Sept. 29, 2004

Fresno, Calif. - Jeff Weaver, Jason Wood, Don George and the members of the 1988 Fresno State Bulldog Baseball team have been announced as the Class of 2004 inductees into the Fresno State Baseball Hall of Fame.

They will join other members such as long-time coaches Pete Beiden and Bob Bennett, along with former major leaguers Dan Gladden and Bobby Jones.

Weaver has been one of the finest baseball players that Fresno State has produced. In the 1998 draft, Weaver was selected as the 14th pick overall by the Detroit Tigers. He immediately made an impact, becoming the fastest Tiger ever to make the major league ball club. As of Sept. 28, Weaver has posted 64 wins and has struck out 775 batters in a seven-year career with the Tigers, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. During his three years at Fresno State, Weaver had a 33-15 record with a 3.12 ERA and struck out 477 batters, which remains a school record. Weaver also pitched for the United States Olympic team in Atlanta, winning a bronze medal in 1996.

Wood was a key member of the 1991 team that, while unheralded at the beginning of the year, finished fifth at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Wood started all 65 games that season at shortstop, hitting .343 with six HR and 56 RBIs. He also earned All-America honors that season and was drafted in the 11th round by the Oakland A's in 1991. Wood has played in the Major Leagues with the A's and the Tigers, and is currently playing for the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

George was a two-year letterwinner for the baseball program, in 1951 and 1952. Playing right field under then head coach Pete Beiden, the team had two successful years, finishing 36-4 and 33-11 overall in those seasons. George led the 1951 team in hitting, batting.333, and he ended the 1952 season with a .297 average, five doubles and 27 RBIs.

A College World Series appearance, the program's only No. 1 ranking and the third-longest winning streak in NCAA history marked the 1988 Fresno State squad. The team was one of the most prolific offensively in Fresno State history. The Bulldogs ended the season with a .350 average, hitting 120 homeruns and knocking in a staggering 606 RBIs. The team ended the season ranked No. 2 and finished the season with a school-best 56-12 record. This team is the second team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, following the 1959 squad, which was inducted in 2003.

The inductees will be honored at the Fresno State Baseball Hall of Fame Awards Banquet on Thursday, Oct. 21. The event will be held at Pardini's on Shaw and Van Ness. A no-host social begins the evening at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and the program begins at 8 p.m., featuring video presentations, interviews with past players and the parade of past inductees. Tickets are $40 per person or $400 for a table of 10. For more information, please call (559) 297-8189.