Dupage Policy Journal

Randy Ross, a standout player from North Park University, was officially inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame on February 13. The ceremony took place during the Night of Champions event, where Ross was honored alongside other notable baseball figures such as MLB All-Stars Mike Schmidt, Roger Clemens, and Mark Teixeira. The College Baseball Foundation recognized Ross for his exceptional contributions to college baseball.

Ross played for North Park University from 1981 to 1984 and is considered one of the most accomplished Division III baseball players in history. During his time as a shortstop for the Vikings, he was selected three times as a first-team ABCA All-America (1982-1984) and four times as an All-CCIW selection (1981-1984). He holds the distinction of being the first Division III player to be named a first-team Rawlings/ABCA All-American three times.

By the end of his collegiate career in 1984, Ross had achieved a lifetime batting average of .470, which was the highest in NCAA Division III history at that time. His career slugging percentage stood at .767 with an OPS of 1.292. Additionally, he stole 93 bases during his college years, showcasing his prowess as both a power hitter and a speedster.

In 1983, Ross led the nation in batting average and helped guide North Park to CCIW team championships in both 1983 and 1984. Although drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 15th round in 1983, he chose to complete his senior year at North Park and became the first person in his family to graduate from college.

Ross's freshman year saw him achieve a .429 batting average with a .664 slugging percentage and a .485 on-base percentage. His sophomore year performance included a .511 batting average, .901 slugging percentage, and .558 on-base percentage with 12 home runs and 74 RBIs. He also led the NCAA with 83 hits that year. In his senior year, he maintained impressive stats with a .416 batting average and accumulated 32 stolen bases.

Over four years, Ross struck out only 20 times while leading various categories such as hits in CCIW twice (.492 with 29 hits in 1981; .544 with 23 hits in 1983), home runs (5) and RBIs (28) in CCIW for 1983, along with stolen bases (13) in CCIW for 1982. His outstanding performance earned him the CCIW's Jack Horenberger Most Outstanding Player award in 1983.