Five Selected for Induction Into Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame on April 9, 2016
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Department of Athletics NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chris Caputo, Sports Information Director Sports Center Voice: (814) 269-2031 Fax: (814) 269-2026 E-Mail: [email protected] February 6, 2016 http://www.pittjohnstownathletics.com Five Selected for Induction into Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame on April 9, 2016 JOHNSTOWN, PA. – The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown is proud to announce the ninth class to be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame. This year’s class, which will be inducted at an event beginning at 6 p.m. on April 9 at the Wellness Center on the Pitt-Johnstown campus, will include: Rick Baxter '04 (Baseball), Chuck Bradford '80 (Men’s Basketball), Bridget Hale- Sherick '90 (Women’s Basketball), Steve Littleton '77 (Men’s Track and Field), and Dan Revesz '82 (Wrestling). Pitt- Johnstown will also recognize all of the former student-athletes in attendance, including the 1981-82 wrestling team which captured the program’s first regional championship. This special event was created in 2007 to honor prestigious groups of athletes, coaches, and university supporters and their champion spirits. These individuals merit distinction for their accomplishments and leadership in athletic endeavors for Pitt- Johnstown. Speaking at this year’s event will be Pitt-Johnstown President Jem Spectar, Athletic Director and National Hall of Fame Wrestling Coach Pat Pecora, as well as student-athlete and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President Kayla DeCriscio. Longtime Johnstown Tribune-Democrat sports writer and Pitt-Johnstown alumnus Mike Mastovich will serve as the event’s Master of Ceremonies. 2016 Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame — Rick Baxter Baseball – 2000-2004 From the 2001 season through the 2004 season, Mr. Rick Baxter was one of NCAA Division II’s top power hitters and played an integral part in laying the groundwork in turning Head Coach Todd Williams Mountain Cat baseball program into one of the top programs in the region. When his career ended in 2004, Mr. Baxter, an All-North Atlantic Region selection, had established Pitt- Johnstown records in seven statistical categories, including homeruns, runs batted-in, and slugging percentage. Mr. Baxter, a graduate of Forest Hills High School and a native of Sidman, Pa., took over the starting position at first base as a true freshman and hit .336 with five homeruns, eight doubles, and 26 RBI. That was just the beginning for Mr. Baxter. As a sophomore in 2002, Mr. Baxter broke the school records for homeruns in a season with 13 and RBI in a season with 52 on his way to guiding the Mountain Cats to a then program-best 28-18-1 overall record. He ranked 35th in NCAA Division II in homeruns, 61st in RBI per game at 1.11, and 64th in slugging percentage at .673. The following year, Mr. Baxter was named First-Team All-North Atlantic Region after finishing 35th in the country in batting average (.417) and 45th in doubles per game (.39). His 16 doubles led the team and tied the school record, while his .417 average, 10 homeruns, 44 RBI, 41 runs, and 60 hits also paced the Mountain Cats. Despite playing his entire senior season recovering from a torn labrum, Mr. Baxter continued to put up impressive numbers in 2004 by batting .329 with seven homeruns and 46 more RBI. -more- -2- When his career ended, Mr. Baxter, stood atop of nearly every Pitt-Johnstown single-season and career offensive record. Mr. Baxter’s 173 games-played, 589 at-bats, 207 base hits, 50 doubles, 35 homeruns, and .635 slugging percentage were all Mountain Cat career records. He is still ranked in the top-four in all of these categories, including tied for the top-spot in career doubles, second in at-bats, hits, RBI, and slugging percentage and third in homeruns. In addition, Mr. Baxter never hit lower than .327 in a season, and led Pitt-Johnstown in homeruns and RBI in three of his for years. Mr. Baxter, who competed in baseball, football, and wrestling at Forest Hills High School, was also a member of the Galliker’s Dairy baseball team that finished as the National Runner-up at the 2001 AAABA Tournament at Point Stadium. After graduating with Bachelor of Science degrees in both Environmental Studies and Geography in 2004, Mr. Baxter began his professional career as a Geotechnician for L. R. Kimball in Ebensburg. After five years, Mr. Baxter joined the EADS Group in 2011 as an Engineer Technician, and remains employed there today. Mr. Baxter is still active in the baseball community and has worked with his cousin Rick Roberts at his baseball school, ERA Sports Inc. He also enjoys spending time in the outdoors fishing and hunting. Mr. Baxter and his wife reside in Sidman with their three young children Aubrey (age 2), and twins Briley and Brantley (9 months). “Being inducted into the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame is quite an honor,” Mr. Baxter said. “I have many great memories of playing baseball at Pitt-Johnstown. I made lifelong friendships with the guys I played with, as well as Coach Williams. I was also fortunate to have the support of my family, especially my mother who traveled to many games to watch me play. I want thank my family and my wife for supporting my baseball career, as well as Pitt-Johnstown for providing me the opportunity to play and further my education.” 