Jim Thomas

Jim Thomas first made a name for himself as a standout at Wichita Southeast.  He was one of the stars of the undefeated 1978 team that was named mythic national champions and is considered one of the greatest high school baseball teams of all time.

Thomas moved on to Wichita State where he was an All-American in 1981 and 1982.  He led the nation in hits and triples in 1982 as the Shockers played in their first-ever College World Series, losing to Miami in the championship game.  For his career at WSU, Thomas hit .351.

Thomas was drafted in the ninth round of the 1982 MLB draft and signed by Houston.  He played in the Astros’ and California Angels’ organizations for eight seasons, reaching the AAA level in both organizations.

Following his professional career, Thomas joined Gene Stephenson’s WSU coaching staff for 21 years.