Link to Union Sports Hall of Fame Website
 
JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University Sports Hall of Fame has announced the class of 2013. Union will induct seven former Union standout athletes Friday, November 15 at 6:00 p.m. in the Carl Grant Events Center on the campus of Union.
 
The class of 2013 includes Dan Rudesill (basketball, track), Dr. Linn Stranak (baseball), R. L. "Buddy" Patey (football), David Pflasterer (baseball, basketball), Sandra Williams (tennis), David Marsh (basketball), and Dr. Stephen D.  Hammond (golf). In addition to the seven inductees, the 1983 Union baseball team will also be honored, marking the 30^th anniversary of Union's only baseball team to advance to the NAIA World Series.
 
Below are the bio for each of the inductees for the class of 2013.
 
To nominate someone for the Union Sports Hall of Fame, do so by visiting the website at www.uuathletics.com/hof.
 
#UNION#
  Bio's for 2013 Hall of Fame Class  (Class of 2013 Photo - 1883 Baseball Team HOF photo) Dan Rudesill
Dan Rudesill came to Union in 1965 from Lawrenceville, Illinois where he was a three-sport letterman and named All-State in basketball his senior season.
 
During his four-year career in basketball at Union he was named to the All-Volunteer State Athletic Conference team three years and to the VSAC All-Tournament team for two years. His junior season he was named the Most Valuable Player in the VSAC.
 
He averaged a double-double in points and rebounds for two seasons and still holds the record for the most rebounds in an overtime game with 31 total rebounds.
 
The 67-68 Bulldog squad finished 22-3 and won the western division of the VSAC, the VSAC tournament, and was the NCAA College Division Regional Runner-up.
 
Dan also participated on the Union track team where he won the VSAC high-jump at the conference track meet in 1968.  During his time at Union he was a member of the U Club and served as the club president. His senior year he was presented the Fred Delay award.
 
After graduation Dan played in the Tri-State Class A Basketball league where he was named league MVP, all-tournament and set a single game scoring record of 72 points.
 
In 1999 and 2000 his 3-on-3 team won the championship at the Tennessee State Senior Games.
 
Dan was inducted into the Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and was inducted into the Lawrenceville, Illinois High School Hall of Fame in 2010. The 1967-68 Union team was honored by the Union Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.  
Dr. Linn M. Stranak
Dr. Linn Stranak has been the Chairman of the Physical Education, Wellness and Sport department at Union University for the last 34 years.  He served as co-baseball coach for five seasons leading the Bulldogs to a record of 190-58. The 1983 team had the highest finish of any NAIA baseball team at Union finishing third in the NAIA World Series and compiling a 48-12 season record.
 
He began his college baseball career at Murray State University before transferring to Union. While playing outfield and pitching at Union for two seasons the team won a VSAC championship and played in the NCAA Mideast regional tournament.
 
He began his coaching career at Montreat College in Montreat, North Carolina. He also served at the school's athletic director. He compiled an overall coaching record of 346-148 while coaching at Montreat and Union.
 
He was named conference and district Coach of the Year and 21 of his former players were drafted or signed pro contracts.  In 1983 he founded and served as co-director of Union's highly successful summer baseball camp program
Linn has been very active in Jackson-Madison County youth sports. He coached numerous teams that competed in state and national tournaments. He has served on many boards in the community.
 
Dr. Stranak has been a prolific author having over 15 articles published on coaching baseball and athletic administration. He has conducted over 30 coaching clinics. He has been very active in the state association for Physical Education, Wellness and Sport. He is one of only seven recipients of the Tennessee Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Scholar awards. He has been a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association for 38 years.  
R. L. "Buddy" Patey
R.L "Buddy" Patey, a Tupelo, Mississippi native, served as captain on both his high school baseball and football teams.  He was offered football scholarships to both the University of Mississippi and Union. After serving with the United States Air Corps during World War II, Buddy chose to attend Union University where he played halfback in football.
 
Buddy has been recognized as one of the nations noted authorities on sports officiating. He began refereeing after his football playing days at Union. He served in the SEC for twenty years and was the chief umpire when he retired. He officiated in seven bowl games, including the Bluebonnet, Gator, Tangerine, Cotton, Liberty, and Orange bowls. He officiated over 200 games consistently working "big" events including seven consecutive Alabama-Auburn matches. He was the supervisor of officials for the Ohio Valley Conference for twenty years.  He served as chief umpire and is the past president of the OVC Football Officials Association.
 
In 2003 Buddy was the recipient of the National Football Foundation's Outstanding Football Official award. This award is given annually to an outstanding official who has demonstrated sportsmanship, integrity, character and contribution to the sport of amateur football throughout his career.
 
He officiated over 500 high school football games including five state championships and seventeen bowl games. For sixteen years he served as the coordinator of officials for the Tennessee State High School Football Championships.
He served as the Executive Director of the NCAA Football Supervisors and was a member of the editorial committee for the NCAA College Football Rules Book.  He is the author of "The Illustrated Rules of Football." This illustrated book is primarily for children and "football widows" who want to understand the game of football.
 
Among his many honors is induction to the National Football Foundation, College Football. Tennessee State High School Athletic, Jackson-Madison County Sports, Ohio Valley Conference and Tennessee Sports Halls of Fame. He has served as the vice-mayor of the City of Jackson and on numerous civic boards in Jackson and Madison County.  
David Pflasterer
David Pflasterer came to Union in 1961 from Elsberry, Missouri where he had been selected to the All-State teams in baseball and basketball. He continued to play both sports at Union, but it was on the baseball diamond that he shined most as a bulldog.
 
The second baseman helped lead the bulldogs to the 1963 NCAA Small College National Championship and a runner-up finish in 1964. His .525 batting average in 1965 still stands as the top batting average for a season.
 
