The American Baseball Coaches Association has announced seven individuals to be inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame in January 2022.
The ABCA Hall of Fame Class of 2022 includes:
John Altobelli, Orange Coast College (Calif.)
Dave Barnett, Flagler College (Fla.)
Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina University (S.C.)
David McDonald, Wheeler (Ga.) High School
Marty Miller, Norfolk State University (Va.)
Paul Page, Ohio Dominican University
Marty Paulsen, Fond du Lac (Wis.) High School
The 2022 ABCA Hall of Fame Banquet induction ceremony will be held during the 78th annual ABCA Convention on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago, Illinois. The 2022 ceremony will also include the induction of the
eight-member ABCA Hall of Fame Class of 2021 due to the cancellation of the in-person 2021 ABCA Convention.
Tickets for the event will be available for purchase online. ABCA members will be able to purchase tickets through their Convention registration. Those wishing to attend the banquet only will be able to purchase tickets beginning 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 Release
John Altobelli, Orange Coast College (Calif.)
John Altobelli led the baseball program at Orange Coast College from 1992-2019 before passing away tragically in January 2020. Over 27 seasons, Altobelli’s teams combined for a 705-478-4 (.594) record, making him the winningest coach in school history. In 2019, he became just the 16th coach in California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) history to reach the 700-win mark.
Under Altobelli, the Pirates took home their first of four California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state titles in 2009 and followed that up with back-to-back championship wins in 2014 and 2015.
After setting a school record for wins in a single season (39) and capturing the Orange Empire Conference for the third straight year, the Pirates won their fourth state title under Altobelli in 2019, a season in which Altobelli earned ABCA/Diamond Sports National Pacific Association Division Coach of the Year honors. With the 2019 title win, Altobelli became just the fifth coach in CCCAA baseball history to win four or more state championships. He remains tied for third-most with ABCA Hall of Fame coach Dennis Rogers who also collected four state titles during his coaching career. Only Wally Kincaid (Cerritos) and Scott Pickler (Cypress), also members of the ABCA Hall of Fame, have won more CCCAA state titles.
In all, his teams captured seven conference crowns on their way to making eight State Final Four appearances. For his career, Altobelli earned CCCAA State Coach of the Year honors four times in addition to his eight conference Coach of the Year honors. He was also named the ABCA/Diamond Sports Regional Coach of the Year for Southern California in 2009 and 2018.
As a player, Altobelli was a standout outfielder at both Newport Harbor and then at Golden West College. Altobelli transferred to the University of Houston, where he was a team captain and two-year starter in the Cougar outfield. As a senior, he led the Cougars to the NCAA Regional Finals, bringing them one game from advancing to the College World Series. Following college, Altobelli played one season of professional baseball with the Miami Marlins of the Florida State League.
While at Orange Coast, Altobelli also managed the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League from 2012-14. Prior to his tenure at Orange Coast which began in 1992, Altobelli served as an assistant at UC Irvine and the University of Houston.
Altobelli earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from the University of Houston in 1987, then, picked up a master's degree in education from Azusa Pacific University the following year.
Dave Barnett, Flagler College (Fla.)
The 2021 season marked Dave Barnett’s 34th season as head coach at Flagler College (Fla.). The winningest coach in program history, Barnett’s career coaching record stands at 982-791 (.554). Through the 2019 season, he ranked eighth in wins among active NCAA Div. II coaches and ranked 24th in all-time victories.
Barnett, who was inducted into the Flagler Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016, also the served as Flagler’s Athletics Director from 1994-2009, playing an instrumental role in the school’s transition to NCAA Div. II. During his 15 years as Athletics Director, Flagler added women's golf, women's soccer and fast-pitch softball to the athletics program. He oversaw the construction of the baseball stadium (2000), the softball stadium (2008) and major renovations to the soccer field and Flagler Gym. Under Barnett’s leadership, the program won two Florida Sun Conference Commissioner's Cups and Barnett was named NAIA Region XIV Athletics Director of the Year in 2001.
As a member of the NAIA, Barnett’s teams qualified for conference tournament and regional play 16 out of 20 seasons before transitioning to NCAA Div. II status in 2009. Since their inaugural season as part of the Peach Belt Conference in 2010, Flagler has made six conference tournament appearances and were crowned regular season co-champs in 2019.
Having coached at every level of the game, Barnett got his coaching start at the high school level. In 1983, he started his coaching career at Jacksonville's Episcopal High. After graduating with a bachelor's from Flagler, Barnett then served as an assistant at the University of Iowa (1984-86) while obtaining a master's in educational administration. He then moved back to Florida to assist at Valencia Community College. From there he was a coach at the Boardwalk & Baseball facility in Haines City, Florida, before accepting the head coaching position at Flagler in 1987.
