Thursday, August 18, 2005

Nashville, Tenn. – Belmont University will add former baseball standout Jason Keen, NAIA All-American runner Eva DePaulis, and former basketball player now associate head coach Casey Alexander to its Athletic Hall of Fame when induction ceremonies are held October 7th on the Belmont campus. During his four-year playing career, Keen became one of Belmont’s most complete pitchers. He ranks in the top-five in six different categories. He holds the career mark for complete games with 23 and ranks second in career wins with 23. Keen also ranks third in career strikeouts with 187 and innings pitched at 260.2. In 1992, he posted an 8-2 record and winning percentage of .800. His eight wins and winning percentage rank among the best in school history.

Eva DePaulis was one of the top long-distance runners in Belmont history. A native of Sweden, DePaulis was a two-time NAIA All-American in track. She earned those honors in both 1990 and 1991 in the marathon. Eva won the NAIA District 24 Individual Cross Country Champion in 1990 and earned All-District honors three times (1989, 1990, and 1991).

Casey Alexander has been a key component to the men’s basketball program’s success in the last 15 years both as a player and coach. As a player, Alexander was a four-year letterwinner during the most successful era in men’s basketball program’s history. During his four year career, Belmont registered a 119-25 record, reached one NAIA Final Four and three NAIA Tournaments. In addition, he is 10th in school history in three-point field goal percentage at .384. After his playing career ended, he joined the Bruins’ coaching staff. Now entering his 11th year as a member of the coaching staff, Alexander was promoted to Associate Head Coach in the summer of 2002. During that time, he has been instrumental in the program’s move from the NAIA to NCAA Division I and their success on the court.

Long-time Belmont supporter Pat Johnson will receive the Carl Chaney Memorial Award. The Chaney Award was established in 1977 to honor those Belmont athletic boosters who give untiringly to the success of a particular athletic program and/or to the athletic program as a whole.

The annual Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet will be October 7th at 6:30 p.m. in the Maddox Grand Atrium. The cost of the dinner will be $20 per person. For reservations, please call or email Amy McGinnis at 460-5647 or mcginnisa@mail.belmont.edu. The deadline for reservations is September 30th.