Series.
In 2019, the Commodores tied an SEC record with 13 players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Overall, 16 Commodores have been selected in the first round since Corbin’s arrival on the Vanderbilt campus in 2003, including eight in the past five years. In addition, 48 players have been named All-America, including 14 who have received first-team All-America recognition.
Corbin’s success and methods of running the Vanderbilt program have earned him respect among the college and international baseball communities. In the summer of 2006, he managed the USA Baseball National Team to a 28-2-1 record that culminated with a gold medal finish at the International University Sports Federation World University Championship in Havana, Cuba. The .919 winning percentage set a national team high and garnered special recognition by the United States Olympic Committee.
Corbin came to Vanderbilt following nine seasons as an assistant coach at baseball power Clemson. During his time there (1994-2002), the Tigers had more victories than all but four programs. Clemson won more than 71-percent (434 wins, 172 losses) of its games, captured two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles, made nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament and reached the College World Series four times (1995, 1996, 2000 and 2002).
Prior to his tenure at Clemson, Corbin was head coach at Presbyterian College for six seasons beginning in 1988. There he restarted a baseball program that had been dormant for several years. He directed Presbyterian College from NAIA to NCAA Division II status and had a 106-138 overall record. Along the way, the Blue Hose made three consecutive appearances in the South Atlantic playoffs (1991-93), and Corbin earned South Atlantic Coach of the Year honors in 1990.
The 35-year Lifetime ABCA Member served as ABCA President in 2013 and is currently on the Board of Directors.
Wayne King, Jr., Joliet Junior College (Ill.)
Wayne King, Jr. completed his 33rd and final season as the head baseball coach at Joliet Junior College (Ill.) in 2019. The three-time NJCAA Div. III National Coach of the Year racked up over 1,100 career wins and his teams captured three NJCAA Div. III national titles, each coming in a different decade.
Averaging over 34 wins per season, the Wolves’ longtime head coach capped off his career with the most wins in the history of Joliet Junior College and an overall record of 1127-738-2 (.604).
In addition to his head coaching duties, King also served as the school’s Director of Athletics from 1996-2019.
During King’s tenure at Joliet, he guided his teams to three NJCAA Div. III national championships (1994, 2008 and 2012). His 1994 team won 42 of their final 47 games to cap off a 46-11 season that saw the Wolves average an impressive 9.6 runs a game white batting a robust .355 as a team.
In total, the Wolves made 12 total NJCAA World Series appearances under King’s leadership, including three national runner-up finishes (1995, 2007, 2015), and two third place finishes (1997, 2006) in addition to their three national championships.
The Wolves also earned 16 Region IV Division III tournament championships and claimed seven North Central Conference (N4C) titles during King’s tenure.
For the Wolves success in 1994, 2008, and 2012, King was named ABCA/Diamond NJCAA Div. III National Coach of the Year, Coach of the Year for the Division III World Series and District B Coach of the Year. He also took home Coach of the Year honors in the competitive N4C seven times.
King was inducted into the Region IV Hall of Fame by his fellow Region IV athletic directors as an administrator/coach in 2004. In 2009, King was inducted into the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame for his career coaching accomplishments. During that same year, the Joliet baseball field was officially named Wayne L. King, Jr. Field. In 2015, King was inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
A graduate of Ohio University, King earned four varsity letters in baseball playing for the Bobcats. While earning his bachelor's and master's degrees from Ohio, King spent six years as the Bobcats assistant baseball coach for then-Head Coach, Jerry France.
King attended Beaver Local High School in East Liverpool, Ohio, where he earned ten varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball. He was inducted into the Beaver Local High School Hall of Fame in August of 2008.
Mike Kinnison, Delta State University (Miss.)
Mike Kinnison completed his 23rd and final season as head baseball coach at Delta State University (Miss.) in 2019. Kinnison, who will continue to serve as Delta State’s Director of Athletics, took over the program in 1997, following in the shadow of ABCA Hall of Fame coach Dave “Boo” Ferriss (’88) and Bill Marchant.
Kinnison, a 2010 inductee into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, compiled a career record of 981-313-2 (.757) at the helm of the Delta State program, averaging over 42 wins per season. His all-time career record, including a stellar prep head-coaching career, is 1,273-396-2 (.762).
In 15 of his 23 seasons as head coach, Kinnison guided the Statesmen to 40 or more wins. Under Kinnison, the Statesmen made six College World Series appearances (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2012 and 2017) and 16 NCAA South Regional appearances (1999-2005, 2007, 2008, 2012-2014, 2016-2019). His teams captured 11 Gulf South Conference Western Division titles (1997-2005, 2007-2008), eight Gulf South Conference titles and seven NCAA South/South Central Regional championships.
In 2004, he earned ABCA/Diamond National Coach of the Year honors after leading the Statesmen to the program’s first-ever NCAA Div. II national championship. He was also named the Gulf South Coach of the Year six times and named “Coach of the Decade” by the Gulf South Conference in 2010.
Kinnison has also coached three ABCA/Rawlings National Players of the Year, as Dee Haynes (2000), Jud Thigpen (2004) and two-time recipient Zack Shannon (2017, 2018) earned the honor.
Before taking over the reins as head coach, Kinnison served as an assistant coach for three seasons under Bill Marchant. Kinnison was an important component to the 1994 and 1996 teams, who accomplished trips to the Gulf South Conference Championships and the College World Series. In his three years as an assistant, the Statesmen compiled an impressive 138-36 (.793) record.
