Francis Marion University athletic officials have announced that
former baseball All-American Wayne Huggins and
former tennis All-American and current Patriot tennis coach
Garth Thomson will be inducted into the FMU
Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Jan. 31, 1998.
Huggins, a native of Florence and a graduate of
Southside High School, was a four-year letterwinner on the first
four Patriot baseball teams (1973-76). He graduated with a
B.S. degree in mathematics in 1976. Still a resident of
Florence, he owns and operates Carolina Medical Corp., Lease
Associates, Inc., and Greenville Dialysis Center.
The 5'11" right-handed hitting catcher appeared in 125 career
games and recorded a .320 career batting average with 61 runs
scored, 18 stolen bases (in 26 attempts), 32 doubles, four home
runs, and 74 runs batted in. He was twice named the team most
valuable player, was selected to the NAIA District Six All-District
Team three times (1973, 1975, 1976), and as a senior was named NAIA
honorable mention All-American.
Statistically, he enjoyed his best year in 1975 when he batted
.387 with 24 runs scored, 23 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, and a
then-record 14 doubles, as Francis Marion posted a 21-14
record. Following that season, in addition to earning
All-District honors, he was named to the All-State Team. He
helped lead the Patriots to the District Six Tournament title and
third-place finishes in the area tournament in both 1974 and
1976. As a senior, he batted .299 with 11 RBIs and earned
All-District and All-Area recognition, in addition to the honorable
mention All-America honors.
Listed as the first-ever baseball scholarship recipient at
Francis Marion, he helped lead the Patriots to a four-year mark of
84-59 and four District Six Tournament appearances.
As a student, he was a member of Tau Upsilon Delta fraternity,
and following graduation has been active in the Patriots Brigade
and FMU Alumni Association.
