Mercer Athletics Announces 47th Hall Of Fame Class
9/30/2026 10:00:00 AM | Baseball, Men's Soccer, Women's Basketball, Athletics Department
MACON – Scholar-athletes representing three different sports, a former president that was vital to the growth and ensuing success of the athletics department and a coaching legend will be officially inducted into the Mercer University Athletics Hall of Fame as part of Homecoming Week in late October, athletics department officials announced Wednesday morning.
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Kyle Lewis, the recipient of 2016 Golden Spikes Award which is presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the United States, will join former women's basketball standout KeKe Calloway and men's soccer legend Will Betts in comprising Mercer's 47th Athletic Hall of Fame Class, as will former president William D. Underwood whose tenure as Mercer's president was marked by significant growth and transformation for the University.
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Hayward Fountain, the driving force behind the creation of sports programs on Mercer University's Atlanta campus will be recognized as a Hall of Honor inductee.
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The Athletics Hall of Fame Brunch and Induction Ceremony will take place on October 31 at 9 a.m. in the President's Dining Room inside the University Center. Registration is $40 per person and can be purchased by visiting the Mercer University Homecoming 2026 Portal.
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The Mercer Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 1971 and has seen more than 210 scholar-athletes, coaches, staff and Hall of Honor recipients inducted into the prestigious fraternity.
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Betts was a standout midfielder for the men's soccer from 2009-12 and developed into one of the program's most dependable two-way players. A native of Brenham, Texas, Betts started 18 matches as a freshman and went on to appear in every match of his collegiate career. Known for his defensive toughness, work rate and leadership in the midfield, he enjoyed a breakout junior season in 2011, leading the Bears with five goals and three game-winning scores. Betts was also recognized for his academic excellence, earning Atlantic Sun Conference Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in 2011.
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Calloway ranks among the most accomplished players in women's basketball history. The Forsyth, Georgia, native starred for the Bears from 2015-19, finishing her career with 1,811 points (8th all-time), while also setting school records for career 3-pointers made (298) and attempted. As a senior, she earned Southern Conference Sports Media Association Player of the Year honors after averaging 18.0 points per game and leading Mercer to another conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. A two-time All-SoCon selection, Calloway later signed a professional contract to play in Poland.
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Lewis is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of MU's baseball program. The outfielder from Snellville, Georgia, starred for the Bears from 2014-16, earning back-to-back Southern Conference Player of the Year honors and capturing the prestigious Golden Spikes Award in 2016 as the nation's top amateur baseball player. He finished his career as a consensus All-American and was selected 11th overall by the Seattle Mariners in the 2016 MLB Draft, the highest draft pick in Mercer history. Lewis later became the unanimous 2020 American League Rookie of the Year.
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Underwood served as the 18th president of Mercer University from 2006 to 2025, guiding the University through a period of unprecedented growth and national recognition. During his tenure, enrollment increased by more than 30 percent, Mercer attained Carnegie R2 research status, earned a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, expanded its medical school presence and completed more than $400 million in campus improvements. Underwood also oversaw the return of Mercer football in 2013 and the university's successful $500 million fundraising campaign. A legal scholar and former interim president of Baylor University, Underwood became Mercer's chancellor in 2026.
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Fountain was a pioneering athletics leader, professor and coach whose vision helped establish intercollegiate sports on Mercer's Atlanta campus. Joining Atlanta Baptist College in 1968, he founded the school's first baseball and basketball programs, developed the health and physical education curriculum and later served as athletics director. After the college merged with Mercer University in 1972, Fountain continued leading athletics in Atlanta, building facilities and creating opportunities for student-athletes to compete against strong regional programs.
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Kyle Lewis, the recipient of 2016 Golden Spikes Award which is presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the United States, will join former women's basketball standout KeKe Calloway and men's soccer legend Will Betts in comprising Mercer's 47th Athletic Hall of Fame Class, as will former president William D. Underwood whose tenure as Mercer's president was marked by significant growth and transformation for the University.
Â
Hayward Fountain, the driving force behind the creation of sports programs on Mercer University's Atlanta campus will be recognized as a Hall of Honor inductee.
Â
The Athletics Hall of Fame Brunch and Induction Ceremony will take place on October 31 at 9 a.m. in the President's Dining Room inside the University Center. Registration is $40 per person and can be purchased by visiting the Mercer University Homecoming 2026 Portal.
Â
The Mercer Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 1971 and has seen more than 210 scholar-athletes, coaches, staff and Hall of Honor recipients inducted into the prestigious fraternity.
Â
Betts was a standout midfielder for the men's soccer from 2009-12 and developed into one of the program's most dependable two-way players. A native of Brenham, Texas, Betts started 18 matches as a freshman and went on to appear in every match of his collegiate career. Known for his defensive toughness, work rate and leadership in the midfield, he enjoyed a breakout junior season in 2011, leading the Bears with five goals and three game-winning scores. Betts was also recognized for his academic excellence, earning Atlantic Sun Conference Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in 2011.
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Calloway ranks among the most accomplished players in women's basketball history. The Forsyth, Georgia, native starred for the Bears from 2015-19, finishing her career with 1,811 points (8th all-time), while also setting school records for career 3-pointers made (298) and attempted. As a senior, she earned Southern Conference Sports Media Association Player of the Year honors after averaging 18.0 points per game and leading Mercer to another conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. A two-time All-SoCon selection, Calloway later signed a professional contract to play in Poland.
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Lewis is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of MU's baseball program. The outfielder from Snellville, Georgia, starred for the Bears from 2014-16, earning back-to-back Southern Conference Player of the Year honors and capturing the prestigious Golden Spikes Award in 2016 as the nation's top amateur baseball player. He finished his career as a consensus All-American and was selected 11th overall by the Seattle Mariners in the 2016 MLB Draft, the highest draft pick in Mercer history. Lewis later became the unanimous 2020 American League Rookie of the Year.
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Underwood served as the 18th president of Mercer University from 2006 to 2025, guiding the University through a period of unprecedented growth and national recognition. During his tenure, enrollment increased by more than 30 percent, Mercer attained Carnegie R2 research status, earned a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, expanded its medical school presence and completed more than $400 million in campus improvements. Underwood also oversaw the return of Mercer football in 2013 and the university's successful $500 million fundraising campaign. A legal scholar and former interim president of Baylor University, Underwood became Mercer's chancellor in 2026.
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Fountain was a pioneering athletics leader, professor and coach whose vision helped establish intercollegiate sports on Mercer's Atlanta campus. Joining Atlanta Baptist College in 1968, he founded the school's first baseball and basketball programs, developed the health and physical education curriculum and later served as athletics director. After the college merged with Mercer University in 1972, Fountain continued leading athletics in Atlanta, building facilities and creating opportunities for student-athletes to compete against strong regional programs.
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