AASU Athletic Hall of Fame - Class of 2001

The most prolific power hitter in Armstrong baseball history, Dana Harding played third base from 1987-88 for the Pirates and set school records for home runs and slugging percentage. One of the most feared collegiate hitters in Division I and II, Harding helped the Pirates to a Big South Conference divisional title in 1987 and their first-ever Division II World Series appearance in 1988.

Dana transferred to Armstrong State from Manatee Junior College (Fla.) in 1987 and became the heart of the order of one of collegiate baseball's most feared lineups. Harding hit .397 with 28 home runs, second-most in NCAA Division I and an Armstrong single-season record, and 82 RBI for the 47-15 Pirates. He slugged a school-record .830 and earned All-Big South Conference and All-Big South Conference Tournament honors as the Pirates finished one game away from advancing to the NCAA Championships. Dana was a part of an Armstrong team that set 68 school records, enjoyed a 21-game winning streak and ranked third in NCAA Division I in batting, fourth in slugging and fifth in scoring.

In all, Harding set eight school records as a junior, including hitting home runs in seven consecutive games, collecting 50 extra-base hits and 205 total bases.

In 1989, Dana again excelled for the Pirates, leading Armstrong State to its first NCAA Division II World Series appearance and earning NCAA Division II All-Region and All-America honors at third base. Harding hit .352 with 11 home runs and 63 RBI for the Pirates as a senior and was named to the All-South Atlantic Region team as the Pirates went 3-1, capturing the region and earning a berth in the World Series. The Pirates finished the season with a 42-13 record that year, were the second-highest scoring team in the nation and finished the year ranked No. 4.

Harding's 39 career home runs in just two seasons still stands as the all-time home run mark for Armstrong baseball and he can be found in the Top 10 career charts in six other categories. He still holds five single-game records and six single-season records as well, including hitting three home runs in one game and two home runs in one inning.

A slick fielder with a booming bat, Harding exemplifies the quality of baseball played by Armstrong year-in and year-out and remains one of the top hitters ever to grace the diamond for the Pirates.

A two-sport star for Armstrong State from 1978-1982, Lee Harmer played women's basketball and softball for four seasons and made her name as one of the Lady Pirates' most durable players both on the hardwood and the diamond.

As a freshman for head coach B.J. Ford's women's basketball squad, Harmer recorded modest numbers, but as a sophomore in 1979-80, Harmer became the starting point guard and led the Lady Pirates to a 17-7 overall record - the first winning season in school history - and an 11-4 conference mark, averaging 6.9 points and leading the team in assists with 72.

Harmer continued to excel on the court as a junior in 1980-81, playing in all 26 games and averaging 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and a team-best 70 assists and as a senior in 1981-82, she

averaging 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for the Lady Pirates, earning GIAIW All-Conference honors and a "Best Hustle" award from her coach and teammates.

When she finished her basketball career, Lee was the Lady Pirates' all-time leader in assists, steals and games played. To this day, Harmer still ranks in the top 10 in eight different categories and is the Lady Pirates' sixth-leading all-time scorer with 921 points.

On the softball field, Lee played second base for coach Ford and was one of the finest defensive players to play for the Lady Pirates, regularly ranking among team leaders in fielding percentage and in assists.

In her freshman season, Lee and the Lady Pirates finished the season with a 24-4 record and a berth in the AIAW Southeastern Regionals in Tallahassee, Fla. As a sophomore in 1979-80, Lee hit .347 on Armstrong State's GAIAW state championship squad and AIAW regional team, earning All-State honors and being named the squad's best defensive player. Lee was named the Lady Pirates' best offensive player in 1981 and earned GAIAW All-Conference honors in 1982. A picture of consistency, Lee never missed a game in her four-year career for head coach B.J. Ford.

Whether with a glove or a basketball, Lee made plays happen in the early years of women's athletics at Armstrong State and was one of the pioneer two-sport stars for the Lady Pirates whose legacy lasts to this day at Armstrong.

