Tommy Davis (2003) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Tommy Davis

Induction:
2003

Someone once said that in the spring a young man’s fancy turns to love. But for some of us that fancy turns to baseball, and for the fans that watched Tommy Davis dominate the world of college baseball from 1992 to 1994 that was pure love.
   Few players have ever dominated or had a presence on the baseball diamond like Tommy Davis who truly one of the great power hitters in Golden Eagle history. Every time that he stepped up to the plate, you knew he had a catch to drive one out of the ballpark or deliver a key base hit to lead the Golden Eagles to a victory.
   During his three-year career with the Golden Eagles he literally shattered virtually every power hitting record in the book and established standards that players today strive to achieve. His drive, his determination to be the best and the ability to deliver when the pressure was on, has earned him a special niche in Golden Eagle baseball history and a cherished spot in our Hall of Fame.
   Tommy would finish his career with a .364 batting average, the fifth best mark in school history and the highest among players with 740 or more at-bats. He finished his career with 43 home runs; a mark topped only fellow Hall of Famer Fred Cooley. His 204 runs batted in, in his career is a school record and he is the only player to record over 200 career RBIs. He is also the career leader in doubles with 58 in total bases with 476 and his slugging percentage of .643 is best among players who played at least three years.
   Although his first two seasons at Southern Miss were impressive, he saved the best for 1994, his final year. He hit .409 that year, with 103 hits, 81 runs scored, 23 doubles, 19 home runs, 82 runs batted in, a slugging percentage of .750 and 189 total bases, while leading the team to a 37-24 record. His performance that year earned him All-America honors on teams named by the American baseball Coaches Association, baseball America, College Sports Magazine, Mizuno. He was also named all-Metro Conference that season and was the Metro Conference Player of the Year.
   Following his incredible career with the Golden Eagles he was taken in the 2nd round of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft by the Baltimore Orioles. Following an outstanding career in the minor leagues spent part of 1999 season with the Orioles making his major league debut on May 14, 1999. And in a career both as an amateur and as a professional, what a thrill it must have been to sit in Camden Yard in Baltimore as a major leaguer.