BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–– Former University of North Alabama All-American and Academic All-America@ baseball player Josh Willingham will be inducted into the Gulf South Conference Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.
The Gulf South Conference, now in its 51st year, will induct Willingham along with Malcolm Butler of West Alabama (football), Morgan Johnson Faulk of Valdosta State (softball), Josh Magette of Alabama-Huntsville (basketball), Larry Myricks of Mississippi College (track & field) and former Delta State Athletic Director Dr. Kent Wyatt.
The induction ceremony details are not set at this time.
Willingham becomes UNA's ninth inductee in the GSC Hall of Fame, giving the Lions more inductees than any current or former league member.
There were 10 inductees in the initial class in 2014 that included former UNA football standout Ronald McKinnon and former UNA basketball coach and athletic director, the late Bill Jones.
The class of 2015 included former UNA volleyball standouts Rachel Price Bell and Ronda Price Brinley, who were All-American and Academic All-America® honorees while at UNA from 1996-99.
North Alabama was again represented with two inductees in 2016 with former head baseball coach Mike Lane and former quarterback Cody Gross included in the third induction class.
With the addition of former UNA head football coach Bobby Wallace in 2017 and Hargett in 2018, North Alabama accounted for eight of the first 30 inductees into the GSC Hall of Fame.
Willingham, a Florence, Ala., native, was a three-year starter on UNA baseball teams from 1998-2000 and earned All-American and Academic All-America® honors for the Lions, becoming one of the most recognized student-athletes in school history.
During his three seasons at UNA he tied or broke 14 school records.
A two-time All-Gulf South Conference, two-time Academic All-GSC, two-time ABCA All-South Central Region and two-time ABCA All-American (first-team in 1999 and second-team in 2000) selection, Willingham was also named Academic All-America@ in 2000, making him one of a select group of student-athletes in school history to be both an All-American and Academic All-America® honoree.
During his career he led UNA to a combined 119-40-1 record that included the 1999 Gulf South Conference Championship, the 1999 NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championship and a trip to the 1999 Division II College World Series. He also earned five GSC Player of the Week honors and was selected as UNA's Male Athlete of the Year for 1999-2000. .
Willingham spent 11 years in the Major Leagues, playing five seasons with the Florida Marlins, two with the Washington Nationals, one with Oakland A's, two with the Minnesota Twins and one with the Kansas City Royals.
On July 27, 2009, Willingham became the 13th player in MLB history to hit two grand slams in the same game and the 7th in MLB history to accomplish this feat in back to back innings.
He played in 1,147 major league games and has a .253 career batting average with 988 hits, 564 runs scored and 632 runs batted in. He hit 195 home runs and added 199 doubles and 15 triples for 426 career extra-base hits. His 553 career walks helped give him an impressive .358 on base percentage. He had a .465 slugging percentage.
In 2012 he received an American League Silver Slugger Award and was named as the Minnesota Twins Most Valuable Player.
In 2014, he played with the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 American League Wild Card Game, the 2014 American League Divisional Series and the 2014 World Series.
Josh and his wife Ginger also started a charitable foundation, The Josh Willingham Foundation, with the primary purpose of providing support, education, clothing and other assistance to at-risk children; educate the public and professionals about at-risk children and the actions that can be taken to help at-risk children; and provide support to charitable organizations that combat child abuse, provide educational support to children and help research cures to childhood diseases and assist children with such diseases.
The Josh Willingham Foundation has also been involved with disaster relief for the victims of tornadoes across northwest Alabama.
The Josh Willingham Foundation's new flagship program is Isaiah's Call Mission 58. The Foundation is providing children with backpacks that are filled with food every week. The unmarked backpacks, once returned, are filled again the next week. The Isaiah's Call Mission 58 is currently serving schools in the counties of Lauderdale, Colbert, and Franklin.
Willingham continues to be active with the University of North Alabama baseball program, as he spends time with the team, coaching staff and UNA fans. In 2010 he made a donation of a hitting facility which includes three hitting tunnels and three tee hitting areas to support Lions' baseball.
UNA LIONS IN THE GSC HALL OF FAME
2014 Bill Jones
2014 Ronald McKinnon
2015 Rachel Price Bell
2015 Ronda Price Brinley
2016 Mike Lane
2016 Cody Gross
2017 Bobby Wallace
2018 Douglas Hargett
2020 Josh Willingham
