Todd Dreifort is the 38^th baseball player or coach to be inducted into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. He joins younger brother and former Shocker baseball player Darren Dreifort, who was inducted in 2000. Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association named Dreifort a 1992 second-team All-America. He was also named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Teams in 1991 and 1992, as well as First Team All-District in 1992. A career .324 hitter, he hit .307 in four years of NCAA post-season play, which included 29 games (w/27 starts). The Montreal Expos of Major League Baseball later drafted Dreifort in the 22nd round.

“It's a shock,” Dreifort said. “I never thought I had the career to be inducted into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, but it's an awesome feeling.”

During Dreifort's freshman season, he was named to the 1989 College World Series All-Tournament team after hitting .364 in six games in route to the program's only national championship in 1989. While he's known for being a national champion, there were other things he wanted to be known for as well.

“I wanted to be known as someone who always worked hard,” Dreifort said. “I was out there to play for the program, university and the city of Wichita. My goal was to have people see that I played hard every game.”

When WSU won the '89 national championship, Dreifort recalled it as surreal.

“I was just along for the ride,” Dreifort said. “The season before, WSU was one pitch away from playing for a national championship. It was surreal because I watched the '88 team on TV get so close the season before as a senior in high school and the next season, I was a part of the championship team. It meant a great deal to me. However, I'm sure it meant more to (Eric) Wedge, (Mike) McDonald and (P.J.) Forbes because they almost won the championship in '88 and then won it the following year.”

That hard work allowed Dreifort to earn the accolades listed above. His head coach, Gene Stephenson, was a significant factor to his success at WSU.

“Coach Stephenson's saying was 'You're as good as the next performance,' so I continued to work,” Dreifort said. “We kept getting better as a team and individually everyday in practice. Our hard work always paid off during our games.”

While Dreifort had many highlights throughout his baseball career, there was one highlight he cherished more than anything else.

“The highlight of my baseball career was playing with my teammates,” Dreifort said. “Being here for four years with the teammates I had was great. I'll never forget the times that we shared in the locker room, during bus rides, and on and off the field.”

Now, Dreifort is the principal of Circle High in Towanda, Kan. He uses the lessons he learned from his baseball career and applied them to his job as principal.

“Working hard each and every day and treating people with respect,” Dreifort said. “It's kind of like coaching. We do what's best for the kids and the school on a daily basis. I make sure to put the faculty and the kids in the best possible position in order to succeed.”

Stephenson was proud to hear that Dreifort was getting inducted.

“This honor for Todd is well deserved and overdue,” Stephenson said. “He was a starting position player on three College World Series teams including the national championship team. He was always a clutch hitter, consistent player and as all great performers do, worked incessantly on things that he didn't do well to be a better team player. Congrats Todd, I will love you always.”