Wallace Johnson distinguished himself not only on the baseball field while attending Indiana State University but also in the classroom. While batting a school best .491 in leading ISU to the Missouri Valley Conference title and an NCAA berth in 1979, Wally also maintained a 3.26 grade point average in accounting.
Board on Christmas Day 1956, in Gary Indiana, the star second baseman almost didn't play for ISU at all. Originally, he enrolled at eastern baseball power Seton Hall, but transferred back to Indiana State after one semester. Perhaps the finest of the over 25 Sycamore greats who have signed professional contracts, Wally had a career batting average of .422 and still holds several ISU records.
Additionally, three academic-related awards were also presented to Wally. He was a first team member of the 12-man Academic All-American squad, worth $1,000 to the ISU scholarship foundation, and also earned a $1,500 NCAA Postgraduate scholarship, one of only 32 grants made nationally each year. In addition, he was a finalist for the Top Five Award presented annually by the NCAA to outstanding student athletes.
Wally was captain of the 1979 Sycamore championship team and was a three year starter. He was presented the school's prestigious McMillan Memorial Award and was also the "Most Valuable Player" in leading ISU to the Missouri Valley Conference title in 1979. He led the nation in hitting for most of the year and finished third with his .491 mark. Wally also had tremendous speed on the base paths and set several stolen-base records.
Drafted by the Montreal Expo organization in the sixth round, Wally has played professional baseball since '79. He has spent parts of several seasons in the major leagues and in 1985 led the Indianapolis Indians in hitting (.309) while being named to the league's 14-man All Star roster.
Also in 1985, Wally was selected as an Outstanding Young Man in America award winner.
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Career batting average of .422 (1977-79)
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Still ranks 4th in season stolen bases (36 – 1979)
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Guided Indiana State to their first Missouri Valley Conference & NCAA Appearance (1979)
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1st team All-MVC (1979)
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Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player (1979)
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Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team selection
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All-NCAA Regional (1979)
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CoSIDA Academic All-American (1979)
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NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship (1979)
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McMillan Memorial Award for leadership (1979)
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ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District (1979)
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Finalist for Top Five Award, presented annually by the NCAA to outstanding student-athletes
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6th round draft pick of Montreal Expos, played better part of nine seasons after making his major league debut in 1981.
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Played for Montreal Expos 1981-83, 1984, 1986-90; San Francisco Giants 1983
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Inducted into Hall of Fame November 1, 1985
