Kevin Hooper

One of the most popular players in Wichita State history, Hooper arrived from Lawrence High School as a 129-pound freshman.  He responded by hitting .321 and was named freshman All-American.

As a Shocker, Hooper would garner All-American honors his junior and senior seasons.  He hit .358 for his career and was named team MVP as a senior, voted the “Charlie Hustle Award” three times and Golden Glove Award all four of his seasons.  Hooper was elected to the Shocker Hall of Fame in 2005.

Hooper signed with the Florida Marlins as an eighth round draft pick.  He played with four different organizations and played in six games for the Detroit Tigers in 2005, collecting his only Major League hit.  He played in another eight games for the Tigers in 2006.

In 2008, Hooper joined the Wichita Wingnuts and won the American Association batting title with a .373 average.  The following year, he was named manager and guided the Wingnuts to a 422-270 record over seven seasons. 

In 2014, the Wingnuts won the American Association championship, finishing with an overall record of 79-28 (.738 winning percentage).

Hooper spent the 2016 season as minor league infield coordinator for the San Diego Padres.