Former SSC Baseball Player Named to Kansas Sports Hall of Fame

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Former Seminole State College Trojans baseball player Adam LaRoche was inducted to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony in Wichita on Oct. 7.

SSC DELEGATION CONGRATULATES LAROCHE
Pictured (l-r) are: Head Baseball Coach Mack Chambers, Assistant Baseball Coach James Martin, Adam LaRoche, President Lana Reynolds, President Emeritus Dr. Jim Utterback, SSC Regent Curtis Morgan and his wife Pam.

LaRoche attended Fort Scott High School in Fort Scott, Kansas. There, he led the baseball team to a state runner-up finish in 1998. Following high school graduation, he played one season at Fort Scott Community College in 1999 before transferring to Seminole State College in 2000. While at SSC, he was named third-team All-American, led the Trojans to the NJCAA World Series and was named the JUCO World Series Most Valuable Player.

 Although drafted in 1998 and 1999, LaRoche did not sign until the Atlanta Braves drafted him in 2000 in the 29th round.

LaRoche spent twelve seasons in the MLB. He played for the Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals and Chicago White Sox. During his career, he compiled 1,452 career hits, 882 RBIs, 255 home runs and a career .260 batting average in 1,605 games.

While playing for the Washington Nationals in 2012, LaRoche won the Gold Glove Award and the Silver Slugger Award. He also finished fourth in the National League in home runs, with a career high of 33.

LaRoche was inducted into the Seminole State College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2011 in recognition of the pride his accomplishments have brought to the institution.