Ball State University Athletics
Vitek, Quinn Newest Baseball Cardinals In BSU Hall of Fame
November 01, 2019 | Baseball
Former standout player Kolbrin Vitek and long-time coach and administrator Pat Quinn are the newest Ball State baseball representatives to be inducted in the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame.Â
"We are very excited to have Kolbrin and 'PQ' be the newest members of the Ball State baseball family to make our hall of fame," head coach Rich Maloney said.
Vitek starred for the Cardinals for three seasons (2008-10) before being selected 20th overall in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the Boston Red Sox. He reached as high as Double-A with the Red Sox, playing for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2012 and 2013. As a junior at Ball State, he was named the 2010 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and also earned first team All-America honors by multiple organizations at the utility position. That year, he led the Cardinals in batting average (.361), home runs (17), RBIs (68) and runs scored (73) while also posting the best ERA (3.28) by a MAC starting pitcher. Vitek was named one of three finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player Award, given to the nation's top two-way player.
"I didn't coach Kolbrin, but I coached against him and certainly remember him as an excellent two-way player," Maloney said. "He's always been an excellent representative of our program."
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Quinn retired from the Ball State Athletics Department in the summer of 2019 after spending 37 years between baseball coach and administrator. He came to Ball State in 1983 as the head baseball coach. After spending 13 years in the dugout and accumulating 323 victories, Quinn stepped into administration. He supervised virtually every Ball State sport at one time or another in his 24 years of administration. He oversaw facilities and game operations for the past 17 years and supervised the equipment area for part of that time. He added the duties of Ball State's compliance director in 2008 and led that department for the remainder of his tenure.
"PQ was not only our long-time baseball coach, but he truly devoted his life to Ball State student-athletes," Maloney said. "He had a positive affect on my career and was an important part of me becoming the Ball State coach in both of my stints here. I'm thrilled for him being in the hall of fame and will always consider him a mentor and great friend."Â
Vitek and Quinn are among a seven-person group that will be inducted Friday, Jan. 31 at the Ball State Alumni Center. The festivities begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the induction ceremony at 7 p.m. The class will also be honored at the Feb. 1 basketball doubleheader inside Worthen Arena.Â
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"We are very excited to have Kolbrin and 'PQ' be the newest members of the Ball State baseball family to make our hall of fame," head coach Rich Maloney said.
Vitek starred for the Cardinals for three seasons (2008-10) before being selected 20th overall in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the Boston Red Sox. He reached as high as Double-A with the Red Sox, playing for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2012 and 2013. As a junior at Ball State, he was named the 2010 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and also earned first team All-America honors by multiple organizations at the utility position. That year, he led the Cardinals in batting average (.361), home runs (17), RBIs (68) and runs scored (73) while also posting the best ERA (3.28) by a MAC starting pitcher. Vitek was named one of three finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player Award, given to the nation's top two-way player.
"I didn't coach Kolbrin, but I coached against him and certainly remember him as an excellent two-way player," Maloney said. "He's always been an excellent representative of our program."
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Quinn retired from the Ball State Athletics Department in the summer of 2019 after spending 37 years between baseball coach and administrator. He came to Ball State in 1983 as the head baseball coach. After spending 13 years in the dugout and accumulating 323 victories, Quinn stepped into administration. He supervised virtually every Ball State sport at one time or another in his 24 years of administration. He oversaw facilities and game operations for the past 17 years and supervised the equipment area for part of that time. He added the duties of Ball State's compliance director in 2008 and led that department for the remainder of his tenure.
"PQ was not only our long-time baseball coach, but he truly devoted his life to Ball State student-athletes," Maloney said. "He had a positive affect on my career and was an important part of me becoming the Ball State coach in both of my stints here. I'm thrilled for him being in the hall of fame and will always consider him a mentor and great friend."Â
Vitek and Quinn are among a seven-person group that will be inducted Friday, Jan. 31 at the Ball State Alumni Center. The festivities begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the induction ceremony at 7 p.m. The class will also be honored at the Feb. 1 basketball doubleheader inside Worthen Arena.Â
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