Bullington Named to 2024 Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame Class
December 01, 2023 | Baseball
IHSBCA Press Release
Ball State baseball alumnus Bryan Bullington will be inducted into the 2024 Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame class, the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association announced.
The other player in the induction class is Clayton Richard, who Ball State head coach Rich Maloney coached when he was at Michigan.
"Very cool having two of my former players, one from Ball State (Bullington) and one from Michigan (Richard) make the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame," Maloney said.
Bullington, a Madison Consolidated High School graduate, made history in 2002 when he was selected No. 1 overall in the Major League Baseball draft, becoming only the second top selection from Indiana.
The right-handed pitcher was a three-time First Team All-MAC selection and won the MAC Pitcher of the Year honor in both 2001 and 2002. This is the third such recognition for Bullington, who was inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame in 2020.
"Bryan Bullington was truly one of the greatest players I ever coached," said Maloney. "He was a star the moment he walked on campus. His competitive fire was second to none. He always wanted the ball, as there were times when he started on Friday and closed on Sunday. He just wanted to win. He was a great teammate and very humble.Â
"When he was selected first in the professional baseball draft it was probably the greatest sports accomplishment in Ball State history. Watching Bryan handle the questions after his selection was special; his grace, quiet confidence and professional demeanor were way ahead of his years. I stood amazed. This is another tremendous honor for a very special person. It is well deserved."
Richard, a McCutcheon High School graduate who was under Maloney's tutelage at Michigan, was drafted in the eighth round (No. 245 overall) of the 2005 MLB Draft. The Lafayette, Ind., native was the first student-athlete to be named Indiana Mr. Football and Mr. Baseball, when he did so during the 2002-03 school year.
The left-handed pitcher played in parts of 11 Major League seasons for the Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays, earning a World Series ring as a contributor on the 2016 Cubs team.
"Clayton also had a burning competitive fire," Maloney said. "He was a joy to work with; he had a great belief in himself and was not going to be denied. He had an outstanding pro career.
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"These are two great individuals who made the most of their gifts on the field, but I am most proud of the men they are. Both are very deserving of this honor."
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Bullington and Richard join high school coaches Dean Lehrman (Heritage), Dave Ginder (Fort Wayne Carroll) and Joe Decker (Silver Creek) to form the 2024 Hall of Fame Class, which will be honored on Jan. 19 in Indianapolis.
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Ball State baseball alumnus Bryan Bullington will be inducted into the 2024 Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame class, the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association announced.
The other player in the induction class is Clayton Richard, who Ball State head coach Rich Maloney coached when he was at Michigan.
"Very cool having two of my former players, one from Ball State (Bullington) and one from Michigan (Richard) make the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame," Maloney said.
Bullington, a Madison Consolidated High School graduate, made history in 2002 when he was selected No. 1 overall in the Major League Baseball draft, becoming only the second top selection from Indiana.
The right-handed pitcher was a three-time First Team All-MAC selection and won the MAC Pitcher of the Year honor in both 2001 and 2002. This is the third such recognition for Bullington, who was inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame in 2020.
"Bryan Bullington was truly one of the greatest players I ever coached," said Maloney. "He was a star the moment he walked on campus. His competitive fire was second to none. He always wanted the ball, as there were times when he started on Friday and closed on Sunday. He just wanted to win. He was a great teammate and very humble.Â
"When he was selected first in the professional baseball draft it was probably the greatest sports accomplishment in Ball State history. Watching Bryan handle the questions after his selection was special; his grace, quiet confidence and professional demeanor were way ahead of his years. I stood amazed. This is another tremendous honor for a very special person. It is well deserved."
Richard, a McCutcheon High School graduate who was under Maloney's tutelage at Michigan, was drafted in the eighth round (No. 245 overall) of the 2005 MLB Draft. The Lafayette, Ind., native was the first student-athlete to be named Indiana Mr. Football and Mr. Baseball, when he did so during the 2002-03 school year.
The left-handed pitcher played in parts of 11 Major League seasons for the Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays, earning a World Series ring as a contributor on the 2016 Cubs team.
"Clayton also had a burning competitive fire," Maloney said. "He was a joy to work with; he had a great belief in himself and was not going to be denied. He had an outstanding pro career.
Â
"These are two great individuals who made the most of their gifts on the field, but I am most proud of the men they are. Both are very deserving of this honor."
Â
Bullington and Richard join high school coaches Dean Lehrman (Heritage), Dave Ginder (Fort Wayne Carroll) and Joe Decker (Silver Creek) to form the 2024 Hall of Fame Class, which will be honored on Jan. 19 in Indianapolis.
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