LOWELL, Mass. – Three teams will make up the 2022 UMass Lowell Athletics Hall of Fame Class, as announced by the department on Tuesday. The teams were all unanimously selected in a vote by the River Hawk Hall of Fame Committee and will officially be enshrined during the annual induction ceremony set to take place on Saturday, October 1 as a part of UMass Lowell's homecoming celebrations.
 
The 2001 and 2002 UMass Lowell baseball teams, along with the 1975 softball team will join the elite ranks of the Athletics Hall of Fame this year.
 
"Announcing a new Hall of Fame class is always exciting because it allows us to reflect on some of the greatest accomplishments in our school's history," said Director of Athletics Peter Casey. "The three teams that we will be inducting this year were all incredibly successful, both on and off the field, and I am grateful for the fantastic legacy that they left for our current student-athletes to build upon."
 
Both the 2001 and 2002 UMass Lowell baseball teams were Northeast-10 regular season champions, conference tournament champions and NCAA Northeast Regional champions. The 2001 team still holds several program records, including games won (39), runs scored (524), hits in a season and RBI in a season. After winning four of five games to secure the Northeast-10 Championship, the 2001 River Hawks moved onto the NCAA Tournament, where they knocked off Concordia to advance to the program's first Division II College World Series. The team won its program-record 39th game of the season and first College World Series game with a 13-5 victory over Central Missouri in the opening game of the tournament.
 
"The 2001 season was a special one," commented Evan Greene '01, captain of the 2001 squad. "I don't think any of us will ever forget the moment we earned our way to the program's first appearance in the NCAA Division II College World Series. Our success started long before any of us put on the UMass Lowell uniform, with so many great teams and players that paved the way for us. We are beyond honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame."
 
A year later the 2002 UMass Lowell baseball team returned with another successful regular campaign, winning 35 games, and setting a program record of 64 home runs in a season. After capturing another Northeast-10 Championship, the River Hawks advanced to the NCAA Tournament again. Despite falling to Concordia, UMass Lowell bounced back with a win against Bryant in an elimination game followed by two wins over Concordia, sending the team back to the College World Series. There, the team picked up two wins versus Florida Southern and Ashland University before falling to the eventual champion, Cal State Chico.
 
"As a team, we are very excited and honored to be inducted into the UMass Lowell Hall of Fame," shared team captain Adam McCusker '02. "The 2001 team showed the 2002 team that it was possible to get to the World Series and they gave us the confidence to earn back-to-back visits to Alabama. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a huge honor to acknowledge an incredible baseball journey. Our team is very thankful to have had coaches Jim Stone, Ken Connerty and Mike Fahy, who helped to lead our championship team to the World Series two years in a row. The memories and experiences we shared as teammates will never be forgotten on and off the field."
 
Three years after Title IX passed, the softball team in its third year of existence qualified for the first State Championship in the newly formed MAIAW. The 1975 softball team, solely coached by Denise Legault, finished 12-1 overall, going undefeated in the regular season. The squad made school history as the first women's team to advance to post-season play.  The team continued its undefeated run to the final game of the MAIAW Tournament, and despite eventually losing to Westfield, left a legacy that would pave the way for women's sports at UMass Lowell.
 
"When the players were contacted about being inducted into Hall of Fame as members of the 1975 Lowell State softball team, the remarks were all nearly the same. First shock followed by disbelief, then complete excitement for the honor. All of us are thrilled beyond belief and can't wait for the ceremony," explained 1975 team captain Sharon (Peck) Torrey '75.
 
The Hall of Fame Class of 2022 will automatically be welcomed into the Blue Blazer Society in a ceremony on October 1. More information about the induction ceremony, including how to purchase tickets, is available at GoRiverHawks.com/HallofFame.