Hershiser, Cartwright Among Those Announced For Induction Into 2018 MAC Hall Of Fame

Cleveland, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference announced today the 2018 MAC Hall of Fame Induction Class as five new members will be inducted in the MAC Hall of Fame on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 during the MAC Honor's Dinner at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel. Among the five inductees are former BGSU baseball player Orel Hershiser and former BGSU President Dr. Carol Cartwright. Charlie Batch (Eastern Michigan, football), Michael Turner (Northern Illinois, football) and Dana Drew-Shaw (Toledo, women's basketball) round out the 2018 class.

"We have such a storied history within our Conference and it is important to honor and celebrate the accomplishments of our former students, coaches and administrators, specifically these five individuals, and their achievements during their time competing in the Mid-American Conference," said Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, MAC Commissioner. "We are honored to welcome this year's class to the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame."

"The Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame is a testament to the achievements of those that have competed and served in this great Conference," added Steinbrecher.

The MAC Hall of Fame was approved by the MAC Council of Presidents in 1987. The charter class was inducted in 1988 and subsequent classes were added in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1994. After six induction classes, the MAC Hall of Fame maintained 52 members until it was reinstated in May of 2012. This year's class brings the number of MAC Hall of Fame inductees to 92 individuals from 13 classes.

Tickets are available for the MAC Honor's Dinner on Wednesday, May 30 at 6:00 pm ET at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel. Individual tickets ($100 each) and a table of ten ($950) are available for purchase. Contact Julie Kachner at the Mid-American Conference office at 216-566-462

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Founded in 1946, the Mid-American Conference is an NCAA Division I, 12-member conference that sponsors 23 championships and is one of 10 members of the Football Bowl Subdivison (FBS). With total enrollment of nearly 300,000 students, the league represents institutions of higher learning in five (5) states - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, and Ohio.

Current MAC schools that hold full membership and the year they joined are -- East Division: University of Akron (1992), Bowling Green State University (1952), University at Buffalo (1998), Kent State University (1951), Miami University (1947), Ohio University (1946). West Division: Ball State University (1973), Central Michigan University (1971), Eastern Michigan University (1971), Northern Illinois University (1975-86, rejoined in 1997), University of Toledo (1950), Western Michigan University (1947). The conference office is based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Bios on the 2018 MAC Hall of Fame Class:

Orel Hershiser – Bowling Green (baseball):
Orel Hershiser arrived at Bowling Green in 1977 and competed for two seasons (1977-79) before embarking on a MLB career, which spanned 17 years and included a World Series Championship, was named World Series MVP, Cy Young Award winner, Gold Glove Award winner and a three-time MLB All Star.

At Bowling Green, Hershiser was a 1979 All-MAC First Team performer and was named the team's Most Outstanding Pitcher as he went 6-2 with a 2.26 ERA, striking out 52 batters in 62.2 innings. His best outing as a Falcon came on May 4, 1979, when he threw a no-hitter at Kent State. He remains the last Falcon pitcher to toss a complete game, no-hitter. He was a 1985 inductee into the Bowling Green Athletics Hall of Fame.

Hershiser was drafted in the 17^th round of the 1979 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. After a few seasons in the Dodgers farm system, he was called up on Sept. 1, 1983 and pitched against Montreal. He earned a save the night the Dodgers clinched the 1983 National League West title.
Hershiser, nicknamed "The Bulldog", would make the 1984 Dodgers as a reliever, but was soon converted to a starting pitcher. He finished the season with a record of 11-8 and had the longest consecutive inning scoreless streak of any pitcher with 33.2 innings in 1984. In 1985, Hershiser went 19-3 with an ERA of 2.06.

After 12 years with the Dodgers, Hershiser returned to Ohio where he spent three seasons with the Cleveland Indians, where he recorded a record of 45-21 and a 4.19 ERA in 91 games played. He later played one season with both the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets before returning to the Dodgers for his final season in Major League Baseball. Hershiser retired following the 2000 season and finished his career with a 204-150 record and a 3.48 ERA.

