Dennis Hale (1988-91) capped a spectacular four-year pitching career in 1991 with his selection to the NCAA Division II All-America 2nd-Team, as well as being named to the 1991 CoSIDA Academic All-America 1st-Team. He was also the 1991 South Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year and Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) College Division Player of the Year, compiling a 13-2 record and a 2.48 ERA through 123.2 innings pitched as the Lancers finished a school-record 41-8 while advancing to the Division II World Series. Hale still holds school-records for career wins (33), consecutive wins (19), and winning percentage (.846, 33-6), and has school season-records for wins (13), complete games (10), innings pitched (123.2), and winning percentage (1.000, 11-0, 1990). Hale tossed one no-hitter during his career, against Mount Saint Mary’s in 1988, and also ranks second in career ERA (2.99), as well as third in career strikeouts (224) and innings pitched (283.0).
“It is a very humbling honor to be recognized with the group of athletes that have been inducted into the HOF thus far and to be recognized in light of all the great athletes, coaches and programs that have come before and after me at Longwood,” said Hale. “I also know that this recognition was not just about me but about all of the family, coaches, teammates and supporters that helped me along the way. This recognition has to be especially inclusive of the team members that I played with at Longwood, particularly the 1991 World Series Team which I feel made it possible to accomplish what I did.”
Hale is a 1991 Summa Cum Laude graduate as a physics major. He and his wife Barbara, an occupational therapist, have two sons (Austin and Aaron), and now live in Church Road where Hale serves as Chief of Fire & EMS for Dinwiddie County.
The 1991 Baseball Team finished a school-record 41-8 while advancing to the Final Four of the Division II World Series May 25-June 1, 1991 at Paterson Field in Montgomery, Alabama. Coached by veteran head coach Charles Buddy Bolding, Longwood went 3-2 at the World Series and was within one victory of the championship game, defeating American International (8-5), Florida Southern (11-6), and Missouri Southern State (11-8) while also falling twice to Missouri Southern State (3-6, 6-9). The Lancers had advanced to the National Championships after sweeping the South Atlantic Regional May 18-19 in Savannah, Georgia with three-straight wins past North Alabama (5-2), Armstrong State (10-4), and North Alabama (8-3), respectively. Longwood completed the regular season with a record of 35-6, including winning streaks of 16 and 11 consecutive victories, respectively, and established school records for wins (41), winning percentage (.837), and runs (431-8.98). The Lancers' roster totaled nineteen (19) team members: Dennis Hale '91 (team head captain), Scott Abell '92 (team captain), Eric Hutzler '91 (team captain), Michael Adams '93, Todd Bowman '93, Matt Carlisle '91, Nealan Chandler '91, Eric Hill '94, John Hutzler '93, Shawn Jones '93, Bill Martz '93, Chris Mullins '92, Chris Peebles '93, Chris Porter '93, Bill Reeves '95, Terry Taylor '93, Michael Tucker '93, Kyle Weaver '93, and Wayne Weaver '95. Coach Bolding was assisted that memorable season by Robert Jackson '89. Top individual honors for 1991 included Tucker (first team All-American, Regional Player of the Year), Hale (second team All-American, first team Academic All-American, Regional Pitcher of the Year), Abell (first team All-Region), Eric Hutzler (first team All-Region), Porter (second team All-Region), and Coach Bolding (Regional Coach of the Year). Tucker was previously inducted into the school's inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2005, while Hale was previously inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2007.
