The American Baseball Coaches Association has announced the 10 individuals who will be inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in January 2024.
The ABCA Hall of Fame Class of 2024 includes:
Cal Bailey, West Virginia State University
Danny Hall, Georgia Tech
Pat McQuaid, Nova High School (Fla.)
Jim Morris, University of Miami (Fla.)
Brian O'Connor, University of Virginia
Tim Pettorini, The College of Wooster (Ohio)
John Vodenlich, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Jim Wells, University of Alabama
Wayne Welton, Chelsea High School (Mich.)
Jeff Willis, Louisiana State University Eunice
The 2024 ABCA Hall of Fame Banquet induction ceremony will be held during the 80th annual ABCA Convention on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas.
Tickets for the event will be available for purchase online. ABCA members will be able to purchase tickets during the Convention registration process. Non-members 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.
Cal Bailey, West Virginia State University
In 37 seasons as the head baseball coach at West Virginia State University, Cal Bailey posted a career record of 1,063-521-4 (.669) while leading the Yellow Jackets to 36 winning seasons. Bailey, who passed away in 2020, ranks 14th all-time in wins among NCAA Div. II coaches.
Under Bailey, the Yellow Jackets claimed 19 conference titles while advancing the NCAA Div. II World Series in 1995 and 2005.
The longtime Yellow Jackets skipper earned West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors eight times while twice being named ABCA North Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. In 1980, Bailey became the first baseball coach to honored with the West Virginia Sports Writers Association College Coach of the Year Award.
Bailey was inducted into the West Virginia State University Hall of Fame in 1985 and later inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
A West Virginia native, Bailey graduated from Spencer High School in 1960 and went on to pitch for West Virginia State where he earned All-WVIAC honors. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 23rd round of the 1966 MLB Draft and spent six years in the minor leagues. He joined the West Virginia State coaching staff in 1974 as an assistant before being named head coach of his alma mater in the spring of 1978.
Danny Hall, Georgia Tech
In 36 seasons as a collegiate head baseball coach, Danny Hall has become one of the winningest coaches in the sport’s history. His 1,378-749-1 (.648) career mark means Hall will enter his 31st season at the helm of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ program in 2024 as the NCAA’s all-time winningest active coach.
Since 1994, his Yellow Jackets of combined for a 1,170-632-1 (.649) record, making him the winningest coach in Georgia Tech baseball history and the all-time winningest NCAA Div. I coach in the state of Georgia.
The four-time ACC Coach of the Year has guided Georgia Tech to the NCAA Tournament 23 times, advancing to the College World Series on three occasions. Hall’s teams have collected seven ACC regular season or division titles seven times to go along with five ACC tournament crowns.
Hall’s head coaching career also includes a six-year stint at Kent State University (Ohio) from 1988-93. There, his teams captured back-to-back Mid-American Conference titles in 1992 and 1993, earning him Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year honors in both years while combining for a 208-117 (.640) record.
Prior to his first head-coaching position, Hall served as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan, where the Wolverines won the Big Ten six times, participated in seven NCAA Regionals and four College World Series. Hall’s first coaching stop was as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Miami University (Ohio), where he spent two seasons.
Hall was selected to the Miami (Ohio) Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Kent State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. He was also inducted into the Miami Cradle of Coaches in 2007.
A member of the ABCA Board of Directors, Hall served as ABCA President in 2004.
Pat McQuaid, Nova High School (Fla.)
Pat McQuaid led the baseball program at his alma mater, Nova High School, from 1976-2020. Over 44 seasons, his teams won 947 games, 18 district titles, and claimed back-to-back Class 5A Florida state championships in 2004 and 2005.
McQauid, who also served as the school’s Athletic Director, was twice named the Florida Dairy Farmers Baseball Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2006 and ranked second in the state of Florida in wins at the time of his retirement, trailing only ABCA Hall of Fame coach Rich Hofman.
The Nova baseball program produced several professional players under McQuaid’s leadership, including 12-year major-leaguer and World Series champion Mike Morse, as well as pitcher Anthony Swarzak. In total, more than 100 of McQuaid’s former student-athletes played at the collegiate level.
A 35-year Lifetime Member of the ABCA, McQuaid has been inducted into multiple halls of fame, including the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Off the field, McQuaid served as the baseball chairman for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and was also a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association Baseball Advisory Committee.
A Virginia native, McQuaid was a multi-sport athlete at Nova. He would go on to play baseball and football at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., and later attended Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., where he received a master's degree in physical education and a doctoral degree in administration.
Jim Morris, University of Miami (Fla.)
