CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State Baseball program and head coach Chris Klimas have announced the date for this fall's Baseball Alumni Day, as well as the 2019 Wall of Honor Class for Rogers State Baseball.
 
Rogers State Baseball will host its Alumni Day on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at the Diamond Sports Complex with the game slated for an 11:30 a.m. start. The event will also feature the Alumni Home Run Derby which will be at 10:30 a.m. prior to the Wall of Honor Ceremony.
 
"I think that having the Alumni Game and Wall of Honor ceremony every two or three years really adds to the anticipation and excitement of the event," said Klimas. "It's always great to see some faces that have been instrumental in helping build what we have today, and getting to see them compete against each other always makes for a few good laughs."
 
Here is complete schedule of events and times:
9:00 a.m. - Field & Batting Cage Available
10:00 a.m. - Registration
10:30 a.m. - Alumni Home Run Derby
11:15 a.m. - Wall of Honor Ceremony
11:30 a.m. - Alumni Game (Seven Innings)
1:30 p.m. - A catered lunch
 
Klimas and the baseball program have also announced the 2019 Wall of Honor Class that will be inducted prior to the alumni game. The 2019 class features three players; Grant Cosby, Ryan Littlejohn and Lance Rymel, as well as broadcaster and voice of Hillcats Baseball Josh Haley.
 
"We are so excited to honor these four individuals that have had such a huge impact on building our program and helping put RSU baseball on the map at both the regional and national level," said Klimas. "I think that it is very important for our current players to pay tribute to those that came before them and laid the foundation for the successes that we have enjoyed in recent years in the NCAA, and these three player played a big part in the early success of our this program.  It's only fitting that we add Josh Haley to the Wall of Honor with this class, as his time and effort in calling so many of our regular and postseason games has helped spread the excitement of RSU baseball across the country."
 
For more information on the Baseball Alumni Day, click here to go to the Baseball Alumni Day page. Be sure to RSVP prior to the deadline of September 30.
 
2019 Baseball Wall of Honor Inductees
 

Grant Cosby Grant Cosby had a five-year career at Rogers State, overcoming an injury as a freshman to become one of the best to ever take the mound for the Hillcats. The right-handed hurler ended wrapped up his career as the winningest pitcher in the program's history.  Cosby, a Fayetteville, Ark. native, registered an 8-2 record as a senior, leading the Hillcats to the team's first conference tournament title in 2011, along with the first NAIA National Tournament appearance for the baseball program. Cosby made history by throwing the first pitch for RSU in the NAIA National Tournament in 2011. He ranked fourth in the NAIA in walks allowed per nine innings (.56) as a senior. Cosby wrapped up his career holding nearly every pitching record for the Hillcats and still holds four school records and just had another record surpassed this past season. Cosby is the all-time wins leaders for RSU with 26. He also ranks first in career innings pitched (288.2), career strikeouts (213) and career starts on the mound (44). Cosby held the career pitching appearances record until his record of 57 was passed during the 2019 postseason. Cosby spent two summers in Officer Candidate School before being commissioned to the Marine Corps at the Diamond Sports Complex following his playing career and graduation from Rogers State.

Josh Haley Josh Haley has been the voice of Rogers State Baseball, and most of Rogers State Athletics, for nearly the entirety of the athletic program's history. Haley has been an energetic and vital part of the telling the Hillcat story on the radio and webcasts. A Rogers State alum, Haley came to College Hill in 2005 and has been a part of the athletics program ever since. Following graduation in 2010, Haley came back to RSU in 2012 and has been heard on the air for some of the biggest moments in the history of the Hillcats, including baseball's historic 2019 Heartland Conference Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament run this spring, as well as trips to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. Haley has also worked hard to tell the Hillcat story, as he has been heavily invested in learning more about the student-athletes and their stories, to share with listeners and viewers who follow the Hillcats. Haley has also been a valuable resource for the RSU athletic department as a historian for several of the athletic programs, keeping detailed records and tracking milestones. Haley also works as a sports broadcaster for USA Softball and the SEC Network, covering a lot of regional events throughout the collegiate seasons. Haley also serves as the host for the annual OMAs and the masters of ceremony for RSU's Dinner and Auction.

Ryan Littlejohn Ryan Littlejohn was one of the first great hitters for the Hillcats, jumping onto the national news scene in his first year with the Hillcats in 2007. Littlejohn recorded Rogers State's first cycle against Oklahoma Wesleyan. The milestone came in the middle of a 14-for-15 run at the plate for Littlejohn, which also included seven consecutive doubles. He would be featured by Baseball America for his run at the plate. Littlejohn would go on to lead the Hillcats with a .410 batting average and a .634 slugging percentage during his sophomore campaign. Littlejohn started 50 games during the Hillcats first 30-win season in 2008, as RSU went 35-16. He finished with nine home runs, 37 RBIs and 47 runs during his junior season. As a senior, Littlejohn hit .353 with 19 extra-base hits, including eight home runs and 39 RBIs. For his career, Littlejohn ranks in the top 10 in nine major categories, including second all-time in runs (115), third in home runs (21), triples (6) and hit-by-pitches (21). He is also fourth on the all-time hit list (156) and sixth in doubles (30) and stolen bases (40). Prior to his time at RSU, Littlejohn was named conference newcomer of the year as a senior at Verdigris High School and was then drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 43rd round of the June 2005 amateur draft.

Lance Rymel Lance Rymel became the second Rogers State baseball player in program history to be drafted in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft as the Chicago Cubs selected him in the 28th round in 2012, following the Hillcats runner-up finish at the NAIA National Championships. Rymel was the Hillcats everyday catcher, starting all 65 games as a senior with a .978 fielding percentage. The Broken Arrow, Oklahoma native posted 18 doubles (tied for second most in a season in school history), three home runs with 40 RBI with a .318 batting average.  As a junior he started in 39 games behind the plate for the Hillcats, helping them to their first conference tournament title with a .988 fielding percentage as he committed just three errors in 251 chances. He drove in 33 runs and has nine doubles on the season. Rymel is a two time all-conference player for RSU. He ranks third in hit by pitches (21) in career history and fifth in career doubles at RSU (31). Rymel is ninth all the all-time hits list (126) for Rogers State. He joined the Hillcats for his sophomore season after helping Seminole State College reach the JUCO World Series in 2009. He was a two-time all-conference selection at Broken Arrow High School and also made the Oklahoma Senior Sunbelt team. Rymel was recently named the manager of the Eugene Emeralds, a Chicago Cubs minor league affiliate, ahead of the 2019 season.