By Tom Dodge

sportsenews@bellsouth.net

There have been plenty of spectacular athletes that have played basketball, baseball or softball since LSU Eunice has been participating in athletics over the past 10 years.

According to Athletic Director Jeff Willis, that long list of accomplishments helped spark the idea of the LSUE Hall of Fame.

While no former Bengal athletes will be inducted at this year’s banquet set for 3 p.m. on Jan. 17 at the Acadian Center, nominations will be taken under advisement as the first group will be honored in 2011.

“We are going to introduce the whole thing this first year,” Willis said. “There are some players who need to be reconized for their successes they had with us.”

Willis said any nominee has to be finished playing for LSIE for more than five years and the committee will help determine the first list of honorees.

The highlight of the banquet will be the appearance of former All-Star first baseman Will Clark.

Clark, a native of New Orleans, spent most of his Major League Baseball career with the San Francisco Giants.

He was a six-time All-Star selection and earned the Most Valuable Player award for the 1989 National League Championship Series. Clark won the National League Gold Glove Award in 1991 and was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in its inaugural class.

“This is a great thing for our athletic department, the university and the city of Eunice,” Willis said of the Hall of Fame’s beginning. “Hopefully we can get someone the quality of Will Clark every year at the banquet.”

Anne Savoy and Her Sleepless Knights will provide entertainment for the event.

The Hall of Fame Banquet is open to the public and according to Willis, more than 150 tickets have been sold.

Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased from the school’s athletics office at 550-1417.