Ball State University Athletics
Ball State Inducts Four Individuals, One Team into Athletics Hall of Fame
September 30, 2016 | General
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State Department of Athletics held its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday evening in the Alumni Center. Eduardo Ferraz (men's volleyball), Dee Nocero (soccer), Dante Ridgeway (football), Brad Snyder (baseball) and the 1989-90 men's tennis team made up this year's class.
The 2015-16 Inductees
Eduardo Ferraz became the first men's volleyball player in program history to be named to two All-America first teams in the same season when he was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and Volleyball Magazine as a senior in 1997. Ferraz led the Cardinals to three straight Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association championships from 1995-97 and was named the league's Player of the Year as a junior and senior. A three-time All-MIVA selection as a setter, Ferraz ranked second in the MIVA and 10th nationally with 16.88 assists per game as a senior. Ferraz completed his career with 6,779 assists, which ranked second in Ball State history behind the then-NCAA record of 7,281 by Ball State's Chris Cooper (1987-90).
Dee Nocero is the first women's soccer student-athlete to be inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame since the program was founded in 1999. A four-year letterwinner, Nocero was a three-time All-Mid-American Conference first team honoree. In addition, she was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District Team as a sophomore and senior. Nocero set Ball State records for most goals scored and most points in a career during her junior season and added to those totals as a senior. As a sophomore, Nocero became the first Ball State student-athlete to earn all-region honors when she was named to the third team, and she was later named to the second team as a junior and the first team as a senior.
Dante Ridgeway was one of three finalists for college football's Fred Biletnikoff Award, presented to the nation's most outstanding wide receiver, as a junior in 2004. That season, he ranked first in the NCAA in receptions per game (9.55), receiving yards per game (127.18) and total receiving yards (1,399). Ridgeway set the MAC record with 105 catches in 2004 while finishing third in league history in career receptions (238) over his three seasons. Ridgeway was one of only two receivers nationally to record more than 1,300 receiving yards in 2004 and the only receiver to tally more than 100 catches. He completed his career ranked first in school history in receiving yards (3,030), passes caught and 100-yard receiving games (12). He was second in touchdown passes caught (22).
Brad Snyder, a three-year baseball letterwinner from 2001-03, was originally selected for induction with the 2013-14 class but was unable to attend because of his professional playing obligations. Snyder was selected by the Cleveland Indians with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft following his junior season. He played in five MLB organizations and recorded his first major league hit in his first start with the Chicago Cubs. As a junior at Ball State in 2003, Snyder was selected to the Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball All-America first teams after hitting .405 to rank fourth in the MAC. He was named the MAC Most Valuable Player, MAC Tournament MVP and an All-MAC first team choice that year. Snyder also set Ball State single-season records for walks (49), doubles (25) and runs per game (1.24). For his career, Snyder batted .378 with 36 home runs, 51 doubles and 150 RBIs.
Ball State's 1989-90 men's tennis team will become the fourth team inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame. The Cardinals, coached by Bill Richards, ranked 25th nationally in the season's final poll and reached as high as 20th during the year. The team won a seventh straight MAC championship and handed 19th-ranked Minnesota and 10th-ranked Kentucky losses in the non-conference season. Ball State managed a 5-2 mark against Big Ten teams and a 6-0 conference record to go along with victories over nationally recognized Duke and Utah. In 1989-90, Ball State ranked third in the Midwest region behind only Michigan and Notre Dame. The Cardinals defeated four of their conference foes by 9-0 scores and one by an 8-1 margin. They won five of the six singles flights and two of the three doubles flights in the MAC Tournament.
The only other teams enshrined in the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame are the 1949 and 1965 football teams and the 1989-90 men's basketball team.
For more information on Ball State's Athletics Hall of Fame, contact Joe Hernandez at 765-285-1282 or jhernand@bsu.edu.