A left-handed hitting first and third baseman with exceptional range, a keen batting eye and a never-ending supply of hustle, Mark Mamalakis was one of the Pirates' most popular and successful players in the early 1970s, playing four outstanding years despite being younger than most of his teammates.

As a 16-year old freshman in 1970, Mark Mamalakis joined the Pirate baseball team and experienced some difficulties in his adjustment to college, hitting just .212 in 20 games.

While some players might decide to give up on baseball, Mark worked hard and just one season later, in 1971, became his team's leading hitter and team MVP as a sophomore, hitting .315 with Armstrong's only two home runs of the entire season. When Mark's head coach, Tom Kinder, needed him to play third base because of injuries, Mark did so unselfishly and earned notoriety as one of baseball's very few left-handed third basemen during the season, spawning a feature article in "Coach and Athlete" magazine that season.

During his junior year in 1972, Mamalakis hit .286 as the Pirates notched their first winning season in five years, finishing 14-9, and was named one of the 'Outstanding College Athletes in America.' Finally, in his senior season in 1973, all of the hard work paid off as the Pirates finished with a 21-12 record and "Mammy" earned NAIA All-District 25 honors after hitting .310 and recording a perfect 26-of-26 stolen bases on the season, including a school-record seven in one game against Oglethorpe on April 11. Mark was also honored with the Pirates' "Best Hustle" award as well after the season. Mark ended his playing career with a .286 career average and 49 stolen bases, a total that ranked second in Armstrong history only to teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Steve McNeill.

Mark graduated from Armstrong in 1973, receiving his bachelor's degree in business administration and became the youngest student, at age 20, to graduate in the school's history.

After his playing days, Mark has continued to be a popular figure in the Savannah community and in Armstrong athletics. As president of J&M Oil Distributors, Inc., Mark has stayed active in the community as a volunteer coach for several youth and school teams and still competes in triathlons, marathons and road races.

A four-year standout for the Armstrong State women's basketball team from 1991-1995, Yolanda Oliver is the Lady Pirates' all-time leader in assists and steals and scored 1,275 points during her career, the second-most in school history.

Yolanda Oliver joined the Armstrong basketball squad after a stellar high school career at nearby Bryan County HS. The Ellabel, Ga., native made an immediate impact with the Lady Pirates, averaging 11.6 points per game as a freshman as ASC went 14-13. She was named the Peach Belt Conference's Rookie of the Year for 1991-92 and remains the only women's basketball player at Armstrong to have won that honor.

In her sophomore season, "Yo" went from being just another part of the team to the focus as she was the only returning player from the 1991-92 campaign. Accepting the responsibility and pressure of being the offensive leader, Oliver responded by leading the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and assists (3.8 apg) and earned All-Peach Belt Conference honors for the 16-10 Lady Pirates. Within two seasons, Yolanda had already become Armstrong's career leader in assists and steals.

Oliver continued her spectacular play for the Lady Pirates in 1993-94, averaging 9.8 points per game and 3.2 assists per game in earning All-Peach Belt Conference honors for the second consecutive season, only the second Armstrong player ever to be named All-Conference in back-to-back seasons.

A new coach brought several changes for the Lady Pirates in 1994-95, but one constant was the stellar play of Oliver. Now a senior, Oliver averaged 12.4 points per game and set an Armstrong single-season record with 174 assists. She scored her 1,000th point against Kennesaw State on Dec. 13, 1994, and led the underdog Lady Pirates to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament finals as Armstrong upset Kennesaw State and Lander. Oliver had a stellar tournament, averaging 10.1 points and 6.8 assists and earning All-Tournament honors, and ended her career by starting 99 consecutive games.

In all, Oliver owns six Armstrong records, including most steals (302), assists (448) and most minutes played (3,511). She ranks in the top 10 in five other career categories and remains one of Armstrong's most prolific and popular women's basketball players in school history.