March 5, 2010

Columbia, S.C. – Hank Small, a two-time All-American first baseman and member of the University of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, died Wednesday evening. He was 56. Small, a four-year letterwinner from 1972-75, played for head coach Bobby Richardson and was a member of the 1975 squad that finished as National Runner-Up at the College World Series.

Small earned second-team All-America honors in 1974 and was a first-team All-America selection in 1975. The former Gamecock great held the school record for career home runs at 48 for over 30 years before being surpassed by Justin Smoak in the 2008 season. The Gamecocks were 155-45-2 in his four-year career. He helped lead the 1975 team to a 51-6-1 record with 19 home runs and a .390 batting average. He had a brief stint in the Major Leagues with the 1978 Atlanta Braves.

Small was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991. His name still sits in the record books in several categories among the top 10 career leaders in Carolina history.

Home Runs – 2nd (48)
Runs Batted In – 5th (184)
Total Bases – 6th (433)
Slugging Percentage – 8th (.626)
Hits – 9th (245)
Batting Average – 10th (.354)
Singles – T10th (156)

Funeral services will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday at Second Ponce de Leon Church in downtown Atlanta. Family will receive friends one hour before the service.