Ben Zobrist, Tiger baseball alumnus, inducted into Olivet's Hall of Fame

2014 Nov 5

Olivet Nazarene University's Department of Athletics inducted Ben Zobrist, a native of Eureka, Illinois, into the Athletics Hall of Fame during the 2014 Homecoming and Family Weekend festivities, Friday, October 31, 2014. He was honored for his achievements as a Tiger baseball player.

A three-year (2000 to 2003) letter winner with the Tigers, Zobrist helped lead Olivet to a 120-39-1 record, three CCAC Championships and the programs first two NAIA World Series appearances in 2002 and 2003. He was an NAIA First Team All-American in 2003 and an Honorable Mention in 2002. He still holds the records for the longest hitting streak at 25 games and is second in saves in a season with six. He finished with a career batting average of .376 with 65 runs scored and 65 RBIs. He is the 2003 recipient of the NAIA's AO Duer Award, awarded annually to one male junior student-athlete who demonstrates character and citizenship. In 2014, he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame. Drafted by the Houston Astros in 2004, he just finished his ninth season with the Tampa Bay Rays.

An additional honor for Zobrist is the retiring of his Tiger number 12 and baseball jersey.

He is married to Julianna, a nationally acclaimed Christian alternative recording artist. The couple has two children and resides near Nashville, Tennessee, in the off-season. In nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, he has amassed 1,016 hits in 3,850 at-bats for a career batting average of .264. He is a two-time MLB All-Star (2009, 2013), played in the 2008 World Series and was a member of Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

This year's honorees also include: Lauren (Chessum) McLain, softball; Hilary (Disch) Lochner, women's basketball; Michelle (McFadden) Schneider, volleyball; and Coach Ralph Hodge, men's basketball.

"Recognizing these outstanding representatives of Tiger athletics is one of the highlights of every year at Olivet," said Gary Newsome, director of athletics. "Lauren, Hilary, Michelle, Ben and Coach Hodge continue to uphold our standards of excellence in their careers and post-college activities."