In the summer of 2002 and 2003, Barnett served as the manager of the Vermont Expos, a Class A affiliate of the Montreal Expos in the New York-Penn League. He also has international coaching experience as he assisted a group of collegiate players participating in Holland as part of the Dutch Haarlem Baseball Week. Barnett was the head coach of a group of high school all-stars who toured and competed against teams throughout Italy.
As a collegiate player, Barnett’s career began at Seminole Community College in Sanford, Florida, before transferring to the University of North Carolina. He led the Tar Heels in batting average in 1978 and helped lead the team to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
Following his successful collegiate career, Barnett signed a free agent contract with the Montreal Expos, and after one season he joined the world famous four-man fast-pitch softball team, "The King & His Court," which featured the legendary Eddie Feigner. He barnstormed the world from 1980-83, and again in 1988, as the team's shortstop.
A 35-year Lifetime ABCA Member, Barnett was inducted into the St. Augustine/St. Johns County Hall of Fame in 2008 and has been a featured clinician at state coaches clinics in Florida, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Colorado and Maryland.
Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina University (S.C.)
Gary Gilmore completed his 32nd season as a collegiate head coach in 2021 and his 26th at Coastal Carolina University (S.C.). Combined with his six seasons as head coach at NCAA Div. II USC Aiken (1990-95), Gilmore’s career coaching record sits at 1,254-633-4 (.663). Through the 2020 season, Gilmore ranked fifth in wins among active NCAA Div. I coaches and sixth in win percentage.
In 26 seasons, he has led Coastal Carolina to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, and the Chanticleers have advanced to a Super Regional three times. In 2016, Gilmore took home ABCA/Diamond Sports National Coach of the Year honors after guiding Coastal Carolina to the program’s first-ever national title. In addition, he was named the ABCA/Diamond Sports Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for the second time in his career (2005).
Having guided the Chanticleers to 12 regular season and 13 conference tournament titles, Gilmore has received conference Coach of the Year honors 10 times.
Before returning to his alma mater in 1996, Gilmore spent six seasons as head coach at USC Aiken, where he compiled a 256-102-2 (.711) record. He posted 40-win seasons in his first four years there, including a school-record 48 wins in 1991.
In 1992, he led USC Aiken to the Peach Belt Tournament Championship and the NCAA Div. II postseason. The following year in 1993, the Pacers once again won the Peach Belt Tournament title and advanced all the way to the NCAA Div. II College World Series.
Gilmore was named the ABCA NCAA Div. II Coach of the Year in 1993, as well as the South Atlantic Region and Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year by his peers.
USC Aiken added a regular-season championship title in 1994.
During his stint at USC Aiken, Gilmore coached nine all-conference performers, including one Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year in Adam Riggs, and had nine players drafted.
Prior to his coaching career, Gilmore worked as a scout for the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians.
Gilmore played center field for Coastal Carolina during the 1979 and 1980 seasons where he hit .353 with 69 steals in 90 games as the lead-off hitter. After graduating in 1980, he played professionally in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
In addition to his ABCA Hall of Fame nod, Gilmore has been inducted into four Halls of Fame and received the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award in 2021.
David McDonald, Wheeler (Ga.) High School
Georgia Dugout Club Executive Director David McDonald led the Wheeler (Ga.) High School baseball program from 1979-2010, amassing a career record of 496-322 (.606). He led the Wildcats to the Georgia state playoffs seven times, capturing six region titles while competing in the state’s largest classification. In 2002, the field at Wheeler High School was named David McDonald Field in his honor.
Named the 2004 ABCA/Diamond Sports National High School Coach of the Year, McDonald currently serves as an assistant coach at The Lovett School (Ga.).
McDonald, a 42-year Lifetime ABCA Member, is a three-time Cobb County Coach of the Year and two-time Georgia Dugout Club Coach of the Year and has been named a Metro Atlanta Dugout Club All-Star Coach three times.
Having served on the ABCA’s Lefty Gomez Committee, McDonald is also a charter member of the National High School Baseball Coaches Association (NHSBCA) and a Past President of both the NHSBCA and Georgia Dugout Club. He has been a vital member of the All-American, Field of the Year, Coach of the Year and National Ranking committees for the NHSBCA and served as the District 3 Chair on their Executive Board from 1992-97.
For several years, McDonald was involved with USA Baseball, having coached the gold-medal-winning team that traveled to Taiwan in 2000 and serving as trials coach from 1997 through 1999.
In addition to being a member of the Georgia Dugout Club, NHSBCA and Wheeler Athletic Halls of Fame, McDonald was honored as the recipient of the ABCA/Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award in 2015, an award given annually to an individual who embodies the ABCA Code of Ethics and who models the character traits of honesty, integrity, respect and personal responsibility.
McDonald is a graduate of St. Joseph's High School in Jackson, Mississippi, and went on to play collegiately at Mississippi State.
