FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gary Holden, Sports Info. Director
(540) 365-4306
 
April 8, 2003
 
 
Ferrum to Retire Pat Daly Baseball Jersey
Former Panther First Team All-America in 1998
 
Ferrum, Va. -- The Ferrum College Department of Athletics will retire the jersey (#25) of former baseball player Patrick Daly Saturday, April 12, prior to Ferrum's 7:00 p.m. home game against North Carolina Wesleyan College.
 
Daly earned All-America first team honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in 1998 after batting an amazing .508 that season.  He went 63-for-124 at the plate with 60 runs, 13 doubles, one triple, 24 home runs and 73 RBI.  Daly had 150 total bases, walked 22 times, and was listed as one of the "toughest to strikeout" among the NCAA Division III ranks with just 10 strikeouts.

Daly won NCAA Division III statistical titles in home run average (0.75 per game), RBI average (2.28 per game), runs scored average (1.88 per game), and slugging percentage (1.210) in 1998.  He helped Ferrum finish 21-11 that year.

Among his other honors in 1998 were first team selections to the ABCA All-South Region team, the All-Dixie Conference team, and the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State team.  The Dixie Conference name Daly its 1998 Baseball Player of the Year, while VaSID named him its 1998 Virginia Small College Baseball Player of the Year.

During Daly's four-year tenure at Ferrum from 1995-98, the Panthers ammassed an impressive 113-41-1 record for a .732 winning percentage.  In 1996, Ferrum went 35-11-1 and was the Dixie Conference regular season and tournament runner-up.  Coach Abe Naff's team made its eighth trip to the NCAA playoffs that year, eventually finishing as South Regional runner-up.  Ferrum also finished as runner-up at the prestigious Marietta (Ohio) College Shrine Tournament in 1996.
 
Daly's jersey retirement is only the fourth in school history, joining former standouts Billy Wagner, Eric Owens, and Keith Mayhew.  All three have replica jerseys hanging on Ferrum's outfield fence at Panther Field.
 
Wagner was a first team All-American for Ferrum in 1993, and was drafted by the Houston Astros as the 12th overall pick in the 1993 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.  He has been Houston's closer the past few years, playing in the league's All-Star game in 1999 and 2001.  Wagner was also the National League's Rolaids Relief Man of the Year in 1999.  
 
Owens was a first team All-American in 1992 and was named the NCAA Division III Player of the Year.  Owens is the first and only Ferrum student-athlete to earn National Player of the Year honors.  Owens is currently an outfielder with the Anaheim Angels.  
 
Mayhew is Ferrum's only three-time All-American in any sport.  He earned third team honors in 1993, second team in 1994, and first team All-America in 1995.
 
The ceremony to retire Daly's jersey will begin at 6:50 p.m. at Panther Field.  Taking part in the ceremony will be Ferrum College President Dr. Jennifer L. Braaten, Baseball Coach Abe Naff, and Director of Athletics Dr. Ted Kinder.  
 
Immediately following Daly's jersey retirement ceremony, Ferrum will play North Carolina Wesleyan in a Dixie Conference game.  Ferrum is currently 23-3 overall and tied for first place in the Dixie with an 8-2 league mark.  Naff's team is currently ranked #11 in the nation.  The Panthers will play N.C. Wesleyan at home again Sunday at 2:00 p.m.  
 
For more information, please contact the Ferrum Sports Information Office at (540) 365-4306.

# # #