On Thursday, April 23, six of Adelphi's baseball greats will be inducted into the University's Athletic Hall of Fame. One of the Panthers to be honored is William Gaffney, resident of Westbury, for his achievements on and off the baseball diamond. The 1998 Hall of Fame Dinner will be held in the Ruth S. Harley University Center ballroom on Adelphi's Garden City campus, beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets are required.

Bill Gaffney is one of the top shortstops in Adelphi baseball history. A three-year starter for coach Ron Davies and his powerful Panthers, Gaffney led Adelphi to the Knickerbocker Conference championship and to the NCAA Tournament in 1977. He was a three-time all-league selection and finished his junior year with a .429 batting average, the fourth best mark in the nation. Included in his accomplishments is an impressive 30-game hitting streak during the '77 season.

Graduating from Adelphi in 1979, Bill was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the nineteenth round of the June draft. He played in the Mariners organization for two years before returning to Adelphi to assist Ron Davies with the coaching duties. In 1983, Bill became a firefighter with the New York City Fire Department. He is currently a lieutenant with the FDNY and resides in Westbury. He has been married to his wife Maureen, a physician's assistant, for eighteen years and they have four children. Michael, who is sixteen years old, and Kevin, who is fourteen, attend Kellenberg Memorial High School. Twelve year old Scott and nine-year old Laura attend school in the East Meadow school district.

Said Robert Hartwell, Adelphi's director of intercollegiate athletics, "We have strived to honor people who have brought prestige to Adelphi and themselves through sport, athletic success, and professional accomplishments."

Tickets to the Hall of Fame Dinner are still available and are $125 per person. For tickets or more information, please call Jennifer Rowe, of Adelphi's development office, at (516) 877-3472.