To lead up to the 2015 Elon Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 19, elonphoenix.com will do a feature over each member of the five-person class of softball player Danielle Concepcion '05, volleyball and softball standout Debbie Hall '96, baseball player Brian Ingram '03, women's soccer player Ginger Staulcup DiCarlo '96 and administrator Kyle Wills '81. 

Brian Ingram is the subject of this week's reflection. An infielder for the Phoenix from 2000-03, the Winston-Salem, N.C., native helped the maroon and gold earn the school's first-ever at-large bid to an NCAA Division I tournament as the Phoenix reached the 2002 Clemson Regional. Over the course of Ingram's career, Elon picked up eight victories over top-25 opponents, including an 8-6 win over top-ranked Clemson in 2002. He also was a three-time first-team All-Big South Conference honoree and became the first Elon player to win the team's Triple Crown as he led the team with 66 hits, seven home runs and 53 RBI in 2003. A career .335 hitter, Ingram ranks second on Elon's career charts with 847 at bats, 284 hits and 50 doubles. He is also tied for second with 198 runs scored, is fourth with 231 games played, fifth with 168 RBI and tied for 10th with 11 triples.

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What was your first reaction when you heard you were being inducted into the Elon Sports Hall of Fame?
"I was humbled and very honored when I received the phone call that I was being inducted into the Hall of Fame. It's a real privilege and I'm thrilled to be a part of this elite group of individuals."
What has been the feedback about the recent news from former teammates, coaches, staff, etc.?
"I have had a few players, coaches and staff contact me to congratulate me on this honor. I have been told that this honor is 'well deserved' and hearing that from those that I worked so closely with is humbling in itself."
 What made you choose to play and attend Elon?
"I chose Elon for several reasons. First, I wanted to attend a college where I knew that I could come in and be a starter my freshman year of baseball and Elon provided me with that opportunity.  The second reason I chose Elon University is because of the beautiful campus and family atmosphere that greeted me when I first met the coaches and staff.  Third, Elon had a great reputation for their athletic programs and I just had that natural feeling that this was the right place for me."

What is one of your favorite memories as a student-athlete playing at Elon, both on and off the field?
"My favorite memory on the field was sitting in the locker room watching ESPN and receiving an at-large Bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2002.  Our team had worked so hard that season and it was awesome to see that hard work pay off.  We were all ecstatic.  My favorite memories off the field were the many times that I spent with my fellow teammates enjoying life outside of the baseball.  We had a great time together on and off the field and that was key to our success at Elon and in life in general."  

How did being a student-athlete at Elon help prepare you for life after college?
"Being a student athlete taught me discipline and the importance of a strong work ethic.  During my time in college, I learned how to balance all of my responsibilities in a positive way.  Attending college was my first experience away from home and I took the tools that I learned with me when I began playing post college ball with the Oakland Athletics organization.  I feel that I grew up very quickly during those years and I couldn't have done it without my experiences at Elon.  Now, as a father, I know I can positively impact my kids' lives by sharing my experiences and values that I picked up along the way."

What have you been doing since graduating from Elon?
"At the end of my senior year I was drafted in the 12^th round by the Oakland Athletics organization and I played two years of minor league baseball.  I played for the Vancouver Canadians and then the Kane County Cougars in Illinois. After baseball, I worked in sales for a few years.  For the last eight years, I have been working in production management at American Snuff Co. in Winston-Salem, which is a subsidiary of Reynolds American International.  Also during my post Elon years I met and married my wife Jennifer; which led to my biggest accomplishments, our two children Jackson Hugh (six years old) and Bristol June (three years old).  I'm never too far away from the baseball diamond though, as my son seems to be a natural, and we are spending more and more time at the field.  In my spare time I like to enjoy my second all-time favorite past-time, golf. I have also enjoyed learning to hunt in the past five years."

What is the one thing that you miss about being a student-athlete at Elon?
"The one thing I miss the most is pretty simple, it is the people and comradery that surrounded me during my time at Elon.  I couldn't have asked for better teammates, coaches, professors and staff that Elon had/has to offer."

How much do you keep up with your former teammates and coaches? How much do you follow the current team?
"I occasionally speak with former players and coaches from Elon.  One of the positive things about social media is the ability to keep in touch with people no matter where you are in life, so a lot of the communication is done via Twitter and Facebook. I have also attended a few games over the years and it's great to get back to the field and visit with the coaches and staff."

If you could describe your time at Elon in one word what would it be?
"Priceless."

What Others Are Saying
Mike Kennedy, Elon Head Baseball Coach
"Truly excited for Brian and his honor of being named a member of the Elon Hall of Fame! Brian had an outstanding career and more importantly was a great ambassador of Elon Athletics and Elon Baseball during his time here! To this day, he remains perhaps the best shortstop I've ever coached."