During his time in the major leagues, Hershiser was named an All-Star three times (1987-89), awarded the National League Cy Young Award (1988), received the Gold Glove Award (1988) and the Silver Slugger Award (1993). He led the Dodgers to a World Series Championship in 1988, where he was named World Series MVP as well. Hershiser also holds the MLB record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched with 59, a feat he set in 1988.

Hershiser has published two books, the first with co-author Jerry B. Jenkins titled Out of the Blue was published in 1989. The book describes his rise to the big leagues, allowing fans an insight of what life in Dodger Blue was like. He also released a book in 2002 titled Between the Lines: Nine Things Baseball Taught Me About Life, which detailed his career and the values he learned during his tenure in MLB.

Hershiser resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife, Dana, and son's Orel and Jordan, along with stepson, Spencer, and stepdaughter, Sloane.

Charlie Batch – Eastern Michigan (football):
Eastern Michigan's Charlie Batch (1994-97) enjoyed an outstanding career as quarterback and completed 15 seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions (1998-2001) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (2002-12), where he totaled over 60 touchdowns and 11,000 passing yards. Batch earned four letters at Eastern Michigan (1994-97) and graduated with nearly all of the school's passing records, including total offensive yards (7,715), single-season offensive yards (3,229 in 1995) and again in 1997 (3,390), career passing yards (7,592), and career touchdown passes (53), before being drafted by the Lions in the second round of the NFL Draft in 1998.

Batch was named Eastern Michigan's Most Valuable Player in 1997 and earned first team All-MAC honors in 1995 after leading the team to a 6-5 record. He was drafted in the second round of the 1998 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions as the 30th overall selection. He led the MAC in passing efficiency in 1995 at 129.73 and topped the league in total offense during the 1997 campaign at 308.2 ypg. Batch ranks 28^th in MAC history in yards in a career (7,592) and 29^th in career touchdown passes (53).

During his NFL career, Batch was the starting quarterback all four years with the Lions (1998-2001). He played in 81 games during his NFL career with 908 completions on 1,604 attempts for 11,085 yards and 61 touchdowns and was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl XL and XLIII Championship Teams. His leadership within the NFL extended far beyond the gridiron to include positions as the Vice President, Executive Committee for the NFL Players Association and NFL Spokesperson for the United Way.

In retirement, he has continued to be a respected strategist in the NFL, providing game commentary for national sports outlets including CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, SiriusXM NFL Radio and Yahoo Sports. Batch resides in Pittsburgh, Pa. and currently works for KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh as a pre-game analyst for the Steelers as well as a color commentator for their preseason games. He also serves as Senior Captain for The Trust Powered by the NFLPA, an initiative that Mr. Batch helped negotiate in 2011 with NFL team owners, and he helps former players achieve their dreams after football as a Transition Consultant for the NFLPA.

Batch was named the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2006 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. He created the 'Best of the Batch Foundation' for youth in disadvantaged communities in the Pittsburgh area and has also established Project C.H.U.C.K, which stands for Continuously Helping Uplift Community Kids in his hometown of Homestead, Pa.

He has established himself as a community advocate, philanthropist and public speaker. In 1999, he created the Best of the Batch Foundation, which gives Pittsburgh city kids a safe place to learn and grow. The Foundation includes a summer basketball league that teaches good sportsmanship and life skills; year-long reading and computer literacy programs; and a Batchpacks for Kids school supply program. In addition to his own foundation, Batch serves on multiple boards including the Strong Women Strong Girls National Advisory Board, the Humane Animal Rescue, and the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, among others. He is a National Speakers Association (NSA) professional speaker, and he has completed several NFL Business Management, Communications and Entrepreneurial programs through Harvard Business School, Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, the University of Notre Dame and Bowling Green State University. In 2013, he was awarded the United Way of Allegheny County Outstanding Campaign Volunteer of the Year, the Byron "Whizzer" White NFLPA Man of the Year Award, and the Baptist Ministries Conference Award "Hero in the Midst."

