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SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) today announced it will retire the No. 11 jersey in honor of legendary head baseball coach Tim Wallace. The retirement serves as a permanent tribute to Wallace’s decades of service and his transformative impact on the Pioneer baseball program.
Under Wallace’s leadership, SMC Baseball became a regional powerhouse defined by discipline and competitive excellence. However, his legacy extends far beyond the win-loss column; Wallace is celebrated by generations of student-athletes as a mentor who prioritized personal growth and accountability. Wallace passed away in May 2025.
“The retirement of No. 11 ensures that Coach Wallace’s influence remains a permanent fixture of SMC Athletics,” said Megan Aiello, SMC Athletic Director. “This gesture symbolizes our profound gratitude for a man who shaped not just players, but leaders.”
Effective immediately, No. 11 will no longer be worn in competition, standing as a lasting testament to Wallace’s legendary career.
The formal retirement will take place prior to the Spartanburg Methodist College baseball game on Saturday, March 28, as the Pioneers will host Johnson University in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Wallace achieved nearly every accolade available to a coach at his level, including induction into the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014 and accumulating 1,351 wins, fourth most for a college baseball coach as of the end of the 2024 season, according to the Society for American Baseball Research.
In Wallace’s 34 years at SMC, he led the program to the heights of success amassing 12 NJCAA Region 10 titles and seven trips to the Division 1 JUCO World Series, including three in a row from 2012 – 2014. He was named Region 10 Coach of the Year eight times, Eastern District Coach of the Year six times, and American Baseball Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year numerous times. He was also a part of the inaugural group of recipients for the NJCAA Coaches Legacy Awards. He also provided a number of other coaches with their start in the sport.
For Wallace, it was all about the players. He said his most important achievement has been the quality of young men who have come through the program and his opportunity to help shape them on and off the field. Wallace mentored 18 NJCAA All-Americans, hundreds who have gone on to NCAA Division I programs, and more than 150 who signed professional contracts, most notably four-time Major League Baseball All-Star and three-time gold glove winner Orlando Hudson, who played for Wallace in 1997 and 1998.
In addition to his accolades as a coach, Wallace was also an accomplished player. He started his college career at Baptist College (now Charleston Southern) before moving on to Wofford for his final three years. He was drafted in the second round of the MLB draft and played seven years of professional baseball. He is also a member of the SMC Hall of Honor and the Wofford College Athletic Hall of Fame.
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