Charlie Giaudrone is part of the 2024 Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame induction class. The class will be inducted on Sun., Jan. 28.

Charlie Giaudrone declined the offer to redshirt as a freshman, despite the advice of coaches who told him experienced Shockers stood in his way. An excellent student, Giaudrone planned to get his degree and attend podiatry school.

"I told them I was only going to be here for four years, and I didn't have any interest in redshirting," Giaudrone said. "That was one of the better decisions of my life."

The freshman from McAlester, Okla., went about making an impression on a staff with future big-leaguers Greg Brummett and Tyler Green, as well as Pat Cedeno, an NCAA All-Regional pick in 1988, closer Jim Newlin and others.

"He had the best control out of the freshmen," said teammate and roommate Jay Haffley, a backup catcher. "He got people out. He was always 88-90 mph, but he was getting the job done – making them miss or making them hit it weakly."

After an up and down fall, Giaudrone excelled early in the spring and shut down any thoughts of redshirting for the 1989 season. A few months later, coaches so trusted him and his ability to throw strikes and mix up pitches that he started two elimination games won by Wichita State during its run to the 1989 College World Series title.

"He had confidence," coach Gene Stephenson said. "He just kept getting people out. Every time you put him out there you knew you were going to get a good performance."

Giaudrone, a member of the 2024 class of the Wichita State Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, retired hitters for four seasons as a Shocker and his name is all over some of the biggest games from 1989-1992.

"My key was using my team," he said. "I was a groundball pitcher. Strike one is the best pitch in baseball. That was my secret to success."

He double-majored in chemistry and business with a 3.44 grade-point average and earned 1992 National Academic Athlete-of-the-Year honors from the group now known as College Sports Communicators.

"Gene always stressed academics and I appreciated that," Giaudrone said. "Coaches prepared us for life beyond baseball. Work hard. Be a team player. There will be life after baseball."

In 1989, Giaudrone started and earned the win in a 9-5 win over Michigan in the West II Regional championship. In Omaha, he held Florida State scoreless for four innings in a 7-4 elimination game triumph.

"I think I still have the shirt that has 'Never be satisfied' on the back," he said. "That was one of our mantras. The thing I remember is that if you work hard, you'll get your opportunity. It's a meritocracy in Gene's program."

In 1991, he held California to four earned runs over six innings in an 11-5 win in the Midwest Regional title game. In 1992, he opened the Midwest Regional with seven scoreless innings in a 9-0 win over George Washington to run his scoreless innings streak to 29 2/3.

Giaudrone went 31-7 with a 2.69 earned run average in his four seasons, which included a 1989 six-inning no-hitter against Fordham. He earned All-Missouri Valley Conference and second-team ABCA All-American honors in 1992.

"I had never seen anybody throw the ball the way he threw the ball," Haffley said. "It looked like his hand was coming right out of his shoulder. He was so flexible in his shoulders that he could snap his elbows together behind his back. He had some funky movement on the baseball."

Giaudrone, who lives in Huntersville, N.C. and is an executive vice president for Covia, an industrial minerals company, remembers Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Arkansas offering walk-on spots. Late in his senior year, he committed to NAIA power Oklahoma City University. He played in an all-star game later that spring with Shocker pitching coach Brent Kemnitz watching him throw two innings.

Giaudrone visited WSU and happily took a scholarship offer to play for a program coming off a 1988 College World Series appearance. Later in the summer, he pitched well in another all-star game in front of coaches from Arkansas, OU and OSU.

"The most satisfying thing is that each coach from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Arkansas revisited me, 'So, where are you going?'" he said.

Giaudrone said he told them he appreciated their interest, pointed to Kemnitz and told them he signed with Wichita State.

"I can't tell you how satisfying that was," he said. "We had great success against those schools while I was at Wichita State."

Another good decision by Giaudrone.