OVERLAND PARK, Kansas — Former Marietta College Pioneer Joe Thomas (Class of 1997) has been selected as a member of the 2025 class of inductees into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Thomas will be the third Pioneer inducted joining Don Schaly (Class of 1959) and Matt DeSalvo (Class of 2002)
“Joe is very deserving of this honor. He was a true two-way player and one of the greatest to ever wear the pinstripes,” Marietta College head coach Brian Brewer said. “Joe was that rare player who posted All-American numbers on the mound and All-American numbers as a position player.”
Thomas led the Etta Express to four Ohio Athletic Conference titles, a pair of NCAA Mideast Regional championships, and NCAA Division III World Series appearances in 1995 and 1996.
The NCAA Division III National Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997, Thomas was a three-time All-American. After earning second team honors as a sophomore, he was a first team selection his final two seasons in the Navy Blue and White. Thomas was named first team All-Ohio Athletic Conference in each of his final three seasons and was the OAC Jack Rafeld Player of the Year and MVP of the OAC Tournament in both 1996 and 1997.
Thomas served as a team captain for the 1997 Etta Express and capped his career with the 1997 Way-Weigelt Award as Marietta College’s top senior male athlete.
Following his career in the pinstripes, Thomas was drafted in the 21st round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft by the Boston Red Sox. He played seven years of minor league baseball and was named to the Frontier League All-Decade Team. Thomas spent time as an assistant coach at Temple, the New York Institute of Technology, Mercyhurst, and with the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League.
The 18th induction class will be honored at the Night of Champions presented by Prairiefire on February 12, 2026 in Overland Park, Kansas, the home of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The event will serve as the ceremonial start to the 2026 college baseball season.
“We are beyond excited to welcome the 2025 Hall of Fame Class as we continue our planning for what will become their ‘home’ in Overland Park, Kansas in the College Baseball Hall of Fame,” CEO/Executive Director of the CBF and College Baseball Hall of Fame Tom Jacobs said. “This is another stellar class that represent the absolute best of college baseball. We look forward to celebrating and honoring their accomplishments as well as those of our CBF award winners at the 2026 Night of Champions. We hope you will join us for their special evening!”
To be eligible for the College Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, players must be out of college for 15 years and have completed one year of competition at a two-year institution in the CCCAA, NJCAA or a four-year NCAA (Division I, II or III) or NAIA institution. Ballot-eligible coaches must be retired for two years or be active and no less than 75 years old.
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