AASU Athletic Hall of Fame - Class of 2000

A two-time NCAA Division II All-America center fielder for the Pirates, Chad Armstrong ranks among the Pirates' leading hitters all-time and excelled as the table-setter for AASU's 1989 and 1990 teams that both finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation in the Division II Top 25 Poll.

Chad transferred to AASU from Garden City CC in Kansas and immediately made an impact on the 1989 Pirate squad, hitting a team-best .390 with 19 doubles, six triples, three home runs and 43 RBI. He stole 28 bases on 33 attempts and played excellent defense as he ably patrolled center field for head coach Joe Roberts. That season, AASU finished the year with a 43-17 record, a No. 1 rank in the nation and a No. 1 seed in the South Atlantic Regional held at Northern Kentucky. Armstrong helped the Pirates advance to their second straight NCAA Division II World Series berth by being named the South Atlantic Region Most Valuable Player.

Armstrong added First-Team Division II All-America honors to his mantle after the 1989 season as well and was selected as a preseason All-America when he returned to the Pirates as a co-captain for his senior season.

In 1990, Armstrong played even better than he had as a junior, leading AASU back to the South Atlantic Region by hitting a team-best .402 with 16 doubles, nine triples, 10 home runs and 63 RBI. Armstrong stole 16 bases out of 21 attempts and scored a team-high 77 runs. Armstrong's .402 average ranked fourth best in the nation and his 1.38 runs per game ranked third in the country. More impressive, however, is that when opponents faced the Pirates, they knew No. 1 was going to get on base - during his senior season, Armstrong reached base safely in every one of the Pirates' 56 games that season. Once again, the Pirates finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation, sporting a spectacular 47-9 record, and Armstrong earned Second-Team Division II All-America honors to cap off his AASU career.

Chad's name can be found throughout the AASU record books as well. His nine triples during the 1990 season are a Pirate record, as well as his 56-game streak of reaching base safely in 1990 and his overall 70-game streak that stretched over the two seasons. His .396 career batting average ranks second all-time in Pirate annals and his .489 on-base percentage ranks fourth. In all, Armstrong ranks in the Pirate career Top 10s in seven different categories, despite playing just two years for AASU.

A two-sport star for Armstrong State as it made the transition from junior college in 1966 to senior college in 1967, Bobby Cannon compiled a tremendous athletic career that left its mark on an impressionable AASU program as it headed into its debut as a four-year institution in intercollegiate athletics.

As a freshman, Bobby made an immediate impact on the hardwood as a tough-nosed post player who complemented his fellow teammates well. Bobby averaged 12 points a game in his first season with the Pirate hoops squad that finished the season 18-9 overall under coach Larry Tapp and went a perfect 12-0 at home. A local product from Benedictine, Bobby and his twin brother Tommy thrilled the Pirate faithful with their intense play and tremendous talent. After the basketball campaign, Bobby turned his attention to the diamond where he played third base and pitched for the 1966 edition of the Pirate Nine that ended its junior college playing days with an 11-7 record.

Bobby continued to perform at a high level as a sophomore, as Armstrong State began its first season of competition in the Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GIAC) with other four-year institutions. Cannon was one of the leading scorers on the men's basketball squad that season and also turned in another fine campaign on the baseball field, hitting .301 while accumulating a 5-3 record on the mound and a sparkling 1.77 earned-run average. Cannon earned All-GIAC honors for the Pirates that season as ASC finished with a 20-8 overall record and tied for second in the conference. A slick-fielding third baseman and a patient hitter at the plate, Bobby helped put Armstrong baseball on the collegiate map and laid the groundwork for the Pirates' current success on the ballfield.

After his Armstrong days, Bobby transferred to the University of Georgia with his twin brother to compete in baseball. There, he continued his excellent play, leading the Dogs in earned-run average and wins in both of his seasons in Athens. As a junior, he went 3-4 with a 2.88 ERA while hitting .234, but as a senior, he went 7-3 with a 1.94 ERA and hit .400, earning All-SEC and Team MVP honors for the Bulldogs. His 2.39 career earned-run average ranks as the third best all-time in Georgia history.

A two-sport star for the Pirates in the pivotal 1966-67 seasons, Tommy was a lefthanded pitcher and hitter with a devastating pick-off move for opposing runners, an extremely disciplined hitter at the plate and, on the basketball court, a keen-shooting guard with great passing skills and a knack for getting to the basket.

As Armstrong College started to make the transition from two-year to four-year institution, the 1966 basketball season was an important one as the Pirates readied themselves for top-level competition. Tommy, a shooting guard who, along with his twin brother Bobby, played high school ball for Benedictine in Savannah, averaged 13.0 points a game as a freshman for the Pirates as Armstrong compiled a 18-9 overall mark under coach Larry Tapp and didn't lose a single game in front of the home folks. After basketball season, Tommy concentrated his efforts on the mound and at first base, helping coach Sims' baseball squad to an 11-7 mark.