Batch graduated with a degree in criminal justice in 1997 and in December of 2017, he completed his Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Robert Morris University. He also received an honorary Doctor of Public Service Degree from Eastern Michigan in 2015, and in 2014, he received an honorary Degree of Doctor of Human Letters, Honoris Causa, Public Service, from La Roche College, and the year before, he was presented with an honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service from Washington & Jefferson College.

Batch is a co-founder of Impellia, a sports technology company which provides sensor-based technologies that empower sports medicine professionals and athletes a user-friendly platform from which they can quantify and monitor human movement and physiology to provide personalized data to improve athletic performance.

Dr. Carol Cartwright – MAC/Bowling Green/Kent State (administration):
Dr. Carol A. Cartwright's career in higher education was distinguished by innovative teaching, pioneering research and national leadership. She served as Kent State University President from 1991-2006 and Bowling Green State University President from 2008-2011. She became Kent State University's 10th president – and the first woman president of a state university in Ohio – in March 1991. She retired as president in June 2006. Prior to her career at Kent State, she was vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of California at Davis and dean for undergraduate programs and vice provost at The Pennsylvania State University.??

Dr. Cartwright was the first woman to serve as president of Bowling Green State University. She was named president on January 6, 2009, after serving as interim president since July 2008. During her three years at Bowling Green, she created a new strategic plan, focused on improving campus facilities and enhancing the academic profile of the institution.

Dr. Cartwright held prominent leadership roles in higher education's most influential national organizations, chairing the board of directors of the American Association for Higher Education and serving on the boards of directors of the American Council on Education, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and the American Association of Colleges and Universities. She chaired the National Collegiate Athletic Association Executive Committee and served as a member of the NCAA's board of directors. She also served on the executive board of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the Center for Research Libraries board of directors and the American Council on Education Commission on Women in Higher Education. In addition, she has served on the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, the National Public Radio board of directors, and the ACE Commission on International Initiatives.??

The scope of her contributions to higher education led to Dr. Cartwright's induction into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. She received Distinguished Alumni awards from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater and the University of Pittsburgh; the Clairol Mentor Award in Education; the YWCA Greater Cleveland Women of Achievement Award; the Northeast Ohio ATHENA Award; and the March of Dimes Franklin Delano Roosevelt Humanitarian Award for Excellence. After announcing her retirement as president, she was honored throughout the region, state and nation, including receiving the title of President Emeritus from the Kent State University Board of Trustees. In addition, the Auditorium Building on the university's Kent Campus was named Carol A. Cartwright Hall in her honor.

In June 2017, the Bowling Green Board of Trustees granted her the title of President Emeritus, in recognition of her outstanding career in education and her leadership of Bowling Green State University.

Dr. Cartwright was a leading member of numerous regional and statewide civic and economic-development organizations, including the Greater Akron Chamber, the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education and NorTech. She co-chaired the Ohio Technology in Education Committee, which developed Ohio's master plan for educational technology from preschool through graduate school. Her participation in initiatives to improve Ohio's economy includes past service on the Governor's Commission on Higher Education and the Economy. Dr. Cartwright has also served on the boards of directors of three companies with headquarters in northeast Ohio: KeyCorp and PolyOne Corp. of Cleveland and FirstEnergy Corp. of Akron.?

In 2009, the MAC created the Cartwright Award to be given to one member institution for its program excellence in academics, athletics and citizenship. The Award is named in honor of Dr. Cartwright, one of the most highly respected voices in higher education.

Dr. Cartwright earned master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.

Michael Turner – Northern Illinois (football):
Michael Turner was key to the resurgence of NIU football under head coach Joe Novak from 2000-03. During his senior season of 2003, Turner led NIU to historic wins over No. 20 ranked Maryland and No. 19 ranked Alabama en route to a 7-0 record and No. 12 national ranking. The Huskies finished the year with a 10-2 overall record. During his junior year, the Huskies posted an 8-4 record with a win over ACC's Wake Forest and a 7-1 record to tie for first place in the MAC West.

Turner is Northern Illinois' career leader with 6,038 all-purpose yards and All-America honors from Football Digest, The Sporting News and CNN/Sports Illustrated in 2002 and Associated Press, CNN/Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News in 2003.

