Hall of Fame
Thomas R. Tisa ’65 – Class of 1994
Family…
In an era when post-season baseball competition seems almost routine, the thrill of the Dolphin’s first invitation to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament might be hard to imagine.
The 1965 team that earned that first for Le Moyne College played only 15 “regular season” games. Its home was a barren campus with a handful of buildings. The sparkplug of that team was a wiry young man from Rochester who was quite comfortable on a campus that had only a single dormitory when he enrolled. He didn’t look for a big stage. Flash mattered to him far less than substance.
In a small college not afraid to harbor big ambitions, he was a perfect fit. He was part of the family. The ups and downs were shared by all. The triumphs belonged to everyone on campus; the weight of travails were shouldered widely.
He hit .345, became Le Moyne’s first All-American baseball player, and led his team to the NCAA Tournament. Yet, in all seasons he is remembered by friends with words such as “caring,” “kind,” “generous.”
Coach Frank Calo considered the smooth-as-silk shortstop a solid major-league prospect, and he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Though the opportunity to pursue that dream passed, this man was not diminished.
Statistics from this era are sparse, but those that exist are eloquent testimony to his talent. When he arrived from McQuaid High School in Rochester, his glove was considered his strength. Yet by his senior year, he led his team in at-bats, hits, doubles and batting average.
The thrill of Le Moyne‘s first bid to post-season baseball action; the honor of personal recognition; the glory of team success: all part of the family’s experience; all part of growing together. To Le Moyne athletics, he and his baseball teammates delivered an important first.
Because the Le Moyne family is proud to include him among its own,
Thomas R. Tisa ’65 is inducted into the
Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame
February 5, 1994
