Over the next five days, the Wilmington College Athletic Communications department will be releasing articles about the 2016 Hall of Fame Class that will be inducted during Saturday's Hall of Fame brunch.
DAMIEN GARNETT, Class of 2000, was a late bloomer that eventually became a Hall of Famer.
Garnett wasn't recruited until the summer before his freshman year, and didn't visit campus until early August. He chose Wilmington over Thomas More and Mount St. Joseph, and the rest they say, is history.
He was a two-time All-Mideast region selection and a two-time Heartland Conference selection. He hit .400 (175 for 438) in his career with 108 runs scored, 90 RBI, seven homers and 21 stolen bases.
Not only did the decision allow Garnett's baseball talent to shine through, he discovered his future wife and his future occupation while at Wilmington.
The first was his future wife, and that came even before he attended a single class.
"During my visit with three other teammates, we were walking through Hermann Court and volleyball was practicing," said Garnett. "At that moment, I turned to my friends and said I wanted to date her."
They officially met during orientation about two weeks later, and had much of the same classes, and it just evolved.
The pair also worked in the Wilmington equipment room during their undergraduate years. In the summer before his sophomore season, Garnett was given the task of helping break in the new equipment manager.
"As I was helping Carl (Coatney), I really knew I could do this job," said Garnett.
He has spent his entire career working in equipment, and is currently the Assistant Athletic Director of Equipment Operations at the University of Nevada. Garnett, and his wife, Jill (Neff), have two daughters, Maddyson and Katelyn.
Monday: Michelle (Buck) Cron
