Jeff Brantley, Dave Clark selected for 2026 College Baseball Hall of Fame class
Former Mississippi State baseball star Jeff Brantley and former Jackson State star Dave Clark will be joining the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
There were announced as two of the 21 inductees for the 2026 class on June 18.
Brantley pitched for the Bulldogs from 1982-85. His 45 career wins are the most in SEC history.
This is his fourth Hall of Fame induction. He is already in the Mississippi State Hall of Fame (2003), Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (2011) and Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (2026).
After his career at MSU, Brantley was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the sixth round of the 1985 MLB draft. He played in 14 MLB seasons, also spending time with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers.
He is the fourth Bulldog to join the College Baseball Hall of Fame along with Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro and coach Ron Polk.
Clark played at JSU from 1981-83.
The outfielder was a Sporting News All-American in 1982, the same year Jackson State became the first HBCU to qualify for an NCAA Tournament regional. He was the SWAC MVP in 1983. In 2002, he was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame.
Clark was drafted No. 11 overall in the first round of the 1983 MLB draft by Cleveland. He played for five other MLB teams across his 13-year career: the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros.
Clark is JSU’s third Hall of Fame inductee after coach Robert Braddy (2016) and pitcher Earl Sanders (2025).
The induction ceremony for the 2026 class will be Feb. 11, 2027, at the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Overland Park, Kansas.
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jeff Brantley, Dave Clark make 2026 College Baseball Hall of Fame class