Jim Morris spent 41 years as a collegiate head coach, racking up over 1,700 career wins while setting multiple NCAA coaching records. The longtime University of Miami head coach set an NCAA record by taking the Hurricanes to the College World Series in each of his first six seasons in Coral Gables, and he became just the sixth coach in NCAA Div. I history to reach the 1,500-win plateau when he did so in 2016.
Morris was the head baseball coach at Miami from 1994-2018, where he led the Hurricanes to two national titles and 13 College World Series appearances over 25 seasons, the most appearances by any coach during the same time period. His Hurricanes combined for a 1,090-472-3 (.696) record, earning Morris national coach of the year honors three times and Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2008.
Prior to his successes at Miami, Morris spent 12 seasons (1982-93) as the head baseball coach at Georgia Tech, where he guided the program to new heights. His Yellow Jackets advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of his final nine seasons in Atlanta while claiming four ACC championships along the way. Morris left Georgia Tech as the school’s all-time leader in coaching victories in any sport with a 500-243-1 (.672) mark.
While Morris’ coaching career began as an assistant at Appalachian State, his first head coaching job came when he started the baseball program at Atlanta’s DeKalb Community College’s South campus in 1976. Morris quickly grew the program into a success, leading the Eagles to the 1977 Junior College World Series.
After four seasons at DeKalb, Morris joined the coaching staff at Florida State, serving as an assistant for two seasons under ABCA Hall of Fame head coach Mike Martin before departing for Georgia Tech.
In 2020, Morris was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame after 41 years as a collegiate head coach.
Brian O'Connor, University of Virginia
The 2024 season will mark Brian O’Connor’s 21st at the helm of the University of Virginia baseball program. O’Connor and the Cavaliers are coming off a 2023 season that saw them reach the 50-win mark for the fifth time since 2010 while advancing to the College World Series for the sixth time in program history.
Since taking over the program in 2004, O’Connor has amassed an 839-353-2 (.703) career record, earning both Atlantic Coast Conference and ABCA Regional Coach of the Year honors on five occasions. The program’s six College World Series appearances have all come under O’Connor, with the Cavaliers capturing their first national championship in 2015. Following the Cavaliers’ 2015 title run, O’Connor was named the ABCA/Rawlings National Coach of the Year.
The Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of O’Connor’s first 14 seasons at Virginia and have advanced to 17 NCAA Tournaments in his 20 seasons.
O’Connor arrived at Virginia after having served as associate head coach and assistant coach at Notre Dame (Ind.) under ABCA Hall of Fame coach Paul Mainieri from 1995-2003. During his nine years at Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish compiled an overall record of 399-160-1 (.713), won six conference championships and made six trips to the NCAA Tournament. O’Connor was named the 2001 National Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Baseball America and was the AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2003.
O'Connor currently serves as a member of the ABCA NCAA Div. I All-America and Coach of the Year Committee as the Atlantic Region representative.
Tim Pettorini, The College of Wooster (Ohio)
In 38 seasons as the head baseball coach at The College of Wooster, Tim Pettorini became one of the winningest NCAA Div. III coaches of all-time. From 1982 until his retirement in 2019, Pettorini led the Fighting Scots to a 1,243-461-6 (.727) record, ranking him seventh all-time in NCAA Div. III wins.
Under Pettorini, the Fighting Scots won a league-leading 19 conference championships and made 26 NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to the NCAA Div. III World Series six times and finishing national runners-up in 1997 and 2009.
To go along with his 14 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Coach of the Year honors, Pettorini is also a six-time ABCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year.
A 44-year Lifetime Member of the ABCA, Pettorini coached 59 All-Americans during his tenure and his players received over 200 All-NCAC honors.
Prior to taking over at Wooster in 1982, Pettorini taught and coached baseball at Fremont Ross High School in Fremont, Ohio. Over four seasons he led the program to a record of 64-20 (.762) between 1977-81.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Pettorini holds both a bachelor’s degree (1973) and a master’s degree (1980) from Bowling Green State University. As an undergraduate, he played baseball for the Falcons and was a four-year starter in the outfield. Pettorini was an All-Mid-American Conference selection and was drafted by the San Diego Padres at the end of his senior year.
John Vodenlich, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater head coach John Vodenlich enters his 21st season at the helm of the Warhawks program and his 23rd season overall as an NCAA Div. III head coach. Vodenlich took over the Whitewater program in 2000 following two seasons as head coach at nearby Edgewood College (Wisc.).
In 22 seasons as a collegiate head coach, he has compiled a 712-257-1 (.734) record, becoming the winningest coach in Whitewater baseball history while boasting one of the highest win percentages among NCAA Div. III coaches.
