Tanner, Bouknight to be Inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame
Ray Tanner is the only University of South Carolina baseball coach ever to be named National Coach of the Year.
Kip Bouknight is the only USC baseball player ever to be named the recipient of the Golden Spikes National Player of the Year Award.
Tanner and Bouknight both have their jerseys retired at Founders Park.
On Thursday night of this week, both will be inducted together into the College Baseball Hall of Fame at its induction ceremony in Overland Park, Kansas.
Nearly 25 years after the conclusion of his collegiate career, Bouknight still stands as the winningest pitcher in South Carolina history. He remains the program’s career leader in innings pitched (482.0), starts (66), wins (45) and strikeouts (457). His 45 victories are tied with Mississippi State’s Jeff Brantley for the most career wins in SEC history, and Bouknight also holds the conference record for innings pitched.
“First and foremost, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ—His guidance and blessings have carried me every step of the way,” Bouknight said. “Being inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame is an incredible honor and sharing it with Coach Tanner—someone who shaped me as a player and a person—makes it even more meaningful. I’m grateful to represent the University of South Carolina and the Gamecock baseball program. My teammates, coaches, trainers, strength and mental coaches, our grounds crew, and the administrators who supported us—this honor belongs to all of them. I especially want to thank my family for their unwavering love and support, and the amazing Gamecock baseball fans whose passion meant everything to us. I’m humbled and thankful for everyone who played a part in this journey.”
Bouknight authored one of the greatest seasons in college baseball history in 2000, compiling a 17-1 record to lead the Gamecocks to a 56-10 overall mark and an SEC Championship. His 17 wins remain a school record and are tied for the most in SEC history. That season, he was named First Team All-SEC, SEC Pitcher of the Year and SEC Male Athlete of the Year. Bouknight was inducted into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007 and the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
Tanner served as South Carolina’s head baseball coach for 16 seasons, guiding the program to unprecedented success. Under his leadership, the Gamecocks captured back-to-back national championships in 2010 and 2011 and finished as national runner-up in both 2002 and 2012. Carolina made six College World Series appearances during his tenure and claimed three SEC championships, six SEC Eastern Division titles and the 2004 SEC Tournament championship. The Gamecocks also advanced to 10 NCAA Super Regionals and made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances under Tanner.
“I appreciate the honor of joining such a great class into the College Baseball Hall of Fame,” Tanner said. “I would not be here if it wasn’t for the great players, including Kip Bouknight, who is part of this Hall of Fame class with me, assistant coaches, staff, my family and the passionate fans who helped make Gamecock Baseball a special program. It was a privilege to represent such a great university and baseball program during my coaching career.”
From 2010 to 2012, South Carolina established NCAA records with 22 consecutive postseason wins and 12 straight victories at the College World Series. Tanner won 738 games during his 16 seasons in Columbia and finished with 1,133 career wins between South Carolina and NC State, where he coached from 1988–96. He was a three-time National Coach of the Year and a three-time SEC Coach of the Year.
During his tenure, Tanner coached two National Players of the Year — Bouknight (2000) and Michael Roth (2011) — along with two SEC Players of the Year, one SEC Pitcher of the Year and two SEC Boyd McWhorter Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year. In February 2025, the playing surface at Founders Park was officially named Ray Tanner Field.
Following his coaching career, Tanner served as South Carolina’s Athletics Director from 2012–24. During that span, the Gamecocks won four national championships (2015 equestrian; 2017, 2022 and 2024 women’s basketball), captured 21 SEC regular season and tournament titles, and recorded five of the top nine finishes in the Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup standings in school history.
To be eligible for the College Baseball Hall of Fame, players must be at least 15 years removed from their collegiate careers, while coaches must be retired for at least two years or be active and at least 75 years old.
THE 2025 COLLEGE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS
Players
Gene Ammann, Pitcher, Florida State University, 1968-70
Kris Benson, Pitcher, Clemson University, 1994-96
Kip Bouknight, Pitcher, University of South Carolina, 1998-2001
Hubie Brooks, Shortstop, Mesa College/Arizona State University, 1976-78
Gene Hooks, Third Baseman, Wake Forest University, 1947-50
Mike Loynd, Pitcher, Florida State University, 1984-86
Mark McGwire, First Baseman/Pitcher, University of Southern California, 1982-84
Phil Nevin, Third Base, Cal State Fullerton, 1990-92
David Price, Pitcher, Vanderbilt University, 2005-07
Earl Sanders, Pitcher, Jackson State University, 1984-86
Mike Stenhouse, Outfielder, Harvard University, 1977-79
Stephen Strasburg, Pitcher, San Diego State University, 2007-09
Joe Thomas, Pitcher/First Baseman, Marietta College, 1994-97
Coaches
Norm DeBriyn, Coach, University of Arkansas, 1970-2002
*Clint Evans, Coach, University of California, 1930-54
*Ray Fisher, Third Baseman/Pitcher/Coach, Middlebury College 1907-09/1910 (Third Baseman/Pitcher/Coach) / University of Michigan / 1921-59 (Coach)
Les Murakami, Coach, University of Hawai’i, 1968-97
Ray Tanner, Coach, North Carolina State, 1988-96/University of South Carolina, 1997-2012
Jerry Weinstein, Coach, Sacramento State College, 1975-98
* To be inducted posthumously
Administrators / Builders / Umpires
Scott Boras, Agent, University of the Pacific, 1974-77
Paul Guillie, Umpire – 1990-2014/SEC Coordinator of Baseball Umpires – 2014-current
