LUBBOCK, Texas – Former Tennessee baseball great Todd Helton has been selected for induction into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, as announced by the College Baseball Foundation on Thursday.
Helton had arguably the most decorated and dominant collegiate career of any player in program history and is still considered one of the greatest two-way players to ever play college baseball.
Helton is one of 14 members to be selected to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2021, which will be inducted as part of the virtual College Baseball Night of Champions ceremony scheduled for June 26. The event will be hosted by Dani Wexelman, currently a host for MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM and the host of the 2020 event.
During his time on Rocky Top, Helton was a standout performer at the plate and on the mound, setting numerous program records during his storied career. The Knoxville native still sits atop UT’s record book in career home runs (38), RBI (238), walks (147) and saves (23). He also holds single-season records for runs batted in (92 in 1995), earned run average (0.89 in 1994) and saves (12 in 1995).
Helton earned a multitude of national awards and accolades during his three seasons in Knoxville, including 1995 National Player of the Year honors by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Helton was also named the 1995 SEC Player of the Year, a two-time first-team All-American (1994, 1995) and a Freshman All-American (1993).
In his final season on Rocky Top in 1995, Helton helped lead the Volunteers to SEC regular season and tournament titles, as well as their first College World Series appearance in 44 years.
Helton was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 1995 MLB Draft by Colorado, where he played his entire 17-year Major League career. Helton was a five-time MLB All-Star (2000-04), three-time Gold Glove winner and four-time Sliver Slugger Award winner. He also helped lead the Rockies to their first and only World Series appearance in franchise history in 2007.
For more information on this year’s Hall of Fame class, click HERE.
College Baseball HOF 2021 Class
-UT Athletics