At the end of his career with the bulldogs in 1965 he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants. He began that year with the Giants rookie league team, but was soon promoted to the farm team in Lexington, North Carolina. He played three more seasons in the Giants minor league system before he decided to "use my good mathematics degree from Union University instead.
 
David was voted "Most Popular" by his class mates his senior year.
 
He began working in the aerospace industry for McDonnell Douglas and Boeing in 1968 and continues that work today. He later completed a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Washington University in St. Louis.  
Sandra Williams
Sandra Williams coached the Union University women's tennis team from 1983 till 2002. While coaching at Union she was also a faculty member in the Physical Education, Wellness and Sport department.
 
She is a 1965 graduate of Union University and earned a Master's Degree from the University of Tennessee in 1966 and an additional Master's degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1971.
 
While coaching at Union her teams amassed a 249-106 record. In 2000 she was named the ITA National Coach of the Year.  That same year she served as President of the NAIA Coaches Association. She had previously held positions as vice-president and secretary for the association.
 
Her teams won TranSouth Athletic Conference championships in 1999 and 2002. She was named TranSouth Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1989,1994,1995,1997 and 1999.  Her 2002 team was named a NAIA Scholar team for the season.
 
Sandra's tennis teams made numerous trips to the NAIA National Tournament and were ranked nationally almost every year.  She coached three NAIA All-Americans and eight NAIA Scholar Athletes.
 
In 2005 she received the TAHPERD Honor Award given for meritorious service in health, physical education, recreation, dance and related areas.  She was also on the gold medalist 3 on 3 basketball team in the Tennessee Senior Games in 1999, 2000 and 2001.  
David Marsh
David Marsh was a high school All-American from Alcoa, Tennessee before signing with the Union University Bulldogs. He wasted no time making his presence felt at the collegiate level. The Diminutive 5'7 guard was soon dazzling teams and coaches in the VSAC with his ball handling and playing ability.
 
As a freshman he was named to the Volunteer Conference All-tournament team and to the NCAA Mid-East Regional tournament team.
 
His dribbling heroics during the last five minutes of the bulldogs 61-53 upset at Memphis State garnered him a National Player of the Week honor and the lead Associate Press story nationwide. He went on that year to be named as an Honorable Mention to the Little All-American team.
 
During his junior year he was named to all-tournament teams in the Mayor Tournament, Union University Invitational, Carson-Newman Invitational, the VSAC all-tournament team and the NCAA Southeast Regional all-tournament team.  He was also named to the VSAC all-conference team in both basketball and baseball that year.
 
In his senior season, Marsh was named MVP of both the Mayor's Tournament and the Union University Invitational Tournament. He was a nominee for the Naismith Hall of Fame for the Best College Player under six feet tall. He was named to the Little All-American squad that year. He was also presented the 1971 alumni award. He average 15.3 points per game during his career at Union.
 
Upon graduation from Union, Marsh began his coaching career at Alamo High School. Over a five year period his boys' team won 128 and lost only 29. During that span they made one state tournament appearance. While at Alamo he coached baseball for two years amassing a 40-5 record.
 
In 1977 he returned to his alma mater at Alcoa High School. He worked as an assistant there for 12 years before taking over as head coach. In the next 13 seasons he served as head coach his teams compiled a 321-85 record winning 11 district championships, 7 region championship and made seven state tournament appearances. He also coached the girl's softball team for five years taking the team to three state tournaments and finishing with an 84-19 record.  
Dr. Stephen D.  Hammond
Stephen Hammond, a Jackson native, played his high school golf at University School of Jackson. After a stellar high school career he accepted a scholarship from Coach Don Morris to play for the bulldogs.
 
He began his career making the All-Tournament teams at the David Lipscomb Invitational and the Tennessee Intercollegiate Tournament. In 1996 he was named to the TCAC All-Tournament team.
 
1997 was a banner year for Stephen as he was named to the All-Tournament team at the UTM invitational. He was the medalist in the Delta State Tournament in 1997 shooting ten under par to lead his team to victory. This was a record score for this tournament. He was also the individual winner at the University of North Alabama Invitational and the Tennessee Intercollegiate Tournament.
 
 In 1998 he was the medalist in the Tennessee Intercollegiate Championship. He also finished third that year in the prestigious Pine Needles Invitational.
 
He was named to the NAIA Scholar Athlete team in 1997 and 1998.
 
In his senior year Stephen was awarded the Academic Excellence Medal in chemistry and the Fred Delay Award.  He went on to earn his M.D from the University Of Tennessee College Of Medicine.  
1983 Baseball Team
The 1983 bulldog baseball team finished third in the NAIA World Series played in Lubbock, Texas. The third place finish was the highest finish of any Union team in the NAIA.
 
The bulldogs finished the season with a 48-12 record. The won the VSAC conference championship and the District 24 Championship but fell to Southern Arkansas in the Area 5 championship.  They advanced to the NAIA World Series with an at-large berth as they were the highest ranked team nationally in the NAIA that did not win their area tournament.
The bulldogs opened the series with a 13-12 win over William Jewell. All-American pitcher Doug Kendall pitched a complete game in the dogs 7-2 victory over Southern Arkansas in the second game of the series.
 
The bulldog's first loss came at the hands of Lewis-Clark in the third game of the series. The next game against Liberty Baptist set an NAIA record for the most runs scored in a game as Union won 21-17. The two teams combined for 43 hits in the game. Ronnie Giddens had five hits in the Union victory.
 
Union final loss of the season was a 4-0 loss to Lubbock Christian. The host team crowd gave the Union team a standing ovation during the awards ceremony.
 
Ronnie Giddens and Doug Kendall were both named to the All-American team, All-World Series team, All-District 24 team and All-Area 5 team. Giddens was also named MVP for District 24.