The Benton, Miss., native was a standout shortstop for the legendary Dave “Boo” Ferris from 1977-1978. Kinnison garnered ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-America honors during the 1978 season, leading the Statesmen to a second-place finish at the NCAA College World Series.
Before returning to his alma mater, Kinnison was an accomplished high school coach in Mississippi. He coached at Lee Academy (1979-81), Jackson Prep (1982-92) and Madison Central (1993). He claimed three Mississippi Private School Association state championships at Jackson Prep in 1982, 1990 and 1991. During his prep head-coaching career, Kinnison achieved an overall record of 292-83 (.779).
Kinnison earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics education in 1977 from Delta State University. He later earned a master’s degree in mathematics education from DSU in 1978.
Mike Metheny, Southeastern Oklahoma State University
After 37 years at the helm of the Southeastern Oklahoma State University baseball program, Mike Metheny announced his retirement from coaching following the 2017 season. He finished his storied career with a national championship and as the winningest coach in NCAA Div. II baseball history.
Metheny secured his place in the record books during his final season, capturing his 1,315th win and surpassing longtime Armstrong State skipper and ABCA Hall of Fame member Joe Roberts on the all-time list. He is one of only 18 NCAA Div. II coaches to ever reach the 1,000-win plateau and became just the third NCAA Div. II coach to reach 1,300 wins. He also ranks among the top 20 on the all-time wins list regardless of division.
For his career, Metheny finished with a 1,324-679-3 (.660) record, with his teams averaging over 35 wins per season.
His connection with Southeastern spanned more than 40 years from his beginnings as a player, through being a graduate assistant, an assistant coach and ultimately taking over as the head coach for the 1981 season.
Metheny guided the Southeastern baseball program through its successful transition from NAIA to NCAA Div. II. In just their second season at the Div. II level, he led his squad to the NCAA Div. II World Series and secured the program’s first national championship in 2000. The title earned him ABCA/Diamond National Coach of the Year honors.
While a member of the NAIA, his teams made seven trips to the NAIA World Series and earned three runner-up finishes.
Throughout his tenure, Metheny’s teams claimed 15 conference championships, earning him conference coach of the year honors nine times and regional coach of the year honors seven times.
Metheny coached 54 players who have signed professional contracts and guided 35 players to a total of 42 All-American honors. Among those are a pair of National Player of the Year honorees in Alan Cartwright in 1982 and Cary Ammons in 1997.
In January of 1999, he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame while at the ABCA Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. He was also inducted into the Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
Metheny’s No. 1 jersey was retired by Southeastern on Nov. 11, 2017, joining his predecessor Don Parham (No. 5) and Major Leaguer Brett Butler (No. 2) in that honor.
In 2019, Metheny became the third former Southeastern coach to have a venue on campus named in his honor when Southeastern athletics renamed The Ballpark in Durant, the long-time home of the Savage Storm baseball program, to Mike Metheny Field in honor of the all-time wins leader.
Dennis Rogers, Riverside City College (Calif.)
Having coached in both the professional and amateur ranks, Dennis Rogers is best known for having led the Riverside City College baseball program from 1990-2015. In 26 seasons, he guided his teams to a record of 775-319-2, good for a winning percentage of .707.
In 1990, Rogers took over a struggling Riverside program that had seen just 28 combined victories over the previous three years. Rogers quickly transformed the Tigers into one of the most successful community college baseball programs in the nation. That recognition intensified when the Tigers won back-to-back-to-back California Community College state titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002, becoming just the third California community college to win three consecutive championships. Under Rogers, the Tigers added a fourth state title in 2007.
In addition to his championship efforts, his Riverside teams captured three conference titles and finished runner-up six times during his tenure.
Rogers began his successful playing career as a middle infielder for the legendary John Scolinos at California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, during the 1971-74 seasons. His All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) selection in 1974 drew the attention of the San Francisco Giants and he played in their minor league system from 1974-75.
Rogers began his coaching career in 1976 as an assistant at John W. North (Calif.) High School. A year later he became the head coach at San Gorgonio (Calif.) High School, where he piloted the team to a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) 4A championship. Rogers later moved to San Bernardino Valley College where he helped the club to two consecutive regional championships as an assistant.
During the 1980-83 seasons, Rogers again found himself under the tutelage of his former college coach and ABCA Hall of Fame member John Scolinos at Cal Poly Pomona. As an assistant coach, Rogers’ recruiting efforts brought together a team that would produce two NCAA Div. II National Championships in a four-year span.
From 1982-84, Rogers also managed professionally for the Medford A's, Oakland’s Rookie Class-A affiliate-after the collegiate season at Cal Poly Pomona. He led Medford to a 149-63 record (.703) and captured the 1983 Northwest League Championship. In 2003 & 2004, he coached the Oakland A’s Rookie Class A team, the Vancouver Canadians. In 2004, he led the Canadians to the Northwest League Western Division Championship.
Rogers’ professional coaching career continued during the 1986-87 seasons, coaching the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Class-AA Nashua (N.H.) Eastern League club as well as the Pirates’ Class-A Macon (Ga.) team.
All-in-all, 51 professional players who played for Rogers advanced to the Major League level.
In 1988, Rogers joined the staff at Cal State Fullerton where he helped coach the Titans to a third-place finish in the NCAA Div. I College World Series.
Rogers earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in addition to earning a teaching credential from Cal Poly Pomona. Rogers went on to earn a master’s degree in secondary education from Azusa Pacific University.