MOBILE, Ala. – Following a one-year hiatus due to the Covid-19- pandemic, two more individuals will enter the University of South Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame with the announcement Friday that the duo of Farish Beard and Stephen Small have been selected for induction.

With their inclusion — set to take place on Saturday, Oct. 30 at the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center — the USA Athletic Hall of Fame will now include 89 student-athletes, coaches and administrators who have been recognized since 1989.  The two will also be honored on the field at halftime of the Jaguars' football game that day against Arkansas State at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

During her four-year career from 2012-15, Beard was a two-time second-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-region selection who earned all-Sun Belt Conference honors on three different occasions after being named first-team all-league as a junior as well as second-team all-SBC two other years.  In addition, the right-hander from Fairhope, Ala., was also chosen the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week five times throughout her career while also making the all-tournament team at the league championship her senior season.

The school's all-time leader in three different statistical categories — earned-run average (1.57), opponents' batting average (.148) and strikeouts per seven innings (9.28) — Beard also stands third on the career record list with 63 wins and 21 shutouts, and is fourth with 603 strikeouts and 454.2 innings pitched.  She went 23-0 with a 1.61 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 143.1 innings as a sophomore, following up with a 22-7 mark, 1.23 ERA and 224 strikeouts in 164.2 innings the next season to be named second-team all-region both years.  Her efforts helped the Jaguars go 171-53 (76.3%) over a four-year span, with the team winning three Sun Belt Tournament championships while making four NCAA Regional appearances during that stretch.

A four-year letterwinner from 1988-92 — missing the 1990 campaign due to a medical redshirt — Small was chosen the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and all-league each of his final two seasons as well as winning the Most Valuable Player award at the conference tournament after helping lead South to the title his junior and senior years.  He was named the Jags' Most Valuable Player his final two seasons at the collegiate level as well.

Over the course of his career, the native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, recorded 37 goals, 26 assists and 110 points, all totals that were among the top five in the school's career record list at the conclusion of his career.  As a junior, Small led the team with 15 goals, seven assists and 37 points — pacing the league in the latter two categories — while helping USA finish 14-4-2 after winning the league tournament, while the following year the Jags once again claimed the Sun Belt Tournament title after he finished among the top two in the conference with 12 goals, 15 assists and 39 points.  He was also part of a South squad that recorded a 17-4-1 overall mark following a victory in the SBC Tournament championship match his freshman year, as Small's efforts helped USA post an overall record of 56-16-8 (75.0%) during his four seasons of action.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the South Circle, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics.  Contributions to the South Circle directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give

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