WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Chris Rahl was recently inducted into the William & Mary Athletics Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in Williamsburg on April 9
th.
The video above is both his presenting video and acceptance speech from the evening.
He was one of 10 individuals (Karen Thorne Alexih/Field Hockey/Basketball; Lang Campbell/Football; Phil Hucles/Soccer; Lindsey Lowman Miller/Lacrosse; Ed Moran/XC/T&F; Chris Rahl/Baseball; Thomas Roberts/Basketball; Ann Schnell Cliquet/Golf; Lindsay Vanderspiegel Martin/Soccer; Lynn Dameron Wolfe/Women's Gymnastics) and one team (1980 Men's Soccer) to be inducted.
A power-hitting outfielder, with tremendous speed, Rahl slugged his way into the Tribe record books with one of the greatest single-seasons in school history. In 2004, he set the Tribe's single-season standard for hits (89), triples (8), home runs (20), total bases (175), and 42 stolen bases. This incendiary campaign led him to being named a semi-finalist for the prestigious Dick Howser Trophy (one of only three players in W&M baseball history to earn the distinction). He also was named to five different All-America squads (including four honoring him as a first-team selection).
Rahl was the first Tribe player to earn the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year honor (and still only one of three). Additionally, he was named the Eastern College Athletics Conference (ECAC) Player of the Year and an All-Eastern region selection. Rahl left the program ranked third in school history in slugging percentage (.635), fourth in home runs (37), and fifth in triples (15). He was drafted by Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth round of the 2005 MLB Draft and went onto put more than a decade into professional baseball. His last season of baseball for the Tribe came in 2005 and he finished his degree work in 2014.
Chris is currently a spine associate at Novus technologies representing Nuvasive products.
