At a glance
The Alfred State College athletic hall of fame will induct five new members on September 25th during Homecoming weekend. Basketball player Tom Hirsch, football player Chris Gray, baseball player Eric Baker, and cross country athletes Andy Coots and Gary Redding will become the newest members of the hall of fame. The athletic department will also be honoring the 1984 cross country team.
The Alfred State College athletic hall of fame will induct five new members on September 25th during Homecoming weekend. Basketball player Tom Hirsch, football player Chris Gray, baseball player Eric Baker, and cross country athletes Andy Coots and Gary Redding will become the newest members of the hall of fame. The athletic department will also be honoring the 1984 cross country team.
Hirsch was a key member of the Alfred State College basketball teams from 1963 to 1965 under the direction of ASC Hall of Famer Richard Giedlin. During his two years the Pioneers had a 35-19 record.
Hirsch, a co-captain, averaged 21.3 points per game and passed out 74 assists during the 1964-65 season in which the Pioneers finished 14-5. During that season he set a school record at the time with 43 points in a game. Following the season he was named All-Region 2nd team and the ASC Athlete of the Year.
Gray is one of the top defensive players to ever wear the Alfred State College blue and gold on the football field. He is the all-time leading tackler in program history.
In 1998, Gray recorded the greatest defensive statistical season in the football program history. He recorded 131 tackles, was credited with 5.5 sacks, recovered three fumbles, and intercepted one pass. His success on the field earned him 2nd team NJCAA All-American honors, NFC Co-defensive player of the year honors, and the ASC Most Outstanding Football Player award. He was also selected and played in the Breathe Right All-American Bowl.
This followed a freshman season in which he recorded 86 tackles, was credited with ½ a sack, and intercepted one pass that he returned 55 yards for a score. He was a 1st team All-NFC selection, a NJCAA honorable mention All-American, and was named the ASC Defensive Most Valuable Player.
His marks of 217 career tackles, 131 single season tackles, and a 21 tackles in a game are still school records.
In 1999, Gray was also honored with the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.
Baker was a two-year member of the Alfred State College baseball team. He helped the Pioneers to an 82-34 record, two WNYAC championships, and a Region III Championship.
For his career he hit .387 with 24 doubles, nine triples, six homeruns, and 85 RBI. He scored 115 runs in a total of 116 games and was 42 for 47 on the base paths. In 450 defensive chances, mostly at second base, Baker made just 23 errors.
Currently, he is ranked 5th all-time at Alfred State in stolen bases, 6th in career batting average, 7th in triples, and 10th in runs, hits, RBI, and total bases.
Baker was a two-time All-Region, All-WNYAC, and ASC Most Valuable Position Player selection. He was named the NJCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year following the 2001-02 baseball season and was named the Alfred State College Senior Athlete of the Year in 2003.
Coots and Redding were members of the 1984 cross country team that will be honored. They teamed with Ed Towers, Marlin Konen, Jim Coots, Jim Derrick, and Chris Smith to finish as the national runner-up, only eight points behind the national champion, at the 1984 National Championships held in Twins Falls, ID.
During his freshman season, Coots finished 3rd at the Penn York Championship, 3rd at the Region III Championship, and 64th at the National Championships. The 1983 team finished 11th overall at the Nationals.
During the 1984 season, Coots finished 7th at Regionals and 15th at Nationals. His finished the national championship course in 27:34.15. Following the season he was named the Alfred State College cross country MVP.
Redding finished 14th at the 1984 NJCAA National Championship. Earlier in the season he earned a 6th place finish at the Region III Championships.
As a freshman, Redding finished 6th at the Penn-York Championship, 6th at the Region III Championship, and 108th at the National Championship.
Redding along with his brother David (2001 ASC Hall of Fame Class) are the first siblings to be in the Athletic Hall of Fame.
The athletic hall of fame ceremony will take place in Allegany Room of the Central Dining Hall starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 25th. For more information about the event contact the athletic department at (607) 587-4361.