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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – The National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 induction ceremony was held today in Cooperstown, New York, and former Ferrum College and Major League Baseball standout Billy Wagner was honored. Wagner is the first NCAA Division III player to be named to the Hall of Fame.

Following a brief rain delay, Wagner was joined in the Class of 2025 by Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia. All three were selected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). Additionally, Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the late Dick Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies have been selected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee.

"Billy Wagner's induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame is a testament to his extraordinary talent and grit as well as to the power of a Ferrum College education and experience," said Ferrum College President Mirta M. Martin. "He represents the very best of our Panther family, and we are bursting with pride as he takes his rightful place among baseball's greatest legends."

Wagner's 18-year professional baseball career began with being drafted in the first round of the Major League Baseball 1993 June Draft by the Houston Astros as the #12 pick overall. Wagner would spend 16 years in the majors, including stops with the Houston Astros 1995-2003, Philadelphia Phillies 2003-05, New York Mets 2005-2009, Boston Red Sox 2009, and Atlanta Braves 2010. As a minor league player, he spent time with the Auburn Astros (A) 1993, Quad City River Bandits (A) 1994, Jackson Generals (AA) 1995, and Tucson Toros (AAA) 1995.

Wagner made his Major League Baseball debut with the Astros on September 13, 1995. He is a seven-time MLB All-Star (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010) and was the 1999 MLB National League Rolaids Relief Award Winner.

Wagner closed his three-year Ferrum career with a 17-3 collegiate record and a 1.63 earned run average. He still holds the NCAA Div. III single-season record for most strikeouts per nine innings at 19.1 with 109 strikeouts in 51.1 innings in 1992, and the career record for most strikeouts per nine innings, with 16.0 with 327 strikeouts in 182.1 innings. Wagner was a 1993 first-team NCAA Division III All-American for the Panthers. He also played a year as a starting defensive back on Ferrum's football team in 1990, with one career interception.

Wagner's MLB Numbers

• Career Saves: 422, second best by a left-hand reliever. Eighth best all time.
• Career Strikeouts: 1,196, second most ever by a left-hand reliever and sixth most among all relievers
• Highest K/9 of all time with 11.9 (min. 900 innings pitched)
• Four 100-strikeout seasons
• Ten seasons with at least 75 strikeouts
• .187 career batting average allowed
• Career Earned Run Average: 2.31
• 2010 Earned Run Average: 1.43 
• Nine 30-save seasons
• Drafted: first round in 1993 by Houston Astros as 12th pick overall
• Major League Teams (by games pitched): Astros/Phillies/Mets/Red Sox/Braves 
• MLB career stats: 47-40 record, 2.31 ear, 422 saves, 11.9 strikeouts per 9 innings

Wagner is head baseball coach at the Miller School of Albemarle in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was enshrined in the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in November of 2019. Wagner is married to Ferrum alumnae Sarah Quesenberry, a former basketball player at Ferrum who scored 1134 career points from 1991 to 1994 and earned a pair of All-Conference selections.