EL PASO, Texas – Former Fort Hays State standout Jerry Valdez is one of five individuals selected for the 2015 class of the El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame.

Valdez, who was inducted into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame on 2011, was a varsity standout at Socorro High School from 1991-93. He was an All-Conference catcher at Cochise College in Arizona and later played at Fort Hays State in 1996 and 1997.

Valdez earned NCAA Division II All-American, All-West Region, and All-West Region Tournament honors at catcher in 1997. He helped the Tigers to their first West Regional berth at the NCAA Division II level. He was an All-RMAC First Team selection in both of his seasons and was named to the All-West Region Second Team in 1996.

He still owns the single-season record for RBIs in a season with 96 in 1997. He also holds the single-season record for doubles with 28 and total bases with 184, each in 1997. His career total of 51 doubles is third-best in school history. His 164 RBIs is fourth on the career RBI list. Valdez had a career batting average of .408, which is second-best at FHSU. His 36 home runs are third-most in a career at FHSU. Valdez is second on the career slugging percentage list (.799). where he still holds single-season records in RBIs (96), doubles (28) and total bases (184).

Valdez was drafted in the 25th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and played five seasons in the minor leagues.