FOUR NAMED TO THE NJCAA BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

The National Junior College Baseball Coaches Association proudly announces its 2004 selections for induction into the National Junior College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Mike Easom has been the head baseball coach at Indian River Community College for the past 28 years, compiling a record of 953-448. He went to the JUCO World Series in 1995, finishing second. Easom has won eight Southern Conference Championships and four state championships and has placed 119 players in professional baseball, including eight major leaguers. FCCAA Coach of the Year in 1979, 1993, 1995 and 1996, Easom's career record as a manager in professional (summer) baseball is 217-133. His teams won pennants in the Appalachian League in 1980-81-82 and he coached Staten Island in 1999 in the New York Penn League.

Babe Howard has served as president and general manager of the Millington Telephone Company for 44 years. He built USA Stadium, which is rated as the top facility of its kind in the region, as a venue for local talented youngsters to showcase their abilities and increase their chances to earn scholarships and pro offers. The facility was chosen by USA Baseball in December 1985 to be the National Training Site for the USA National Olympic teams. Howard supported the program with funding, manpower and community pride from 1986-1996. During this time, more than 200 Major League players trained and played at the stadium in Millington. Twenty national championships have been decided at the facility including: American Legion, AAU, NABF and the NJCAA II World Series for the National Junior College Athletic Association. He was selected to the Tennessee Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.

Jim Karwoski has been the head baseball coach at Penn State University (Beaver Campus) in Monaca, Pennsylvania for the past 29 years, compiling a record of 717-378-9. He has been named the Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference Coach of the Year 16 times and the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year and Region XX Coach of the Year four times. Elected to the Beaver County Hall of Fame in 1993, Karwoski has also been the State Games Baseball Director 1983-1997 and 2000-present.

John S. Smith has been the head coach at Des Moines Area Community College, Boone Campus for the past 30 years. Smith's record is 789-521. He won regional and district coach of the year honors in 1982 when his team played in the National Tournament, also in 1989 he was the Regional Coach of the Year and he was inducted into the Iowa Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1996. Smith has had three players play in the Major Leagues; one is still active (Cory Koskie), he has had over 70 players drafted or sign pro contracts and has had 15 All-Americans. Mr. Smith is still actively coaching at DMACC.