Eleven College of Wooster alumni or coaches have been selected as part of the Ohio Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The induction is set to take place Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Dayton Convention Center. Tom Dinger '71 (men's basketball), Frank Gamble (baseball coach), Mike Hatfield '87 (baseball), Ginny Hunt (administrator, field hockey and volleyball coach), Brenda Meese '75 (administrator, field hockey and women's lacrosse coach), Steve Moore (men's basketball coach), Nan Nichols (administrator, women's basketball and swimming and diving coach), Bob Nye (men's golf and men's soccer coach), Tim Pettorini (baseball coach), Earl Shaw '50 (men's basketball), and L.W. St. John '06 (administrator, baseball, football, and men's basketball coach) are this year's inductees with ties to Wooster.

Dinger is arguably the best men's basketball player in program history. Despite playing before the 3-point line was introduced, he still holds a dozen school records, including points in a game (48), in a season (767) when he averaged 30.7 as a junior, and in a career (2,370). He was picked for the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America team as a senior and earned three first-team all-district certificates from the organization.

Gamble spent several years as an assistant with Wooster's storied baseball program. He served as a base coach and worked closely with the infielders. At the high school level, he is one of the winningest coaches in Ohio, having won over 600 games. Fifty of his players went on to play collegiately.

Hatfield was an American Baseball Coaches Association all-region outfielder and three-time All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection. The W Association Paul V. Barrett Award recipient spent 18 years at Batavia High School as its basketball coach, guiding the program to four conference titles. He also coached golf, track and field, and cross country at the high school level.

Hunt, a legendary and tireless advocate, teacher, coach, administrator, and mentor, who helped start the first women's varsity athletic teams at the College, joined the faculty in 1962. She served as the first director of athletics for women at Wooster and was the acting chair of the Department of Physical Education from 1973-74. She is believed to be the very first woman to head both a men's and women's department. She was named the first head coach for the field hockey and volleyball teams upon their elevation to varsity status. Hunt was among the first women inducted to Wooster's W Association Hall of Fame and she was actively involved with the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, the NCAA, and the U.S. Olympic Committee during her career.

Meese is one of the winningest coaches in NCAA field hockey history. She compiled a 302-198-4 record as Wooster's head field hockey coach and was at the helm of five NCAC championship teams, highlighted by outright titles in 2001 and 2006. During her tenure, the Fighting Scots made three appearances in the NCAA Div. III Championships, including a first-round win when Wooster served as host for a 2009 game, a first in program history. Under Meese, Wooster's field hockey student-athletes earned 13 National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-America certificates, 105 All-Great Lakes Region honors, and 154 All-NCAC awards. Meese instructed courses at the College on women in sport and fencing. She was the advisor for the Women's Athletic and Recreation Association. Her research interests center around women and sport in the transitional era (1950s-1970s) when women's participation in sport at the collegiate level shifted from play days and sport days to varsity competition. Meese still regularly offers a variety of presentations on her extensive research for the campus and local communities.

Moore, part of Small College Basketball's 2026 Hall of Fame class, authored one of the most successful college basketball coaching careers. In 33 years at Wooster, he guided the Scots to a 780-188 record, becoming NCAA Div. III's second-winningest coach along the way. He retired in 2020 with a 39-year head coaching record of 867-253. He guided Wooster to 28 appearances in the NCAA Div. III Championship, including a record 18 straight appearances. Wooster won 82 percent of its games under Moore in the 2000s, and the program reached the national semifinals in 2003, 2007, and 2011, with the Scots playing for the national championship in 2011.

Nichols returned to the College in 1965 following her pursuit of a master's degree at Bowling Green State University. Her return to Wooster marked the beginning of varsity athletics for women. Field hockey, basketball, and volleyball were the first varsity sports for women established, and during the next two decades, the programs continued to expand, reaching 11 sports in 1985 when varsity women's soccer was added. As head women's basketball coach, Nichols guided the Scots to three national tournament appearances, one conference championship, and an overall record of 186-131. As head women's swimming and diving coach, she led the Scots to a 70-8 record, even though she had never been a competitive swimmer. Nichols served as director of women's athletics for 21 years and played a major role in the establishment of the Centennial Conference from women in 1983 and the NCAC in 1984.

Nye was an icon at Wooster, serving as men's golf and men's soccer head coach and the PGA professional at the College's L.C. Boles Memorial Golf Course. He took over as golf coach in 1967 and molded Wooster into one of the top collegiate programs in the country. His 1975 team won the inaugural NCAA Div. III national championship and remains the lone team national championship in Wooster history. He took Wooster to 21 NCAA Championships, highlighted by 10 top-10 finishes. In soccer, he coached nearly 500 games, guiding the Scots to six conference titles, 12 NCAA berths, and an overall record of 269-188-41. At L.C. Boles Memorial Golf Course, he provided lessons for hundreds of area golfers over the years.

Pettorini turned Wooster's baseball program into one of NCAA Div. III's elite during his 38 years in the Art Murray dugout. He retired with a 1,243-461-6 ledger and led the Scots to a pair of national runner-up finishes. Upon retiring as skipper, he ranked fifth all-time in Div. III wins, his student-athletes earned 59 All-America certificates, and 220 All-NCAC honors. Pettorini's Scots won the inaugural NCAC championship in 1985 and a league-leading 18 more conference crowns followed over the years. He led the Scots to six NCAA Div. III World Series, where the team also placed third in addition to the runner-up showings in 1997 and 2009.

Shaw, quoted by legendary head coach E.M. "Mose" Hole as the "best all-around player I've ever had," was the first 1,000-point scorer in program history. His 1,491 points were the most upon graduation and stood as the school record for a decade. Despite playing well before the 3-point line was introduced, only 12 Wooster players have surpassed Shaw's 1,491 points in the last 76 years. He averaged 17.8 points per night and was a four-time All-Ohio honoree.

St. John is synonymous with Ohio State University athletics, yet before his 34 years at the Buckeyes' athletic director, his career started at Wooster. He enrolled at Wooster in 1902 and served as head coach for football, men's basketball, and baseball, and held duties as Wooster's first athletic director – all while working towards a college degree. At Ohio State, he is credited as "the greatest single force in building the tradition of excellence in athletics." Under his supervision, Ohio Stadium was built, the Scarlet and Gray golf courses were established, and Ohio State rose to national prominence as an athletic power.

More information, including ticket information for the Ohio Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, can be found on the organization's website, https://ohshof.com/.