From 1995-2001, Lopez compiled a 278-159-1 record, won two SEC championships and took the Orange & Blue to two College World Series.
This year’s class will be inducted as a part of the College Baseball Night of Champions celebration Feb. 2-3 in Omaha, Neb.
Lopez finished his career with 1,177 victories spread across stints at Pepperine, Florida and Arizona. While at the helm of the Gators from 1995-2001, he compiled a 278-159-1 record, won two SEC championships, appeared in five NCAA Tournaments and took the Orange & Blue to two College World Series.
“This class checks all the boxes,” said Mike Gustafson, president and CEO of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. “With national players of the year from various levels of college baseball to coaching legends and a pioneer, it is an accomplished list.”
Also included in the 2022 class are former Southern University standout infielder and 2003 College Baseball Player of the Year Rickie Weeks; former Brown infielder and 1974 Sporting News College Baseball Player of the Year Bill Almon; Weeks’ Southern University head coach Roger Cador; former Michigan All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year Casey Close; two-time NAIA National Championship coach Ken Dugan of Lipscomb; eight-time College World Series umpire Jim Garman; Condredge Holloway, the first African-American member of the University of Tennessee baseball program; Southern California All-American and Mount San Antonio head coach Art Mazmanian; and 1988 NCAA Division III Player of the Year Ken Ritter from North Central College.
“After a couple years of virtual inductions, it will be great to be together again for the events in Omaha,” Gustafson said.
All told, Lopez is one of the most successful college baseball coaches in the game’s history. He is one of only three coaches to lead three different programs to the College World Series and one of only two coaches – Augie Garrido (Hall of Fame Class of 2016) the other – to win the national championship with two different teams, Pepperdine in 1992 and Arizona in 2012. In all, he led his teams to five College World Series appearances and guided them to the postseason in 17 of his 26 seasons in the dugout. He is a three-time National Coach of the Year (1992, 1996 and 2012) and…
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