Fresno State to honor baseball icons, retiring jerseys of Aaron Judge and Mike Batesole

Former Fresno State star Aaron Judge, the American League Most Valuable Player in 2022 and a five time All-Star with the New York Yankees, will be back at his alma mater on Nov. 18 to have his Bulldogs’ jersey retired.

Judge will be honored along with coach Mike Batesole, who won more than 600 games in his 20-year tenure at the university, led the Bulldogs to the 2008 College World Series championship and was a two-time national coach of the year.

“It is an incredible and humbling honor having my number retired at Fresno State,” Judge said, in a release from the athletics department. “I’m excited to come back and enjoy the moment with so many coaches, teammates and alumni that made this possible.

“Getting to share this moment with Bates is something we will never forget. He is an incredible coach, mentor and friend that changed Fresno State.”

The No. 29 for Judge and No. 44 for Batesole will be the 12th and 13th baseball jerseys to be retired in school history.

“So proud to share the day with Judgey,” Batesole said. “The integrity, class and humbleness that makes him a great teammate is the mark he left on our clubhouse - it will never be forgotten.”

The former Bulldogs will be honored at halftime of the Nov. 18 football game against New Mexico, with a former jersey retirement ceremony on Nov. 19 at Pete Beiden Field and Bob Bennett Stadium.

Admission to the ceremony will be free to fans with seats available on a first come, first served basis; doors will open at noon, with the ceremony starting at 1 p.m.

“Aaron Judge epitomizes all that Fresno State athletics stands for, not only with respect to his remarkably high levels of athletic success, but more importantly in who he is as a person and the impact he makes on his communities,” athletics director Terry Tumey said. “We are blessed to have Aaron Judge representing Fresno State and the Diamond Dogs and we look forward to enshrining his game in its rightful place among the all-time greats to come through our baseball program.”

Judge named 16th Yankees’ captain

Judge made an immediate impact with the Yankees, hitting a towering home run to center field off of Tampa Bay Rays’ right-hander Mike Andriese in his first career at-bat on Aug. 13, 2016. The following year, in his first full Major League season, he was a unanimous selection as the American League rookie of the year after hitting .284 and leading the league in home runs (52), walks (127) and runs (128).

In 2022, Judge set an A.L. record with 62 home runs, surpassing the 61 hit by former Yankee Roger Maris in 1961 and in the process became the second-fastest player in history to hit 200 career home runs behind Ryan Howard, and only the 10th player in Major League history to post multiple 50-home runs seasons.

Judge in eight seasons has hit a home run once every 11.7 at-bats, second all-time behind Mark McGwire (10.6) and ahead of Babe Ruth (11.8) and Barry Bonds (12.9).

After that 2022 season Judge was named the 16th captain in team history, the first since the retirement of shortstop Derek Jeter in 2014. The list of Yankees’ captains also includes Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, as well as Willie Randolph, Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, Ron Guidry and Don Mattingly.

The former Bulldogs’ outfielder will join Augie Garrido (No. 1), Tom Goodwin (No. 1), Fibber Hirayama (No. 3), Terry Pendleton (No. 8), Dick Ruthven (No. 17), Truman Celvenger (No. 18), Jimy Williams (No. 22), Bobby Jones (No. 23) and Mark Gardner (No. 28) among the former Fresno State players to have their numbers retired.

When playing for Batesole, Judge was the Western Athletic Conference freshman of the year and a Louisville Slugger freshman All-American in 2011, In his three-year career, he batted .345 with 18 home runs and 109 RBI in 169 games, and was drafted by the Yankees in the first round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft.

Batesole, who retired after the 2021-22 season, will become the third coach to have his jersey number retired, following Beiden (No. 2) and Bennett (No. 26).

“Mike Batesole’s tremendous impact on Fresno State baseball will never be forgotten,” Tumey said. “Winning a national championship was his crowning achievement on the field of play, but the countless lives he positively impacted and the manner in which he led our program for 20 seasons are perhaps even more impressive.

“His mentorship of other coaches helped develop and define what it takes to be successful here at Fresno State. Bates deserves to see his name forever honored alongside Pete Beiden and Bob Bennett as the legends of our program and as one of the best college baseball coaches of all time.”

Batesole led the Bulldogs to seven conference titles in a row from 2006 to ‘12 with six appearances in the NCAA Tournament, going 639-501-1 in 20 seasons at the university. He had 89 players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft including five in the first round - Richie Robnett in 2004, Matt Garza in 2005, Judge in 2013, Taylor Ward in 2015 and Ryan Jensen in 2019.

“It’s heartwarming to think of the sacrifices made by so many to get No. 44 honored in this way,” Batesole said. “Family, community, administration, alumni, boosters, coaches and players - a piece of every one of them is going up there.”