Former basketball, baseball player to be inducted into IU Hall of Fame

Don Ritter has been looking forward to this day.

Ritter was in his sophomore year and his first season on the IU men’s varsity basketball team. All of Ritter’s family and friends made the hour-long drive from his hometown of Aurora, Ind., to Miami University to watch him play.

The sophomore guard gave his loved ones a show, scoring seven points in the final minute to lead the Hoosiers past the Red Hawks. Ritter said that night stood out more than any other in his days at IU.

On Friday, Ritter will again be celebrated by his friends and family when he is officially inducted into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2011. The award is something Ritter said came out of the blue.

“It was a complete surprise,” Ritter said. “I’ll be 87 years old in October. It’s been 62 years since I graduated, so it was quite a surprise to get the call from Mr. Glass. But I was very happy because you always like getting rewarded for your accomplishments.”

Ritter played IU basketball, leading the Hoosiers with 13.8 points per game in an era where individual scoring efforts were few and far between. While the 5-foot-10-inch guard made a name for himself running former IU Coach Branch McCracken’s offense, he had even more success on the baseball diamond.

The last time the IU baseball team won a Big Ten regular season title was on the shoulders of Ritter in 1949. Not only was Ritter a first team All-Big Ten selection, he was also named first team All-America, one of two in program history.

The senior captain finished his career in Bloomington with a .389 batting average, which is now listed at eighth all-time.

“When you’re talking about a guy who was the leading scorer in basketball one year and the leading hitter and an All-American on the baseball team another year, obviously, you’re talking about an exceptional athlete,” said Kit Klingelhoffer, a fellow Aurora native.

Though the time commitment of playing multiple sports while balancing a full class load has forced some student athletes to choose one over the other, Ritter said he never had to make a choice.

“I enjoyed both sports just as much, and it gave me something to do in the offseason,” Ritter said. “I never had any problem with it, and I didn’t think it made any difference one way or the other.”

When Ritter returns to his old stomping grounds this weekend, it will not be his first time in Bloomington since glory days in the late 1940s. What is different about this visit will be the attendance of Ritter’s family, usually spread out across the country.

Ritter’s family stretches all the way to Texas, Georgia and Wisconsin, but everyone will be in Bloomington this weekend. Even Ritter’s two older siblings will be in Assembly Hall to honor their younger brother.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will mark the first time the family has been together in 10 years. Just like when Ritter’s family cheered him on years ago, Friday will be a night full of memories Ritter won’t soon forget.

“I can’t really express how honored I am of the award and being part of such a distinguished group of athletes that have already been awarded,” Ritter said. “That’s just a wonderful, wonderful
experience.”