Eastern Michigan Athletics
EMU Greats Welch and Collins Earn Michigan Baseball HOF Induction
8/3/2026 5:31:00 PM | Baseball
Ceremony takes place Friday, Aug. 7, in Lansing, Mich.
LANSING, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University baseball alumni Bob Welch and Terry Collins will be inducted into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame Friday, Aug. 7, at the Hall of Fame at Jackson® Field™, in Lansing.
Welch is one of four first round Major League Baseball draft picks in program history while Collins served as a major-league manager for 13 seasons.
An Eastern Michigan legend, Welch raked in a plethora of accolades while playing a pivotal role in the Eagles' 1975 and 1976 College World Series runs, culminating in a runner-up finish in the 1976 campaign. The workhorse right-hander earned All-American status following the 1976 season after posting a 10-3 record with 111 strikeouts in 94 innings pitched, and a 1.82 ERA, the second-best in program history. Welch was named All-Mideast Region First Team in 1976 and All-Mid-American Conference First Team from 1975-76. Additionally, he was inducted into the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame in 1990 and the E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.
Welch was selected 20th overall in the 1977 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, reaching the major-league level in 1978. Over the next decade, he became a fixture in the Los Angeles rotation from 1978-1987. He worked under the bright lights of postseason baseball and learned to navigate veteran lineups in the National League.
After his tenure in Los Angeles, Welch joined the Oakland Athletics and reached another level. In 1990, he produced one of the most dominant seasons in modern baseball. He went 27-6 for Oakland and won the American League Cy Young Award, Major League Baseball's top pitching honor. His 27 wins remain one of the highest single-season totals in the past half-century.
A 1970 NAIA National Champion, Terry Collins thrived as a middle infielder for the Eagles from 1968-71. Collins was named the Defensive MVP during the 1970 NAIA National Championship and was selected in the 19th round of the 1971 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Despite falling short of the big leagues as a player, Collins made himself known on the top step of three MLB dugouts as a manager for the Houston Astros (1994-96), Anaheim Angels (1997-99), and New York Mets (2011-17). Most notably, Collins led the Mets to an NL East title in 2015, reaching as far as the World Series where New York fell to the Kansas City Royals in five games. Overall, Collins posted a 995-1,017 record as a major-league manager.
The 2026 class will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at Jackson® Field™ on Friday, Aug. 7, prior to the Lansing Lugnuts' 7:05 p.m. game with the Lake County Captains. The plaques, located above the left field wall, will be unveiled at approximately 6:20 p.m. following a special pregame program.
The 2026 class was selected from a ballot formed via nominations from throughout Michigan, and voted upon by a committee comprising Joe Block, Gary Gillette, Fred Heumann, Mario Impemba, Bill Killian, Geoff Kimmerly, Rich Maloney, Tim Staudt, and Mark Uyl.
For more information on the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame, visit michiganbaseballhall.org or call (517) 485-4500.
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Keep up with all things Eastern baseball by following the team on X @EMU_Baseball, and on Instagram @emu_baseball.
Welch is one of four first round Major League Baseball draft picks in program history while Collins served as a major-league manager for 13 seasons.
An Eastern Michigan legend, Welch raked in a plethora of accolades while playing a pivotal role in the Eagles' 1975 and 1976 College World Series runs, culminating in a runner-up finish in the 1976 campaign. The workhorse right-hander earned All-American status following the 1976 season after posting a 10-3 record with 111 strikeouts in 94 innings pitched, and a 1.82 ERA, the second-best in program history. Welch was named All-Mideast Region First Team in 1976 and All-Mid-American Conference First Team from 1975-76. Additionally, he was inducted into the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame in 1990 and the E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.
Welch was selected 20th overall in the 1977 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, reaching the major-league level in 1978. Over the next decade, he became a fixture in the Los Angeles rotation from 1978-1987. He worked under the bright lights of postseason baseball and learned to navigate veteran lineups in the National League.
After his tenure in Los Angeles, Welch joined the Oakland Athletics and reached another level. In 1990, he produced one of the most dominant seasons in modern baseball. He went 27-6 for Oakland and won the American League Cy Young Award, Major League Baseball's top pitching honor. His 27 wins remain one of the highest single-season totals in the past half-century.
A 1970 NAIA National Champion, Terry Collins thrived as a middle infielder for the Eagles from 1968-71. Collins was named the Defensive MVP during the 1970 NAIA National Championship and was selected in the 19th round of the 1971 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Despite falling short of the big leagues as a player, Collins made himself known on the top step of three MLB dugouts as a manager for the Houston Astros (1994-96), Anaheim Angels (1997-99), and New York Mets (2011-17). Most notably, Collins led the Mets to an NL East title in 2015, reaching as far as the World Series where New York fell to the Kansas City Royals in five games. Overall, Collins posted a 995-1,017 record as a major-league manager.
The 2026 class will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at Jackson® Field™ on Friday, Aug. 7, prior to the Lansing Lugnuts' 7:05 p.m. game with the Lake County Captains. The plaques, located above the left field wall, will be unveiled at approximately 6:20 p.m. following a special pregame program.
The 2026 class was selected from a ballot formed via nominations from throughout Michigan, and voted upon by a committee comprising Joe Block, Gary Gillette, Fred Heumann, Mario Impemba, Bill Killian, Geoff Kimmerly, Rich Maloney, Tim Staudt, and Mark Uyl.
For more information on the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame, visit michiganbaseballhall.org or call (517) 485-4500.
Follow Us
Keep up with all things Eastern baseball by following the team on X @EMU_Baseball, and on Instagram @emu_baseball.
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