The selection committee for Freed-Hardeman University’s Sports Hall of Fame has chosen two athletes for the 2020 class. Jim Carter, Lion first baseman from 1995 to 1997, and Haley Newby McRady, All-American Lady Lion basketball player who graduated in 2015. The official induction is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 14 during Homecoming weekend.
Former coach and fellow Hall of Famer Chuck Box, called Carter “a professional hitter.” His amazing numbers at the plate, led to his being inducted into the FHU Sports Hall of Fame. Carter transferred to FHU from Jackson State and played two seasons with the Lions, more than enough time to work his way toward the top of the record books.
“Jim is very deserving of this honor,” Box said. “He is one of the best hitters I have coached in my 30 years of coaching. He worked very hard to develop his game and was really a ‘professional hitter’ while playing in college. He was also a fierce competitor who was a part of the program at a very pivotal time, as we went from the worst team in the league to a conference championship. Jim was a key piece of that rise.”
Carter is No. 2 in career batting average, hitting .412 in two years. His career slugging percentage of .675 is also No. 2 all-time. In his junior season, he hit 21 doubles (No. 2 all time in a single season), batted .401, brought in 42 runs, had a .572 slugging percentage and a .481 on-base percentage.His senior season, he batted .425 (No. 7 all-time in a single season), had 76 hits (No. 10 all-time in a single season), brought in 69 runs (No. 2 all-time in a single season), scored 61 runs (No. 6 all-time in a single season), had a .704 slugging percentage (No. 10 all-time in a single season), had an OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging) of 1.171 (No. 10 all-time in a single season), and recorded 27 extra-base hits (No. 10 all- time in a single season).
“I am humbled and honored to be recognized by Freed-Hardeman and the Hall of Fame Committee,” Carter said. “I have so many great memories of my time in the baseball program. To be associated with so many teammates who have previously been inducted, as well as Chuck Box, makes this even more special.”
Carter is currently the athletic director and head baseball coach at Goodpasture Christian School in Nashville where he and his wife Heather and their two children live.
Few players in Lady Lion basketball history could take over a game the way 2020 FHU Hall of Fame inductee McRady did during her time with the Lady Lions, 2011-2015. The 2014-15 WBCA and NAIA National Player of the Year, a two-time First-Team NAIA All-American, a two-time WBCA All-American, a two-time Conference Player of the Year, and a three-time First-Team All-Conference selection, McRady solidified herself as one of the greatest players to ever wear a Lady Lion uniform
“Hayley’s basketball IQ and her work ethic were second to none. Nobody out-worked her, nobody out-thought her and nobody out-smarted her,” McRady’s coach Dale Neal said.
“She was a joy to coach, and she was a great teammate. She was self-motivated and always strived for excellence. She was a fierce competitor and a great leader. As captain, she was a great role model and tremendous example to the younger players of what a Lady Lion should be on and off the court. She showed everyone what hard work will do for a player and what it takes to become the NAIA Player of the Year,” Neal said.
McRady is No. 7 all-time in Lady Lion scoring with 1,841 points and No. 4 all-time in rebounds with 1,091. In her career, she averaged just over 13 points per game and just under eight rebounds per game while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. In her junior and senior seasons, she averaged a double-double, 19.3 points per contest and 11 rebounds a game in her junior season and 17.8 points and 10.5 rebounds her senior year.A strong leader and excellent student, McRady was the team captain for two years and a three-time AMC Scholar-Athlete and two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
“I’m very honored and excited to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. So many great athletes came before me, especially in the Lady Lion basketball program, so it is truly an honor to be inducted,” McRady said. “When I began my basketball career at FHU, I just wanted to play and contribute to my team’s success. The Lady Lion basketball program has a reputation for being successful, and I was just thankful to be a part of it and have the opportunity to play the game I love. This honor is just an added bonus on top of the success my team and I had during my time as a Lady Lion. I’m thankful for the four years I was able to wear a Lady Lion uniform, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
McRady is the 15th Lady Lion basketball player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. She and her husband Daniel McRady live in Nashville where she works for Hospital Corporation of America.
