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PHOTO GALLERYJim Ferguson was a key component to one of the most successful four-year runs in the history of New Haven baseball. The Chargers went 102-24 during his tenure, including four NCAA postseason appearances and three trips to the College World Series. He drove in 97 runs for Head Coach Frank “Porky” Vieira from 1983-86.
Ferguson entered the starting lineup as a second baseman in the midst of his freshman campaign. He accumulated 12 hits with eight RBI in 20 games, with the biggest hit coming in the form of a two-run single that put the Chargers on top of Quinnipiac in the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship Game.
The former star at Notre Dame High School in West Haven became a fixture at second base in 1984, hitting .261 with 13 extra-base hits, 24 RBI and five stolen bases. Ferguson’s sophomore season ended with the first of three consecutive trips to the NCAA College World Series.
Ferguson’s best statistical season came in his junior campaign. Now manning the hot corner for Coach Vieira, Ferguson hit a team-best .413 with 14 doubles and 31 RBI in 33 games. Once again, the Chargers went 3-0 to win the NCAA Northeast Regional and advance to the College World Series in Montgomery, Ala.
In his final season for the Blue and Gold, Ferguson split time in the starting lineup between second and third base. He hit .269 with 27 RBI and a pair of stolen bases. After another run through the NCAA Northeast Regional, Ferguson’s career ended at his third College World Series.
Following his New Haven career, Ferguson signed a professional contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1987, he was a member of the history-setting Salt Lake City Trappers. That summer, the team set the professional baseball record with 29 straight victories. Ferguson logged 1,175 professional at-bats in his career, rising as far as High-A with the St. Petersburg Cardinals of the Florida State League.
INDUCTION CEREMONY PHOTO GALLERY
