SLIPPERY ROCK — During his 37-year career as Slippery Rock University head baseball coach, Jeff Messer has piled up plenty of trophies and awards.

The biggest one may be on the way.

Messer was named one of six members of the American Baseball Coaches Association 2023 Hall of Fame class on Wednesday. He is the only collegiate coach in that class, which will be officially inducted Jan. 6 of next year in conjunction with the 79th annual ABCA Convention at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tenn.

The ABCA was founded in 1945 and its hall of fame began in 1966. Messer was ABCA president in 2017 and still serves on the organization’s Board of Directors.

“Baseball is a great sport and it’s been a great living for me,” Messer, 63, said. “The ABCA doesn’t just base Hall of Fame induction on what you’ve done on the field. It’s about community service, too, about giving back to the game.

“My involvement with ABCA helped me get in, I’m sure, but there are plenty of Hall of Fame members in there who haven’t been part of the ABCA.”

Head coach at The Rock since 1986, Messer has an overall record of 1,072 wins and 696 losses, a .606 career winning percentage. His teams have won 15 PSAC West titles, two PSAC Tournament championships, made 13 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and four in the Division II College World Series.

Named PSAC West Coach of the Year seven times — including this season after SRU finished 33-18 and qualified for the NCAA tourney — Messer is the winningest coach in PSAC history and ranks 12th all-time on the Division II baseball coaches’ win list. He’s been named Atlantic Region Coach of the Year on three occasions.

“He’s always kept an even keel,” said Billy Messer, Jeff’s son and an assistant coach on his staff. “He never gets too high or too low, no matter what’s going on.”

Once inducted, Messer will become only the second coach in the ABCA Hall of Fame who spent the majority of his career coaching at a PSAC school. West Chester’s W.B. Killinger is the other.

“I’m very proud,” Messer said of his lengthy career at The Rock. “I’ve had opportunities to leave, but with my family being here, so involved in the community ... had I been on my own, I may have bounced around a little bit. But I’ve loved it here.”

Through the years, Messer turned down offers to be head baseball coach at East Tennessee State, Penn State, Cleveland State and Edinboro to remain at The Rock. He was an assistant professor in SRU’s Health and Physical Education Department until January of 2008.

“My athletic directors have been Bill Lennox, Paul Lueken and now Roberta Page,” Messer said. “We’ve always worked well together. My run here has included seven or eight (university) presidents.

“Our facilities are incredible. Our academics are incredible. We have baseball facilities here that a lot of Division 1 programs don’t have.”

Bob Mitcheltree has coached with Messer for 19 years and “I consider him one of my best friends.

“No one is more deserving of this honor than Jeff. He’s just a class act. Ask any players he’s been involved with, other coaches in the PSAC, umpires ... They’ll all say that,” Mitcheltree said.

Messer played shortstop at Springfield (Mass.) College before graduating in 1980 with a degree in education. He went over to Holland to play professionally for a season.

He admitted tol having hopes of pursuing a playing career in pro baseball.

“Whether you’re in Little League, high school ball, whatever ... every baseball player dreams of getting to the major leagues,” Messer said. “My college coach talked me into going over to Holland. They were allowed two Americans per team over there.

“We put on clinics and worked with the players, helped to grow the game. I learned two things about myself when I was there. I wasn’t good enough to pursue a major league career and I really enjoyed the coaching aspect. Had I not gone to Holland, I may have never gotten into coaching baseball.”

He became an assistant coach at Westfield State for two years, then assisted for a year at Oklahoma City University before taking over the SRU baseball program.

“I figured I’d be at Slippery Rock for a year or two,” Messer said, laughing. “It didn’t work out that way. I still enjoy communicating with my players and I love coaching.

“Getting the new (artificial turf) field has helped me a lot. I don’t have to drag the field or prep it anymore. I can spend more time coaching.”

Messer coaches on three-year cycles and has another two years left on the current one. He is unsure how much longer he will coach, saying he’s not ready to give it up yet.

Billy Messer has been on his staff for seven years and was recently named associate head coach. Messer has never had a paid assistant coach through the university. Messer’s son played for him as well.

“I’ve loved coaching with him,” Billy said of his father. “Being close to family and part of a university that has such great student-athletes, there’s no place I’d rather be.

“He runs a great program. In this day and age, athletes transferring all over the place, there’s been maybe 10 guys who transferred out of this program in 36 years. They left to try to get more playing time elsewhere. No one’s left here being disgruntled or with any negative issue.

“I’m sure I’ve picked up some of my father’s traits. We have the same mind-set and philosophy when it comes to baseball,” the younger Messer added.

SRU has had only five losing seasons in Messer’s 37 years.

“He recruits very well,” Mitcheltree said. “He’s always been fair to the players and makes great decisions with our pitchers. He manages a game very well.

“Jeff’s developed so many friendships in the area. It’s been an absolute pleasure coaching with him all these years.”

Five high school coaches — Jerry Dawson, Dave Demarest, Eric Kibler, John Lowery and Tim Saunders — will complete the 2023 ABCA induction class.