MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama will add four new members to the USA Athletic Hall of Fame this fall, the university’s athletic department announced.
The 2014 class includes baseball pioneer Henry “Dock” Richardson, longtime baseball assistant coach Ronnie Powell, men’s soccer standout Shaun Rothuysen and men’s basketball forward Virgil Stanescu. The group will be formally inducted in November at a date and time to be announced, and all four will be recognized at halftime of South Alabama’s Nov. 15 football game against Texas State at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
The additions will bring the number of people enshrined in the South Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame to 68 since it was established in 1989.
Henry “Dock” Richardson, Baseball
Richardson played baseball at South Alabama from 1965 to 1968, the program’s first four years of competition. He led the Jaguars in batting average and RBIs in three seasons and in stolen bases in all four.
As a freshman he hit a career-best .371 with 12 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 15 games. He led the team with 11 steals and 10 RBIs as a sophomore and batted .316 with 17 RBIs and 13 stolen bases as a junior. As a senior, Richardson hit .355 and stole 21 bases as South Alabama went 18-9.
Ronnie Powell, Baseball Assistant Coach
Powell served as an assistant baseball coach at South Alabama from 1987 to 2006, working as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. The Jaguars went 794-431-1 during his tenure, a .648 winning percentage, and made 17 NCAA Regional appearances.
South Alabama won nine Sun Belt Conference regular-season championships, four division titles and seven conference tournament titles in that span. On five other occasions, the Jaguars were one win away from a regional championship and a trip to the College World Series.
Six pitchers earned All-America honors under Powell, 35 signed professional contracts and six reached the major leagues.
Shaun Rothuysen, Men’s Soccer
Rothuysen played men’s soccer at South Alabama from 1993 to 1995, helping the Jaguars to a 49-15 record, three Sun Belt Conference championships and the program’s first NCAA play-in game in 1995.
He was twice named Sun Belt Player of the Year and was a three-time All-Sun Belt selection. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America named him second-team All-South Region as a sophomore.
In 1993, Rothuysen led the conference in scoring with 40 points, ranking eighth in the region and 17th nationally, as South Alabama finished 16-5. He again totaled 40 points in 1994 as the Jaguars went 18-2-2. As a senior he led the team with 45 points, finishing his career with 47 goals and 125 points, fifth in school history.
Virgil Stanescu, Men’s Basketball
Stanescu played men’s basketball for South Alabama from 1999 to 2001. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the conference tournament as a junior and earned first-team all-conference honors as a senior.
He led the Jaguars in scoring and rebounding in each of his final two seasons, when South Alabama went 42-21 overall and 24-8 in conference play. He was a two-time Sun Belt All-Tournament selection, and as a senior he helped the Jaguars win the Western Division championship and earn a berth in the NIT.
Stanescu ranks 12th in school history with 1,126 points and sixth with 648 rebounds.