In 1967, Armstrong State College began its first season of competition as a four-year school and Tommy excelled again, playing guard for the basketball team and compiling outstanding numbers for the baseball squad that finished with a 20-8 record and tied for second in the Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Tommy hit a team-best .350 for the Pirates and also racked up a 7-2 record with a 2.20 ERA on the mound, earning All-GIAC honors, while baffling baserunners with a deadly move to first base that caught many opponents napping, making for easy outs.

Following his great career at Armstrong, Tommy transferred to the University of Georgia where he lettered for two seasons with the Dogs baseball squad, leading the 1969 team with a .348 average and posting a 3-2 record on the mound.

After his playing days, Tommy entered the coaching ranks, becoming one of the most respected local high school coaches, guiding his prep alma mater, Benedictine. In 1979, though, he joined the collegiate coaching ranks by serving as the head coach for the Armstrong State baseball squad during the season, succeeding Tom Kinder as the Pirates' head man. Following the season, Tommy returned to the high school ranks.

Jennifer Roberson's softball career at Armstrong State mixed versatility and dedication with a high level of performance as she was a key member of the Lady Pirate squad that advanced to the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) postseason play for three consecutive seasons.

As a freshman, Roberson enjoyed a solid first campaign, batting .333 with three home runs - good for second-best on the squad. Playing infield for the Lady Pirates, Roberson moved to the outfield for her sophomore season and the move paid off as she hit .357 during the 1977-78 season with six home runs. Her play helped ASC capture its first berth in the AIAW regionals in Tallahassee, Florida, as the team finished second in the GAIAW conference.

The 1978-79 team continued the success began by the previous year's squad, and Roberson continued to perform well in center field and at the plate for the Lady Pirates. ASC finished second in the conference with a 24-4 record and again advanced to the AIAW Southeastern Regionals in Tallahassee, Florida.

As a senior, Roberson emerged as one of the top players not only on the powerhouse Lady Pirate squad but in the state of Georgia as well. Roberson collected 52 hits in 119 at-bats for a sparkling .452 average as the Lady Pirates finished the regular season with a 16-3 mark and captured its first outright GAIAW state title. With another trip to the AIAW regionals on the line, ASC hosted the state GAIAW tournament as the No. 1 seed and Roberson started off the tournament right, going 3-for-4 with a two-run home run as ASC defeated North Georgia, 5-3. The Pirates were on their way to the tournament title and a berth in the AIAW regionals at Mississippi State University.

Roberson was named the team's best offensive player in 1980 and also added First-Team All-State honors to her mantle as well. The Garden City, Ga., native did not strike out in her last three years as a Lady Pirate and played in all 111 games during her four-year career at Armstrong State. Her speed in the outfield allowed her to chase down many fly balls that others wouldn't get and her speed on the basepaths helped her leg out several extra-base hits.

The 1992 NCAA Division II Individual Singles National Champion, Philipp Schertel enjoyed a stellar career at Armstrong State as the Pirates' No. 1 singles player and left as the most decorated tennis player ever to compete for AASU.

As a freshman, Schertel was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Rookie of the Year as he shocked the collegiate tennis scene by capturing the NCAA Division II Singles title in his first season. Facing UC Davis' Mark Segesta - an NCAA Division II Singles finalist from the previous season - Schertel dropped the first set, 6-1, before rallying to take the next two sets, 6-0 and 6-3, to capture the individual crown. The Pirates, under first-year head coach Andreas Koth, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and finished 8th in the nation.

Schertel continued to excel at the No. 1 singles position for the Pirates as he helped AASU advance to two more NCAA Division II Championships during his four year career - the Pirates finished eighth again in 1994 and sixth in 1995. He compiled a tremendous 95-27 (78 percent) singles record and 67-32 (69 percent) doubles record over four seasons.

Philipp is the only AASU tennis player to earn ITA Division II All-America honors in singles each of his four years (1992-95) as a Pirate. A testament to his talent and versatility, he also earned ITA Division II All-America honors in doubles three of his four years with three different doubles partners - Ben Armstrong (1992), Thorsten Hackhe (1994) and Anders Elfving (1995).

A native of Kehl, Germany, Schertel completed his collegiate career by winning Peach Belt Player of the Year honors in 1995 - as he did in his freshman season of 1992 - and was also awarded ITA Senior Player of the Year honors.

A three-time All-Peach Belt Athletic Conference player as well, Schertel was a two-time Rolex Collegiate All-Star honoree and twice ended the season ranked No. 1 in the nation in singles. He captured the Peach Belt singles titles in 1992 and 1995 as well, adding to his impressive record.