LaRoche among inductees to Kansas Sports HOF

Former Major League Baseball player Adam LaRoche, who played for six teams in a 12-season MLB career, is one of 13 named to the Class of 2018 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, the hall announced Wednesday. The induction ceremony will be held Oct. 7 in Wichita.

Joining LaRoche are University of Kansas great Paul Pierce, three-time All-American K-State football player and NCAA record setting punt returner, David Allen; three-time Missouri Valley Conference selection and all-time WSU women’s rebounding leader Angela Buckner from Wichita; University of Missouri standout, 10 year NBA veteran, and long-time NBA head and assistant coach Larry Drew from Wyandotte; two-time All-American tennis selection at UCLA and professional tennis player Buff Farrow from Wichita; 85-time KCAC Championship Southwestern College track and cross country coach Jim Helmer from Winfield; four-time NAIA All-American basketball player at Benedictine and member of 1967 National Championship team Darryl Jones; founder and owner of the Kansas City Royals and long-time Kansas resident Ewing Kauffman; three-time Big 12 Conference selection and K-State women’s basketball all-time three point shooting leader Laurie Koehn from Moundridge; 1970 K-State football All-American and 13 year NFL veteran Clarence Scott; five-time state football championship coach at Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan Chuck Smith from Pittsburg; 13-year MLB veteran and baseball scout Mitch Webster from Larned. Kauffman will be honored posthumously.

LaRoche played three years for Fort Scott High School after his family moved back here in 1995. He also played one year at Fort Scott Community College for his father, Dave, who was head coach at the time. LaRoche transferred to Seminole Community College for the 2000 season, where he was an NJCAA All-American and MVP of the Junior College World Series.

He was drafted three times, finally signing with the Atlanta Braves in 2000. He made the major-league roster in 2004 and played for the Braves through the 2006 season. LaRoche played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2007 until July 2009 when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox traded him to the Braves nine days later.

LaRoche played for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 and the Washington Nationals from 2012-2014. He finished his career with the Chicago White Sox in 2015 before retiring from baseball during spring training in 2016.

In his major-league career, LaRoche hit 255 home runs and drove in 882 runs. He had a batting average of .260.

In 1998, LaRoche helped lead FSHS to a 19-4 season second place in Class 5A State Baseball Tournament, the highest finish the Tiger baseball program has ever had. His uncle, Dave Regan, was the coach of that team.