Troy University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2018
In what forever will be known as the “Grand Slam at Midnight”, Wendell Stephens etched his name in Troy lore for all-time with one powerful swing of the bat.
“I had never experienced a moment quite like that one,” said Mark Smartt, current Troy baseball head coach and teammate of Stephens in 1986. “The electricity in the crowd, the energy in the park, the sheer joy of such a huge moment was incredible.”
Stephens stepped to the plate in the top of the ninth inning with one out and the bases loaded in Troy’s opener of the 1986 NCAA Division II World Series. Down to his final strike and with Troy trailing Mankato State, 6-4, Stephens sent his 11th home run of the season deep into the midnight sky to give Troy the lead and eventually the national championship. That alone would get most people into the Hall of Fame, but Stephens’ credentials keep going.
“What some people don’t remember is that was our first game of the tournament,” Smartt said. “In his first at-bat of the next game, he hit a three-run home run in the first inning. So, in two swings, he had seven RBIs, which basically won the championship for us.”
A transfer from Pensacola Junior College, Stephens batted .344 in his two season prior to Troy. He was also a three-sport letterwinner at Niceville (Fla.) High School. As a junior in 1985, Stephens earned all-region and third-team All-America honors with the Trojans after batting .396 with 14 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and a then-school record 67 RBIs. His 1986 campaign was just as impressive as he hit at a .387 clip with nine doubles, 12 home runs and 64 RBIs.
“The grand slam is the moment he’ll be remembered for, but over the course of that 1986 year, he came through any number of times to help us win games and lead us to the championship,” Smartt said. “He had a knack for coming through in big situations, he was outstanding overall hitter. He had a great junior year as well and was a real leader on the team.”
The son of two Troy graduates, Stephens ranks second all-time in Troy history with a career .391 batting average and a .513 on-base percentage, while ranking third in slugging percentage (.704), eighth in RBIs (131) and ninth in home runs (27). His single-season RBI record stood until 1999 and currently ranks as the eighth best mark in Troy history while his .396 batting average stands 10th best in a season at Troy.
“Great hitter. He was an incredible two-strike hitter,” Smartt said. “In my 29 years as a coach and my four years of playing college baseball, I’ve never seen another player do what he did in 1986.”
Stephens drew 51 walks and struck out just 12 times over the course of the 54-game season. For his career, pitchers managed to strike out Stephens only 32 times in 345 at bats.
“His ability gave our team a lot of confidence,” Smartt said.
“He had incredible talent and had the ability to stay calm under pressure and came through in big moments many, many times. In all of my years around the game of college baseball, I can honestly say that Wendell Stephens is one of the top five hitters that I’ve ever seen play the game. He was that good. He is so very deserving of hall of fame recognition as he is easily one of the best hitters to ever put on the uniform here at Troy and I’m proud to say that he was a teammate.”
Troy won 89 games in the two seasons Stephens suited up for the Trojans, including a 20-2 start to the 1986 campaign. Stephens was a member of the inaugural class to be inducted into the Troy Trojans Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992 along with Troy University Sports Hall of Fame members Danny Cox and Chase Riddle.
