MEADVILLE, Pa. – Joe Musgrove’s Hall of Fame career didn’t start out as such as he struggled through two years of limited or no playing time with the Allegheny College baseball team. But he endured through those trials and seized his opportunity in a dramatic way by posting two of the greatest single-seasons in school history, earning himself a place among Allegheny’s all-time greats. Musgrove, a 1997 graduate, will be honored by the school on Sunday, June 3, 2007 by being inducted into the Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame.
“It is a distinct honor to be recognized by the selection committee and to be recognized with other great Allegheny athletes,” commented Musgrove on his Hall of Fame induction.
Musgrove, a native of Greensburg, Pa., made his way through his first two seasons with barely a whisper. Despite being named All-WPIAL as a senior at Hempfield High School, he appeared in only two games as a freshman with two empty attempts at the plate. Musgrove, who came in as a third baseman, moved to the outfield in 1995 and made good use of the playing time he received, posting a .308 batting average (8-for-26) with a pair of three-run home runs in 15 games. Luckily, two starting outfielders, not to mention two of the best players on the team, graduated, leaving the path open to a record-setting career.
“He didn’t get a lot of playing time in his first or second seasons,” said Mike Ferris, current Allegheny baseball head coach and an assistant on the club from 1993 to 1997. “But he was a hard worker and waited his turn.”
“Coming into my junior year and knowing that I was going to get my chance at regular playing time, no one was going to stop me,” said Musgrove. “I was there to prove to myself and the coaching staff that I was worthy to play baseball at this level. I played with a chip on my shoulder that no one could knock off.”
Musgrove took that chip into right field as a starter in 1996 and quickly gained national attention with some eye-popping numbers. The junior finished fourth in the nation in batting (.503), first in doubles (25), and 12th in RBI (74), setting school records in each of those categories by wide margins. Musgrove also led the North Coast Athletic Conference in each of those areas along with hits (80), also a new school mark, and led the team with a school-record .874 slugging percentage. Amazingly, he hit safely in 43 of 49 games that season, including a 14-game hit streak, and his 25 doubles led NCAA Division III.
The accolades poured in from all directions for Musgrove in 1996 as the Gator junior was tabbed first-team All-America, first-team All-Region, and first-team All-NCAC after leading the team to a 36-13 record. The Gators fell short of gaining the conference regular season and tournament title with close losses to Ohio Wesleyan University, but bounced back in the regional to knock off the Battling Bishops, securing a berth in the finals against Marietta College. After beating the Pioneers 13-9 to force a second game, Allegheny saw its season come to a close in a 19-15 slugfest. Musgrove did just about everything he could to keep Allegheny’s postseason from ending, batting .500 (19-for-38) with six home runs, 12 RBI, and 16 runs scored in nine games and earning All-Tournament honors at the Mideast Regional.
Anyone would be hard-pressed to equal the gaudy numbers Musgrove achieved in 1996, but in his final campaign, the Gator senior nearly did just that, batting .444, with 13 doubles, 63 runs, and 72 RBI as a member of one of Allegheny’s greatest offensive teams. As a squad, the Gators set new single-season records in batting (.363), slugging (.606), on-base percentage (.461), runs (507), RBI (431), and total bases (916). Allegheny also belted a still-standing record 78 home runs that season with Musgrove tying the individual mark with 16 bombs.
The Gators ran off winning streaks of 13 and 16 games en route to a 40-8 season, marking the most wins in program history. Allegheny won 17 of 19 games during conference play as well, capturing its third league title. At the Mideast Regional, the squad opened with a pair of wins, but after scoring 25 runs combined in those victories, the offense went stagnant, manufacturing only seven runs in a pair of close losses to eventual national runner-up College of Wooster.
For his part, Musgrove was once again tabbed a first-team All-American, becoming the first Gator to earn a spot on the top national squad twice in the history of the school. He also earned first-team All-Region and All-NCAC honors as well.
Despite playing essentially only two full seasons, Musgrove’s name dots Allegheny’s all-time career records, including as the leader in batting average (.458), slugging (.821), and RBI (156). He also ranks fourth all-time in home runs with 28 and is tied for fourth in doubles (38). Furthermore, Musgrove and his teammates formed one of the greatest squads in school history by the numbers as the 1997 graduating class accumulated a record 138 wins, not to mention setting 11 single-season school records.
“In Joe’s junior and senior years, we had two of the better teams we’ve ever had here. Those were the teams that had the best chance of competing for a national championship,” said Ferris. “Today’s players are aware of what we did a decade ago. I think when they see statistics like that and the plaques that say All-American, they appreciate what it was like back then – to be good at that level and how hard it is.”
“This honor is not only for me, but for all the teammates that I played baseball with at Allegheny,” said Musgrove. “I would have never been able to perform at this level without the teammates that drove me to better myself everyday. The only thing that I would love more than this accolade is for them all to be here accepting this award with me.”
Musgrove, who graduated from Allegheny with a degree in mathematics, currently serves as a team leader for Hartford Insurance in Indianapolis, and lives with his wife, Kristi.
Click here to visit the Allegheny College Athletics website.
Printable Version