California University of Pennsylvania Athletics

Reflective of the loyalty and success that have become trademarks of the Vulcan baseball team is Mark Eckels, who was a four-year starter from 1977 through 1980. He becomes the 19th baseball selection of Cal U's Athletic Hall of Fame.

"I am overwhelmed, totally overwhelmed," said Eckels about receiving the university's most prestigious athletic honor. "It's a great thrill because of my respect for the people of the institution."

Playing under both Hall of Fame coaches Mitch Bailey and Chuck Gismondi, Eckels played primarily at first base but was also used as a pitcher and in the outfield.

At the plate, Eckels batted over .330 in three of his four seasons and finished with a career batting average of .338. Even more impressive was his stellar defensive play as the southpaw went 91 consecutive games with over 500 field chances at first base without committing an error.

He helped the Vulcans achieve single-season records of 25-16, 23-12, 29-16, and 22-13. The 25 and 29 victories won by the 1977 and 1979 teams respectively were single-season school records for victories, standards that stood for 15 years.

The 1979 Vulcans won the school's first-ever PSAC baseball championship with Eckels rapping out six hits in the two-game championship series victory over Shippensburg. He was the team captain during his 1980 senior year.

Several of the many honors Eckels earned during his collegiate career included all-conference, all-NCAA Region, and a three-time Golden Glove selection.

Also a dedicated student who earned his bachelor's degree in communication studies, Eckels was the vice-president of the Captain's Council, a group selected by the athletic directors statewide for the purpose of enhancing relationships and academics relative to varsity sports.

Originally from McKeesport, Pa., and a 1976 graduate of McKeesport High School, Eckels was a three-sport scholastic standout and also McKeesport's senior class President.

For the past 24 years, he has been a stockbroker/financial advisor and is vice president/investments at A.G. Edwards & Sons, where he has worked at since 1994. He is a member of the President's Advisory Club at A.G. Edwards and the Federated Investors of Pittsburgh.

Though he has gone on to a successful career in the business world, Eckels believes his degree in communications is essential to his profession.

"Everything we do and everything I do is interpersonal relationships," said Eckels. "I do so much public speaking to boards, corporations and individuals. I am even interviewed frequently on the radio about stock reports. My education at Cal has been priceless and is something I use every day."

Active many ways in the community, Eckels was the pitching coach each of the past seven years at Peters Township High School, helping the Indians advance to the three consecutive PIAA state semifinals. Two of the past three years, Peters Township baseball has been state finalists.

He has also volunteered as a youth baseball coach for over 20 years and supports many area athletic and religious youth organizations.

Cal U has had three baseball coaches in the past 45 years and Eckels is also a longtime friend of current Cal baseball coach Mike Conte, who has guided the Vulcans to five straight post-season showings.

Playing under Cal U's legendary baseball coaches was certainly interesting and beneficial to Eckels many years later.

"They are different people in their own right but Mitch and Chuck do share the same passion and knowledge of the game," Eckels said. "The thing I've taken from both of them into my own coaching is their tremendous emphasis of the fundamentals and the respect for the game. You see a lot of baseball players that have graduated from here and go on to be success coaches, which is a tribute to both Mitch and Chuck."

In addition to Cal U, Eckels was recruited to play baseball at the University of Ohio but changed his mind after a recruiting visit.

"When I visited the (Ohio) campus I just did not feel comfortable and the guy who had recruited me seemed standoffish and lowered my scholarship," Eckels said. "I came home and told my high school coach (William Witt) I wanted to go to Cal because Mitch and Chuck were so genuinely nice to my family. That struck me the most. Everytime when my parents came both of those guys took the time to speak with them, thank them for coming, and assured them I would graduate. That meant more to me than anything they did for me personally. I guess I ended up here by accident but it was the best decision I ever made in my life."

A dedicated alumnus, Eckels was the driving force behind Cal U's annual Alumni Baseball Game which he helped start over 20 years ago. He is also a past member of the University Forum's Athletic Advisory Committee and his love of Cal U is evident.

"It is so much fun to be associated with the alumni game and I love meeting people regardless of what age group because we are all part of the Cal baseball family," Eckels said. "My friendships from baseball will last forever. The people here have impacted my life in such a positive manner that I have tried to be an ambassador for Cal to everybody I see. We have all these brand new buildings and beautiful grounds, which are wonderful but it is the people who make it work. I'm just really privileged to be part of it."

He echoes the same sentiment about his Hall of Fame induction.

"When I think of some of the baseball Hall of Fame guys like Steve Luko, Denny Brown, Dan Gustovich and Bruce Dal Canton, and of course Chuck and Mitch, to be named in the sentence with them is something I will cherish for the rest of my life," Eckels said. "I am just so honored."

Eckels resides in Peters Township, Pa., with his wife Colleen and teen-aged children Shane and Lauren.