Central Michigan University Athletics
2010 Hall of Fame Profile: Carey Ross
10/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Each day leading up to the Friday, October 29 CMU Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, one member of the Class of 2010 will be featured with an article on cmuchippewas.com. Each article will be written by Hall of Fame committee member and former CMU Sports Information Director Don Helinski.
Tickets for the 2010 induction banquet are available at a cost of $40 each. To purchase tickets, call the CMU Athletic Ticket Office at 1-888-FIRE-UP2.
2010 Hall of Fame Profile: Carey Ross
A strong work ethic turned Central Michigan University third baseman Carey Ross from a JV player into an All-American.
"Carey was not a scholarship player," former coach Dave Keilitz said. "We recruited him and encouraged him to come here, but we didn't give him a scholarship. He played on the JV team his freshman year and then a little bit on varsity his sophomore year.
"During his junior year he broke into the lineup and then he had the great all-around year as a senior."
And a great year it was in 1983.
Ross batted a brisk .413 with 38 RBI as he set CMU single-season records for doubles (18) and stolen bases (39). He earned first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors that year, one of two unanimous picks.
Ross capped the season by being named a first-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
"Carey was a complete player," Keilitz said. "He was an outstanding defensive third baseman and a highly successful base stealer. Normally you think of third basemen for power, not running, but Carey had great base running instincts. He had the ability to read the pitcher and get a good jump."
Ross swiped 39 bases as a senior to lead the MAC and rank among the top 10 marks in league history. His 18 doubles were also tops in the league that season.
Incredibly, Ross stole 77 bases in 86 attempts for his career, a success rate of .875. His 77 stolen bases then ranked second on CMU's career chart and still rank sixth-best in school history.
"Carey got on base a lot," Keilitz said. "He walked a lot and had a great average. My coaching philosophy was to manufacture runs with stolen bases and hit-and-runs, and we had plenty of opportunities to score because of him."
Ross compiled a .357 career batting average with 33 doubles, nine homers and 89 RBI. He was selected in the eighth round of the 1983 MLB Draft by Kansas City and played three years in the minor leagues with the Royals and Brewers organizations.
"Carey is one of the guys you take pride in recruiting and watching mature," Keilitz said. "To know where he came in at and what he was able to accomplish is a real credit to him and his work ethic. He made significant improvements each year and he did it the right way."
For his efforts on the diamond, Ross is being inducted into the CMU Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 29, in a ceremony at the Soaring Eagle Resort. The induction class also will be recognized at halftime of the CMU-Bowling Green football game on Saturday.
Joining Ross in the CMU Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2010 are Ryan Cunningham (wrestling, 1997-2000), Dave Daugherty (men's soccer, 1980-83), Jeffrey Goolsby (men's cross country/track and field, 1986-89), Tina (Kinney) Salley (softball, 1997-2000) and Steve Pung (men's swimming, 1969-72).
