Van Kalinisan
Inducted in 2011
Baseball
As a Lion
Van Kalinisan transferred to Freed-Hardeman University in the fall of 1982 after spending two years at Jackson State (Tenn.) Community College where he went a combined 17-3 with three saves as a member of the Generals.
That success on the hill continued when he arrived at FHU as Kalinisan went 9-1 with five saves in his first season with the Lions. He followed with a 6-1 record in 1984 and helped lead Freed-Hardeman University to a 16-10 record, its last winning season for 12 years.
Kalinisan's accomplishments on the diamond were not limited to college. He was a member of the 1978 Geroge Dewey HS team that was runner-up in the Philippines National Baseball Championship and was selected to the Dizzy Dean Men's League State All-Tournament team in 1986.
"Van was a very good left-handed pitcher. He was a fierce competitor who played on a very good team in 1984 with limited pitching," said Charlie Smith, who was the athletic director and baseball coach during the time Kalinisan played. "Van would be the starting pitcher one game and be in relief two days later. We prayed for a lot of rain. He would have been one of the best pitchers on any of the teams that we have had in the past 20 years."
That success on the hill continued when he arrived at FHU as Kalinisan went 9-1 with five saves in his first season with the Lions. He followed with a 6-1 record in 1984 and helped lead Freed-Hardeman University to a 16-10 record, its last winning season for 12 years.
Kalinisan's accomplishments on the diamond were not limited to college. He was a member of the 1978 Geroge Dewey HS team that was runner-up in the Philippines National Baseball Championship and was selected to the Dizzy Dean Men's League State All-Tournament team in 1986.
"Van was a very good left-handed pitcher. He was a fierce competitor who played on a very good team in 1984 with limited pitching," said Charlie Smith, who was the athletic director and baseball coach during the time Kalinisan played. "Van would be the starting pitcher one game and be in relief two days later. We prayed for a lot of rain. He would have been one of the best pitchers on any of the teams that we have had in the past 20 years."
After Graduation
Kalinisan resides in Bells, Tenn., with his wife Rachel and children Sydnee and Samuel, and is a managing partner with Pest Defense LLC