Doug Kendall came to Union after graduating from Westside High School in 1977. He played four years for the Union baseball team from 1980-83, after turning down a scholarship to Union the year before attending. He was a member of Union’s only NAIA World Series team in 1983, a team that was inducted into the Union Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Union finished third place in the 1983 NAIA World Series, the school’s highest ever NAIA finish.
Kendall led Union in 1983 with 11 wins during the season, which set a school record that stood until 1996. He earned three wins during the 1983 World Series, one in a complete game victory and two in relief. He also led Union with 111.1 innings pitched during the 1983 season, again, setting a school record that stood until 1996. Kendall was named All-West Division VSAC and All-VSAC. He also earned All-District 24, All-Area 5, NAIA All-American and NAIA World Series All-Tournament for his efforts in 1983. He was 11-2 with a 3.72 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 1983 and was named his team’s Most Valuable Pitcher.Â
In 1982, Kendal was 8-1, No. 4 in the NAIA in wins and helped lead the Union pitching staff to be listed as the No. 8 ranked pitching staff in the NAIA. His biggest personal victory was an 8-2 win over No. 20 Memphis State. He was named Union’s Most Valuable Pitcher in 1982.
For his career, Kendal was 28-10 and is ranked fourth in Union history in wins in a career.Â
Kendall and his wife, a former Miss Union, Melanie have four boys, Eric, Caleb, Luke and Micah. They are members of First Baptist Church in Collierville, Tennessee where Kendall serves as a Deacon. Kendall has been a physical therapist assistant at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis for the past 28 years.