In March 1995, McDonald was presented the Bronze Star with “V” (Valor) and the Purple Heart by President Bill Clinton for his service in the Vietnam War at a ceremony in Marietta, Ga.
Marty Miller, Norfolk State University (Va.)
In 30 seasons as head coach at Norfolk State (1973-2005), Marty Miller led his alma mater to 12 postseason appearances and a combined record of 718-543-3 (.568). The winningest coach in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) history, Miller’s teams amassed a 584-374-3 (.608) record during their years in the league and captured 17 CIAA championships, earning him CIAA Coach of the Year honors 15 times.
In 1997, Norfolk State honored Miller by building the Marty L. Miller Baseball Field.
Miller, who also served as Norfolk State’s Athletic Director for 15 years (2004-2020), was responsible for several major facilities improvements, including the installation of synthetic turf on the football field that provided other sports teams the ability to practice on a modern outdoor surface. Renovations to the weight room, softball field, track and tennis complex also took place under Miller’s watch.
A standout player for Norfolk State from 1965-68, Miller was the program’s first player to be recognized as an NCAA College Division All-American and was inducted to the Norfolk State Athletics Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. In both his junior and senior seasons, he hit over .400 and was named an All-CIAA baseball selection, leading the nation in doubles in 1968.
Miller graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1969. An ROTC member in college, Miller was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army after he graduated. While on active duty, Miller was signed by the Minnesota Twins. Miller returned to his alma mater in 1972 as an assistant to baseball coach Bob Andrews. The next season, Miller inherited the head-coaching job, which he held until early in 2005.
Throughout his career, Miller has been recognized as an inductee into multiple Halls of Fame and in 2014, he was honored at the Virginia State Capitol and received resolutions from the Senate and House of Delegates for his induction into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and career accomplishments. In 2019, he was named the recipient of the Old Dominion University Bud Metheny Award, an award given annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the game of baseball in Hampton Roads.
Paul Page, Ohio Dominican University
Paul Page served 29 seasons as head coach at Ohio Dominican University before retiring in 2016. The winningest coach in school history compiled a career record of 1,007-552-7 (.643) and ranked among the top 13 in career NAIA wins (864) and fifth in win percentage (.683) prior to the program transitioning to NCAA status.
Under Page’s leadership, Ohio Dominican won at least 30 games in a season a remarkable 22 times, including 10 seasons of 40 or more wins. His teams played their way into six NAIA World Series appearances and captured 11 regular season and nine conference tournament championships.
In his time at Ohio Dominican, Page produced 39 All-Americans and 20 Academic All-Americans. Under his tutelage, former Panther southpaw Jonathan Sanchez reached the big leagues and helped the San Francisco Giants to the 2010 World Series title.
The five-time conference Coach of the Year and two-time district Coach of the Year also served as Ohio Dominican’s Athletic Director from 1988-2004. As Athletic Director, Page initiated several of the athletic department’s fundraisers and helped improve and expand many of the school’s athletic facilities.
A native of Williamstown, West Virginia, Page graduated from Muskingum College (Ohio) in 1973, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and was an all-conference catcher.
After his days as a Muskie, Page continued his education at Mississippi State. He coached for two seasons under ABCA Hall of Fame coach Ron Polk as a graduate assistant before receiving his master’s degree in health and physical education in 1978.
Page would go on to serve as an assistant coach at Marietta College (Ohio), helping to guide the program to NCAA Div. III national titles in 1981 and 1983 before taking over at Ohio Dominican in 1988.
Marty Paulsen, Fond du Lac (Wis.) High School
A baseball coaching legend in the state of Wisconsin, Marty Paulsen entered his 53rd season as head coach at Fond du Lac (Wis.) High School in 2021. Since 1969, Paulsen and his Cardinals teams have won over 600 games, giving him the second-most wins all-time and among active coaches in the state of Wisconsin. He remains one of only a handful of coaches in the state to have eclipsed both the 500 and 600-win marks.
Under Paulsen, the Cardinals have appeared in the state tournament in five different decades, and, in 2000, Paulsen led Fond du Lac to a Wisconsin high school state title. His teams continue to find success in the postseason, with the Cardinals making their most recent WIAA State Tournament appearance in 2019.
Paulsen was named a 2010 ABCA/Diamond Sports Regional Coach of the Year and was honored by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association (WBCA) as their Coach of the Year in 2000 and their Man of the Year in 2016.
Having been involved with the WBCA nearly since it began, Paulsen has served the association in several capacities. He currently serves as a member of the WBCA Executive Board and was inducted to the WBCA Hall of Fame in 1993. He is also a member of the Fond du Lac Athletics Hall of Fame.
He has been a featured clinician at multiple ABCA Conventions and has given clinic presentation in 12 different states, Norway and Canada.