2016 Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame — Chuck Bradford Men’s Basketball – 1976-1980 Mr. Chuck Bradford came to Pitt-Johnstown in 1976 and helped lead a relatively young Mountain Cat basketball program to three consecutive winning seasons on his way to earning All-American honors as a junior and finishing his career as Pitt-Johnstown’s third all-time leading scorer and second all-time leading rebounder. As a freshman during the 1976-77 season, Mr. Bradford earned Pitt-Johnstown’s Freshman of the Year Award and helped guide the Mountain Cats to 17 victories, a program-record that stood for the next 20 years. The following year, his 242 rebounds led the team and helped Head Coach Jim Basista’s Mountain Cats post a 16-11 overall record. Mr. Bradford, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, also earned spots on the Mercyhurst Invitational and Slippery Rock Christmas Invitational All-Tournament Teams. However, it was his junior season in 1978-79 when Mr. Bradford showed he was one of the top players in the nation. He led the Mountain Cats in both scoring (364 points) and rebounding (176 rebounds), garnered the Mountain Cat Club Most Valuable Player Award, and was named a Street & Smith Official Basketball Yearbook All-American. Despite a down season for the team, Mr. Bradford continued to excel as a senior in 1979-80 with a team-leading 225 rebounds and his second straight Mountain Cat Club Award. Mr. Bradford would join fellow Hall of Famers Don Elzer (1973-77) and Rich Ragan (1974-78) as the program’s first three 1,000-point scorers and was presented with Pitt-Johnstown’s Black Action Society Achievement Award in recognition of reaching the milestone. Mr. Bradford’s name remains on the Pitt-Johnstown All-Time Scoring and Rebounding Lists today. His 1,078 career points still rank 20th on the scoring list, while his 636 career rebounds are sixth on the rebounding list. In 1980, Mr. Bradford graduated from Pitt-Johnstown with a degree in Speech Communication and Education, but his education did not stop there. Mr. Bradford earned a M.Ed. in Speech Communication and Education at John Carroll University in 1992 and a Special Education Licensure at Kent State University in 2004. Mr. Bradford’s professional career began in 1979 as a part-time teacher in the Westmont Hilltop School District while he was still attending Pitt-Johnstown. He has spent the last 37 years as an educator in various locations, and continues to do so, despite retiring in 2008. Among the locations he has taught, Mr. Bradford spent three years at Coral Springs Middle School and Westchester Elementary School in South Florida. In addition, he taught at the college level at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio, and worked and taught in corrections and social services. In 2002, Positive Education Program (PEP) named Mr. Bradford its Teacher of the Year. Mr. Bradford, who resides in Bedford Heights, Ohio, is currently a full-time Intervention Specialist in the Bedford City School system. Mr. Bradford has two children, Charles L. Bradford, who resides in Maricopa, Ariz. and Leia L. Bradford of Chicago, Ill. “Being inducted into University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame is beyond what words can describe,” Mr. Bradford said. “For Pitt-Johnstown Basketball, I planned for perfection and achieved excellence. I must also thank the Hall of Fame Committee for bestowing this honor upon me. This honor is indescribable!” -3- 2016 Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame — Bridget Hale-Sherick Women’s Basketball – 1986-1990 From 1986 through 1990, Ms. Bridget Hale-Sherick established herself as a true student-athlete as a member of the Pitt- Johnstown women’s basketball team. Ms. Hale-Sherick finished her Lady Cat career as the program’s third all-time leading scorer, a two-time Kodak All-American, and a GTE Academic All-District selection. On the court, Ms. Hale-Sherick helped Head Coach Jodi Gault’s Lady Cats establish themselves as one of the top programs in the nation. In her four years, Pitt-Johnstown posted a 94-18 overall record, won an East Region Tournament title, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four in 1987.