Former San Diego State University baseball standout Stephen Strasburg has been named to the 2025 College Baseball Hall of Fame class, the College Baseball Foundation announced on Monday. Strasburg, a West Hills High School graduate, is one of 21 standouts in the class, which is comprised of players, coaches and other builders of the game – all of whom have positively impacted college baseball.
Strasburg, 36, is one of SDSU’s most celebrated former student-athletes and is among five former Golden Spikes Award winners in the class, joining South Carolina’s Kip Bouknight, Florida State’s Mike Loynd, Cal State Fullerton’s Phil Nevin and Vanderbilt’s David Price.
A consensus first-team All-America selection in both 2008 and 2009, Strasburg was also named CBF’s National Pitcher of the Year in 2009 and was selected Mountain West Pitcher of the Year in two consecutive seasons. Besides winning the Golden Spikes Award in 2009, Strasburg also won the Dick Howser Trophy (the equivalent of football’s Heisman Trophy) as the nation’s outstanding collegiate baseball player.
During his three years at SDSU from 2007-09, Strasburg set school records for most strikeouts in a game (23), season (195) and career (375). Strasburg also holds the school record for lowest career ERA of 1.59, and tied the program’s record for most wins in a season with 13 as a junior in 2009.
During his junior season, Strasburg was selected to the CBF National Team of the Week four times before capping it off with a no-hitter in his final collegiate home appearance. That season, he walked only 11 batters while striking out 195 in 109 innings pitched before leading the Aztecs to their first NCAA Regional appearance in 18 years.
As a sophomore in 2008, Strasburg was named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week three times and was the only collegiate player on the bronze medal-winning U.S. Olympic team.
Following his career at SDSU, Strasburg was the first pick of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Washington Nationals. Strasburg pitched for the Nationals from 2010-22, earning All-Star nods in 2012, 2016 and 2017, and being named the 2019 World Series MVP.
The 18th induction class will be honored at the 2026 Night of Champions on Feb. 12, 2026, in Overland Park, Kan., the home of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The event will serve as the ceremonial start to the 2026 college baseball season, which begins on Feb. 13.
To be eligible for the College Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, players must be out of college for 15 years and have completed one year of competition at a two-year institution in the CCCAA, NJCAA or a four-year NCAA (Division I, II or III) or NAIA institution. Ballot-eligible coaches must be retired for two years or be active and no less than 75 years old.
Each year, more than 200 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since that time, 175 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction.
Homegrown
Strasburg was a late bloomer in high school after posting a 1-10 record as a junior at West Hills. But he Santee native caught the eye of scouts with a one-hit, 12-striketout performance against El Capitan as a senior. He finished his senior year with a 1.68 earned run average, 74 strikeouts in 62.1 innings while tossing seven complete games.
Strasburg earned three varsity letters at West Hills while setting school records for ERA and shutouts, and was named the school’s 2006 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, team most valuable player and a second-team all-league selection.
However, he was not selected in that year’s MLB amateur draft.
