Indianapolis Star: Jasper's Scott Rolen inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame
“Before he was winning eight Gold Gloves or earning seven All-Star nods, Rolen was a sensation in southern Indiana. Born in Evansville, he was a multi-sport standout. One of his first mentions in the local newspaper wasn’t for his accomplishments on the diamond, but in basketball, as Rolen scored 25 points in a seventh-grade pickup game. At the age of 12, he was the age-group winner for the Jasper Optimist Tri-Star Basketball contest. In a middle school football game, he rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns, and threw a touchdown pass for good measure.
It was a sign of things to come: He could do it all.
During his senior season at Jasper in 1993, he was the runner-up for IndyStar Mr. Basketball and the Indiana Mr. Baseball winner. The opening game of the 1993 basketball sectional round is still considered iconic. Jasper trailed 58-43 with six minutes to play. Rolen hit seven 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and scored 47 points in the game. His 3-pointer with 12 seconds left got Jasper within one point. Jasper was called for an intentional foul, allowing Forest Park to ice the game at the line and retain possession.
He finished his career with 1,123 points and averaged 26.9 during his senior season, earning an Indiana All-Star nod.
He was even more successful on the diamond — during his senior season, he batted .547 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs. On the mound, he had a 0.75 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 53 innings…
Rolen originally intended to play basketball and baseball at the University of Georgia but was drafted in the second round of the 1993 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. He made his Major League debut briefly in 1996, and made an immediate impact the following season, winning the National League Rookie of the Year award. He won his first Gold Glove the following season and earned his first All-Star nod in 2002…”
Jasper's Scott Rolen inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame
Scott Rolen, who was a star at Jasper High School before embarking on a 17-year Major League Baseball career, got the call for Cooperstown.
www.indystar.com
4-15-1993
“Georgia: Scott Rolen, one of Indiana's top basketball players, signed with the Bulldogs. Rolen, a 6-4 guard, averaged 27 points, 9 rebounds and 3.5 assists at Jasper High School in southwest Indiana.”
“At Jasper High School, Rolen won the state’s Mr. Baseball honor given to the best prep player. He also received basketball scholarship offers from schools such as Georgia and Oklahoma State. Georgia recruiters promised he’d start in the backcourt as a freshman, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.”
Watch Hall of Fame hopeful Scott Rolen drop 47 points in a high school basketball playoff game
“A 47-point performance in the first round of the 1993 Indiana sectional playoffs.
Down 18 points with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Rolen absolutely caught fire from deep, draining seven threes down the stretch to cut the deficit to just one point with just 12 seconds left. Unfortunately his Jasper High Wildcats couldn't complete the comeback, and ended up losing to the Forest Park High Rangers by five.
Rolen's 47-point performance is even more bonkers when you consider he was playing on a sprained ankle that had swollen so badly it was "the size of a softball."
Watch Hall of Fame hopeful Scott Rolen drop 47 points in a high school basketball playoff game
The Official Site of Major League Baseball
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