Who Has the Most Home Runs in College Baseball?
The record for most home runs in college baseball belongs to Pete Incaviglia, who hit 100 home runs during his career at Oklahoma State University from 1982 to 1985. In his 1985 season alone, Incaviglia broke the single-season record with 48 home runs. He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008 for his impressive college career.
The Best Home Run Hitters in College Baseball History
There are some other great home run hitters in college baseball history who have come close to Pete Incaviglia’s record. Here is a list of the top 10 home run hitters in college baseball history:
- Pete Incaviglia – 100 home runs – Oklahoma State University, 1982-1985
- Andy Beene – 73 home runs – University of Alabama, 1996-1999
- Kris Bryant – 62 home runs – University of San Diego, 2010-2013
- Matt LaPorta – 61 home runs – University of Florida, 2002-2005
- Alex Fernandez – 58 home runs – University of Miami, 1988-1990
- Mike Kelly – 54 home runs – Arizona State University, 1988-1991
- Pat Burrell – 53 home runs – University of Miami, 1996-1998
- Ryan Howard – 52 home runs – Southwest Missouri State University, 2000-2002
- Matt Williams – 51 home runs – University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1983-1986
- Jeff Clement – 50 home runs – University of Southern California, 2002-2005
Pete Incaviglia’s College Record
Pete Incaviglia is the all-time college home run leader, and his record is unlikely to be broken anytime soon. Incaviglia was a three-time All-American and won the 1985 Golden Spikes Award, given to the best amateur baseball player in the country. He hit a total of 100 home runs during his college career, including 48 in his 1985 season. That year, Incaviglia broke the single-season record that was previously held by Bob Horner of Arizona State University, who hit 47 home runs in 1978.
Incaviglia’s Major League Career
After his college career, Incaviglia was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 8th round of the 1985 MLB Draft. He made his Major League debut with the Texas Rangers in 1986 and went on to play 12 seasons in the big leagues. During his Major League career, Incaviglia hit 206 home runs, but never came close to his college record.
Other College Home Run Records
In addition to Pete Incaviglia’s college home run record, there are several other impressive records in college baseball. Here are a few of them:
- Most Home Runs in a Game: In 2001, Tino Martinez of the University of Tampa hit 4 home runs in a single game against St. Leo University.
- Most Home Runs in a Season: In 1999, Brad Cresse of Louisiana State University hit 68 home runs in a single season, which is tied for the most in college baseball history.
- Most Consecutive Home Runs: In 1997, Pat Burrell of the University of Miami hit 10 consecutive home runs in 10 straight at-bats.
College Baseball Power Hitters in the MLB
Several of the top home run hitters in college baseball history have gone on to have successful Major League careers. Here is a list of the top 10 college home run hitters who have also played in the MLB:
- Pete Incaviglia – 206 home runs – Montreal Expos/Texas Rangers/Philadelphia Phillies/Detroit Tigers/Baltimore Orioles/Florida Marlins, 1986-1998
- Kris Bryant – 217 home runs – Chicago Cubs/San Diego Padres, 2015-present
- Matt LaPorta – 57 home runs – Cleveland Indians/Milwaukee Brewers/New York Yankees, 2008-2013
- Alex Fernandez – 46 home runs – Florida Marlins/Chicago White Sox, 1990-2001
- Mike Kelly – 31 home runs – Atlanta Braves, 1995-1998
- Pat Burrell – 292 home runs – Philadelphia Phillies/Tampa Bay Rays/San Francisco Giants, 2000-2011
- Ryan Howard – 382 home runs – Philadelphia Phillies, 2004-2016
- Matt Williams – 320 home runs – San Francisco Giants/Cleveland Indians/Arizona Diamondbacks, 1987-2003
- Jeff Clement – 24 home runs – Seattle Mariners/Pittsburgh Pirates, 2006-2009
- Andy Beene – 0 home runs – None, played in Minor Leagues, 2000-2008
College Baseball Home Run Leaders Today
Today, the best college home run hitters are putting up some impressive numbers. Here is a list of the top 10 home run hitters in college baseball today:
- Brennon Lund – 22 home runs – Brigham Young University, 2016-present
- Andrew Vaughn – 21 home runs – California, 2016-present
- Alec Bohm – 20 home runs – Wichita State, 2016-present
- Spencer Torkelson – 18 home runs – Arizona State, 2016-present
- Gavin Sheets – 17 home runs – Wake Forest, 2016-present
- Triston Casas – 17 home runs – Miami, 2016-present
- Triston Pompey – 16 home runs – Kentucky, 2016-present
- Kody Hoese – 15 home runs – Tulane, 2016-present
- Jonathan India – 15 home runs – Florida, 2016-present
- Bryson Stott – 14 home runs – UNLV, 2016-present
Conclusion
The record for most home runs in college baseball belongs to Pete Incaviglia, who hit 100 home runs during his career at Oklahoma State University from 1982 to 1985. There are several other great home run hitters in college baseball history, and many of them have gone on to have successful Major League careers. Today, there are some impressive power hitters in college baseball, and it will be interesting to see if any of them can come close to Incaviglia’s record.
References
- College Baseball Hall of Fame. (n.d.). Pete Incaviglia. Retrieved from collegebaseballhall.org/players/pete-incaviglia/
- Major League Baseball. (n.d.). Pete Incaviglia Stats. Retrieved from mlb.com/player/pete-incaviglia-118699/stats
- NCAA. (n.d.). NCAA Baseball Records. Retrieved from fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/baseball_RB/2013/baseball_records.pdf