A native of Chicago, Turner's only scholarship offer was to NIU and he burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2000 when he rushed for over 200 yards in back-to-back weeks against Eastern Michigan (230) and Central Michigan (281) and finished as the nation's leading freshman rusher (89.4 yards per game). After finishing his sophomore season as NIU's second-leading rusher and kick returner, Turner rushed for 1,915 yards and 19 touchdowns during a breakout junior season.

His 1,915 yards as a junior were the second-highest total in the nation and he tied the school record with 19 touchdowns on his way to First Team All-MAC honors. He was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, in addition to the All-American honors. He also recorded 100 yards receiving and 269 yards on kick returns for 2,284 total all-purpose yards. Turner finished his spectacular NIU career with 1,648 rushing yards as a senior, the fourth-highest total in the country, including 14 touchdowns, as he once again garnered All-MAC First Team honors and All-America recognition.

Turner finished his career with a school-record 940 rushing attempts and ranked second in school history with 4,941 rushing yards. His 48 touchdowns rank fourth in Huskie history and he recorded 21 100-yard rushing games, the third-most in school history. He is tied for the school record for single season 200-yard rushing games and twice had nine 100-yard rushing games in a season.

In MAC annals, Turner ranks third in career rushing yards (4,941), third in career rushing attempts (940), fifth in career all-purpose yards (6,038), eighth in career touchdowns (48) and 11^th in career rushing touchdowns (43). His 1,915 yards rushing in 2002 led the league and ranks third-highest single season totals in MAC history, while his 2,284 all-purpose yards in 2002 also led the league and ranks as seventh-highest single season totals in Conference history. He totaled a MAC record 52 carries in a game against Central Michigan in 2000 and tied a MAC record with five rushing touchdowns in a single game.

Turner was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played nine years in the NFL and averaged 4.5 yards per carry and scored 66 touchdowns with 7,338 career rushing yards on 1,639 career attempts. He also caught 70 passes for 528 yards. Turner played four seasons in San Diego (2004-07) and five seasons with Atlanta (2008-2012) and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Falcons (2008, 2010) and was named to the All-Pro team both years. During the 2008 season in Atlanta he gained 1,669 yards on 376 carries with 17 touchdowns, setting the Falcons single season touchdown record. He also owns the Atlanta Falcons record for career rushing touchdowns (60).

Turner was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.

Dana Drew-Shaw – Toledo (women's basketball):
Dana Drew-Shaw competed at Toledo in women's basketball from 1990-95 and was named MAC Player of The Year and All-MAC First Team in her sophomore and junior years, leading Toledo to three NCAA appearances and one WNIT berth. She guided Toledo to three regular season MAC Championships and three MAC Tournament Titles.

Drew averaged 11.7 ppg as a freshman, 15.0 ppg as a sophomore, 20.1 ppg as a junior and 19.0 ppg as a senior. She was name MAC Player of the Year her sophomore season and then sat out the 1992-93 season due to knee surgery, playing just three games that season. Drew came back for her junior season and was again named MAC Player of the Year. After sitting out several games due to injury, she was named All-MAC Second Team selection as a senior in 1994-95.

Drew was named to the MAC All-Tournament team on four occasions and was the MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player three times. Drew ranks second on Toledo's all-time career assists (659) and fourth in scoring (1,919). As a sophomore she played on the United States Olympic Festival team.

She was named Academic All-American First Team twice (1994, 1995) and was also named Academic All-MAC on three occasions (1991, 1994 and 1995). She was the recipient of the Walt Disney Post Graduate Scholarship, NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship, Mid-American Conference Post Graduate Scholarship and White Scholarship for Excellence in the Study of Political Science.

Drew is married to former Toledo Academic All-America basketball player Casey Shaw. They lived in Italy for several years, where Shaw was a professional basketball player and Drew played three years of professional basketball. They currently reside in Nashville with their four children, Anna, Isaiah, Caleb and Luke.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ken Mather, Assistant Commissioner/Media & Public Relations, 216-566-4622 x301

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