Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Right Around the Corner
December 19, 2019 | General
HoF to welcome six individuals, one team at January ceremony
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State Athletics' latest Hall of Fame induction class will be honored in an evening ceremony on Friday, Jan. 31 at the Ball State Alumni Center.
The Jan. 31 ceremony will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the induction ceremony at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public and costs $45 for adults and $10 for kids (12 and under). For ticket information, contact Ball State Deputy Athletics Director Karin Lee at kalee2@bsu.edu or 765-285-5127. Tickets must be purchased in advance of the event.
The seven-member class includes Doug Bell (football), Elizabeth Milian (softball), Dan Palombizio (men's basketball), Sarah Obras Steele (women's volleyball), Kolbrin Vitek (baseball), Pat Quinn (contributor) and the 2008 football team.
The group 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.
Doug Bell, Football
Doug Bell made his mark on the offensive line for the Cardinals in the early 1970s. He began his collegiate career as a tight end but found his true calling at the center position. Bell was the team's starting center as a junior and senior in 1971 and 1972. He was voted a team co-captain at the start of his senior campaign and went on to earn the team's co-Most Valuable Player Award following the season. He was the fourth Ball State football player to earn All-America honors as he was named to the 1972 Kodak (College Division) All-America first team.
Elizabeth Milian, Softball
Elizabeth Milian dominated in the circle for the softball team from 2007-10 and led the Cardinals to their second ever appearance in an NCAA Regional. Her 85 wins and 762 strikeouts are both program records. She tossed 932 innings in her career, which still ranks second in the Mid-American Conference annals. In the 2010 MAC Tournament, the righty pitched all 28 innings for the Cardinals and went 4-0 with a 0.25 ERA and 40 strikeouts to earn tournament MVP accolades. The two-time all-conference and all-region pitcher also earned 2010 CoSIDA Academic All-America third team honors.
Dan Palombizio, Men's Basketball
Dan Palombizio was named the 1986 Mid-American Conference Basketball Tournament MVP as he helped the Cardinals knock off Miami in the championship game, leading the Cardinals to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history. He led the team in scoring and rebounding in both of his years at Ball State. He scored 762 points as a junior in 1984-85, which still stands as a program single-season record. His scoring average that year (26.3 ppg) ranked third in the nation. The two-time All-MAC first team honoree went on to be selected in the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Sarah Obras Steele, Women's Volleyball
Sarah Obras Steele was a key player for the volleyball teams from 2002-05. A three-time first team All-Mid-American Conference selection, she concluded her career as the league's all-time leader in kills (1,975) and attempts (5,699). Both of those numbers rank second in the league record books today. In addition, she holds the program single match (37) and single season (695) kill records. Along with her offensive prowess, Obras Steele was one of the league's top six rotation players and was the first MAC athlete to reach 1,500 career kills and 1,500 career digs. Named the MAC Freshman of the Year after helping the Cardinals reach the 2002 NCAA Tournament, she finished her career with 1,652 digs and was a 2005 CoSIDA Academic All-America third team selection.
Kolbrin Vitek, Baseball
Kolbrin Vitek starred for the baseball team 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.
Pat Quinn, Contributor
Pat Quinn recently retired from the Ball State Athletics Department 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.
2008 Football Team
Ball State's 2008 football team went undefeated in the regular season and reached as high as No. 12 in the national rankings under head coach Brady Hoke. The Cardinals were one of four teams that went through the regular season undefeated (Alabama, Boise State, Utah). The 2008 team set a program record for wins in a season (12), won the Mid-American West Division title for the first time since the league split into divisions in 1997 and made the program's lone appearance in the MAC Championship game thus far. Twelve players earned All-MAC honors, while Brady Hoke was named MAC Coach of the Year, Nate Davis was selected as the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Sean Baker earned MAC Freshman of the Year accolades.
The Jan. 31 ceremony will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the induction ceremony at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public and costs $45 for adults and $10 for kids (12 and under). For ticket information, contact Ball State Deputy Athletics Director Karin Lee at kalee2@bsu.edu or 765-285-5127. Tickets must be purchased in advance of the event.
The seven-member class includes Doug Bell (football), Elizabeth Milian (softball), Dan Palombizio (men's basketball), Sarah Obras Steele (women's volleyball), Kolbrin Vitek (baseball), Pat Quinn (contributor) and the 2008 football team.
The group 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.
Doug Bell, Football
Doug Bell made his mark on the offensive line for the Cardinals in the early 1970s. He began his collegiate career as a tight end but found his true calling at the center position. Bell was the team's starting center as a junior and senior in 1971 and 1972. He was voted a team co-captain at the start of his senior campaign and went on to earn the team's co-Most Valuable Player Award following the season. He was the fourth Ball State football player to earn All-America honors as he was named to the 1972 Kodak (College Division) All-America first team.
Elizabeth Milian, Softball
Elizabeth Milian dominated in the circle for the softball team from 2007-10 and led the Cardinals to their second ever appearance in an NCAA Regional. Her 85 wins and 762 strikeouts are both program records. She tossed 932 innings in her career, which still ranks second in the Mid-American Conference annals. In the 2010 MAC Tournament, the righty pitched all 28 innings for the Cardinals and went 4-0 with a 0.25 ERA and 40 strikeouts to earn tournament MVP accolades. The two-time all-conference and all-region pitcher also earned 2010 CoSIDA Academic All-America third team honors.
Dan Palombizio, Men's Basketball
Dan Palombizio was named the 1986 Mid-American Conference Basketball Tournament MVP as he helped the Cardinals knock off Miami in the championship game, leading the Cardinals to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history. He led the team in scoring and rebounding in both of his years at Ball State. He scored 762 points as a junior in 1984-85, which still stands as a program single-season record. His scoring average that year (26.3 ppg) ranked third in the nation. The two-time All-MAC first team honoree went on to be selected in the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Sarah Obras Steele, Women's Volleyball
Sarah Obras Steele was a key player for the volleyball teams from 2002-05. A three-time first team All-Mid-American Conference selection, she concluded her career as the league's all-time leader in kills (1,975) and attempts (5,699). Both of those numbers rank second in the league record books today. In addition, she holds the program single match (37) and single season (695) kill records. Along with her offensive prowess, Obras Steele was one of the league's top six rotation players and was the first MAC athlete to reach 1,500 career kills and 1,500 career digs. Named the MAC Freshman of the Year after helping the Cardinals reach the 2002 NCAA Tournament, she finished her career with 1,652 digs and was a 2005 CoSIDA Academic All-America third team selection.
Kolbrin Vitek, Baseball
Kolbrin Vitek starred for the baseball team 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.
Pat Quinn, Contributor
Pat Quinn recently retired from the Ball State Athletics Department 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.
2008 Football Team
Ball State's 2008 football team went undefeated in the regular season and reached as high as No. 12 in the national rankings under head coach Brady Hoke. The Cardinals were one of four teams that went through the regular season undefeated (Alabama, Boise State, Utah). The 2008 team set a program record for wins in a season (12), won the Mid-American West Division title for the first time since the league split into divisions in 1997 and made the program's lone appearance in the MAC Championship game thus far. Twelve players earned All-MAC honors, while Brady Hoke was named MAC Coach of the Year, Nate Davis was selected as the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Sean Baker earned MAC Freshman of the Year accolades.
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