Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame
Matt Raleigh - Baseball - (1989-92)
Played baseball at Western Carolina from 1989-92 and left as not only one of the school's top hitters, but in the Southern Conference as well. A 1992 second-team All-American, he was a three-time, first-team All-SoCon pick, earning the league's Player of the Year honor in 1992. In 1992, Raleigh led the SoCon in home runs (25), runs scored (77), slugging percentage (.783) and RBI (73), while helping the Cats to a then school-record 44 wins and one game shy of the College World Series, falling twice to Florida State in the championship of the NCAA South Region II. Also in 1992, he became the first Catamount to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 20 bases, while his 25 home runs ranked second in the nation. He additionally paced the SoCon in home runs in 1991 (19). When he left Western, Raleigh had set both WCU and SoCon records for career hits (302), career games played (342), career at bats (837), career runs scored (251), career home runs (68), career total bases (580) and career runs batted in (239). He also set WCU and SoCon season records for runs scored (77 in 1992) and home runs (25 in 1992). Currently, he ranks ninth on the WCU career batting average list (.361), second on the WCU career hits list (302), fifth on the WCU career doubles list (56), eighth on the WCU career triples list (8), first on the WCU career home runs list (68), second on the WCU career RBI list (239), ninth on the WCU career stolen bases list (47), and first on the WCU career runs scored list (251).Raleigh was selected to the Southern Conference 100th Anniversary Team in 2021.
