In 1995, the California Angels made the number one pick Darin Erstad, a former Golden Spikes Finalist from Nebraska. Erstad debuted for the Angels the following season, and he was arguably the first building block that would see the team win it all in 2002.
Erstad would twice to go the All-Star Game (1998 & 2000), and in his latter All-Star year, the Outfielder had career highs in Batting Average (.355), Home Runs (25), RBIs (100), and led the American League in Hits (240). Erstad was a crucial part of Anaheim's 2002 World Series Championship, a three-time Gold Glove winner, collecting 25 Hits in that post-season.
Erstad remained with the Angels until 2007, and he had 1,505 Hits for the team with 114 Home Runs and 170 Stolen Bases.
The University of Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame has announced their seven member class for their Class of 2018 which will consist of five former student athletes and two very well known coaches.
The class consists of:
Darin Erstad: Baseball 1993-95 & Football 1994. The future two-time MLB All-Star would be a Finalist for the Golden Spikes Award in his senior year where he batted .410 and would become the first Cornhusker to be named the Conference Player of the Year. Erstad would also notably be the Punter on the 1994 Championship Football Team.
Peaches James: Softball 2001-04. James was the first four time first team All-Conference selection and was also a former finalist for the National Player of the Year.
Sarah Pavan: Volleyball 2004-07. From Canada, Pavan is a two time National Academic All-American of the Year, to date the only one to accomplish such a feat.
Mike Rozier: Football 1981-83. The two time Pro Bowl Running Back would win the coveted Heisman Trophy in 1983. The Cornhuskers would lose by one point in the 1984 Orange Bowl in the defacto Championship Game.
Tom Schlesinger: Gymnastics 1985-88. Schlesinger would become the first Nebraska gymnast to be an Academic All-American. He would also become an Olympian.
Bob Devaney: Head Football Coach 1962-72 & Athletic Director 1967-92. Devaney was the Head Coach for the Huskers from 1962 to 1972 and he would win the National Championship back-to-back in 1970 and 1971. He would also win eight Big Eight Titles. He served as the AD from 1967 to 1992.
Tom Osborne: Head Football Coach 1973-97 & Athletic Director 2007-13. Osborne was an Assistant Coach for Nebraska from 1964 to 1968 and would later be the Offensive Coordinator from 1969 to 1972. He would than be hired by Devaney to replace him as the new Head Coach and he would take the Cornhuskers to three National Championships (1994, 1995 & 1997). Like Devaney he would become the Athletic Director in 2007 after being the Assistant AD for over a decade.
Devaney and Osborne become the first coaches to enter the Hall.
This group becomes the fourth class to the Hall.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the University of Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame.