Hall of Fame
Sam Lee, a native of Maryville, Tenn., was a two-year starter at second base for the Lions and was the first Lion baseball player ever to be selected first-team All-American. UNA had a combined record of 78-27-1 in his two seasons at the school, winning the 1997 Gulf South Conference Championship and advancing to the NCAA Regional Tournament. He hit an incredible .521 as a senior and finished second in Division II in batting average. He was 87-of-167 at the plate.
His 68 runs batted in that season ranked 30th nationally. He was selected first-team All-GSC and All-South Central Region in 1997 and 1998. He also won two GSC Player of the Week awards. Lee still holds school records for hits in a game (5) and highest batting average in a season (.521). His .449 career batting average (151-of-336) is also a school record. He has the highest career on-base percentage in school history at .579, and his single season and career batting totals are the best in Gulf South Conference baseball history as well.
A 2000 UNA graduate, Lee played two years of minor league baseball after his graduation. At the time of his induction he was employed as a fire fighter and was residing in Royal Palm Beach, Fla., with his wife Mariela, who was inducted as part of the same 2009 UNA Hall of Fame class.
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