Under Vodenlich, the Warhawks have advanced to the NCAA Div. III College World Series six times among their 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, capturing national titles in 2005 and 2014 and earning their skipper ABCA National Coach of the Year both years. His teams have won 14 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, with Vodenlich earning WIAC Coach of the Year honors ten times.
A six-time ABCA Regional Coach of the Year, Vodenlich been honored three times as the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association (WBCA) College Coach of the Year and was named the 2005 WBCA Man of the Year. In 2015, Vodenlich became the youngest inductee into the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Racine County Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and was inducted into the Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 as a former student-athlete.
In addition, Vodenlich has been a featured clinician across the globe, conducting coaching clinics in Germany, England, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary.
Jim Wells, University of Alabama
In 20 seasons as an NCAA Div. I head coach, Jim Wells’ teams at the University of Alabama and Northwestern State University (La.) combined for a record of 817-411 (.665).
A member of the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Wells led the Alabama baseball program for 15 seasons before retiring in 2009 as the winningest coach in program history after posting a 625-322 (.656) mark. He led the Crimson Tide to two SEC Regular Season championships and six SEC Tournament titles, earning SEC Coach of the Year honors in 1996 and 2002.
The Tide made 12 NCAA Regional appearances during his tenure, advancing to the College World Series in 1996, 1997 and 1999. He was tabbed Baseball America’s National Coach of the Year in 1997.
Prior to taking over at Alabama, Wells was the head baseball coach at Northwestern State (La.) from 1990-94. Over five seasons, he led his alma mater to two NCAA Regional appearances and a 192-89 (.683) record. The three-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year was honored as the Louisiana Sportswriters Association Coach of the Year in 1994. Following the retiring of his No. 17 jersey in 2003, Wells was inducted into the Northwestern State University Athletic Hall of Fame during the 2004-05 school year.
Prior to his days at Northwestern State, Wells spent five seasons as the head coach at Loyola Prep High School (1982-86) before landing his first collegiate job as a graduate assistant coach for Skip Bertman at LSU.
Wayne Welton, Chelsea High School (Mich.)
Wayne Welton spent 32 years as the head baseball coach at Chelsea High School in Chelsea, Michigan, where he amassed a career record of 767-357-11 (.676). A member of the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association (MHSBCA), Welton led his teams to 13 Southeastern Conference championships while earning Regional Coach of the Year honors eight times.He also guided the Bulldogs to a Class B state title in 1991, for which he earned MHSBCA Coach of the Year honors.
For over 20 years, Welton also served as the Athletic Director at Chelsea, guiding 24 varsity programs with 90-plus coaches. He was named the Regional Athletic Director of the Year by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) in 2010 and earned the Bush Service Award by the Michigan High School Athletic Association in 2006. Welton was again honored by the MIAAA with its Jack Johnson Distinguished Service Award in 2017.
In 2018, Chelsea named its baseball stadium, Wayne R. Welton Field, in his honor.
Welton most recently spent 10 seasons on the staff at the University of Michigan, including nine as the Director of Baseball Operations, and was a part of the 2019 Wolverine team that advanced to the College World Series, the first College World Series appearance for the Wolverines since 1984.
Welton also coached with USA Baseball as part of the Junior Olympics Task Force in 1995 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Jeff Willis, Louisiana State University Eunice
The 2024 season will mark Jeff Willis’ 22nd season as head baseball coach at LSU Eunice, where his teams have posted a combined 995-218 (.820) record while capturing seven NJCAA Div. II National Championships, tied for the most in NJCAA history from one school. The program’s .820 winning percentage under Willis makes them the second winningest college baseball program in the history of the sport, regardless of affiliation or classification.
Named “Team of the Decade” for 2010-2019 by the JUCO Baseball Blog, the Bengals have made 10 NJCAA Div. II World Series appearances under Willis while claiming 11 regional championships and 10 district championships.
Willis is a seven-time ABCA National Coach of the Year in addition to being named an ABCA and NJCAA Region 23 Coach of the Year 11 times. In 2018, he was honored with the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year Award by the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 2010, Willis was honored to serve as the head coach of the NJCAA National Team, finishing fourth in the 25th Anniversary of the Honkbal Tournament in Haarlem, Netherlands. He served as an assistant on the NJCAA National Team in 2008 which included games against the Chinese Taipei National Team.
This fall, Willis will also begin his 20th year as the LSUE Athletic Director. In his administrator role, Willis serves as the Assistant Regional Director for NJCAA Region XXIII, the chairman of the NJCAA All-American Committee, on the Executive Committee for the NJCAA Coaches Association and a member of the NJCAA Division II Baseball and NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer committees.
Willis currently serves on the ABCA Board of Directors and Executive Committee as Chair of the Junior College Division.