CSUN Baseball honored one of the most prolific Matadors in the team history last Saturday as former All-American shortstop and World Series Champion Adam Kennedy’s No. 40 was retired in center field in a special pregame ceremony. Kennedy, who played three seasons with CSUN from 1995-97, also threw out the first pitch and visited with the Matadors prior to their game with Long Beach State.

“I really enjoyed the university, and my time on the baseball field and the success we had,” said Kennedy. “They’re doing great things with the stadium here and the program. They’re under great hands with the coaching staff and Coach Moore. It’s fun to come out and root the kids on.”

Helping CSUN post 122 victories over a three-year span, Kennedy guided CSUN to its most wins in team history, 52, in 1996. A three-time All-American, Kennedy led the nation in hits in 1996 and 1997.

A power hitter with the Matadors, Kennedy’s name can be found with regularity in the CSUN record book. He holds 13 career and season records including career batting average (.414), hits (337), runs (245), home runs (51), RBI (234), doubles (63) and triples (18). Kennedy also broke the school’s single season records in batting average (.482), hits (134), runs (96) and RBI (99) during his final year with the team in 1997.

Kennedy and the Matadors won the Western Athletic Conference title in 1996, the team’s first league crown at the Division I level. Despite losing the opening game, the Matadors won three-straight times at the Stanford Regional, finishing as runner-ups.

“It was really an avenue for me to start my professional career,” said Kennedy about his time with the Matadors. “Prior to that, as much as it was in my dreams, I don’t know if it was on the radar. Coming here and getting the repetitions with the coaching staff, my years growing as a man and playing at a high level really gave me the success and the tools I needed to move forward.”

After guiding CSUN to 42 wins in 1997, Kennedy was drafted 20th overall in the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Kennedy spent 14 seasons in the Major Leagues and played for six teams including the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2002, Kennedy earned Most Valuable Players honors in the American League Championship Series after hitting three home runs in Game 5 against the Minnesota Twins. Kennedy and the Angels would defeat the San Francisco Giants in the World Series that season.

Kennedy was inducted into the Matador Hall of Fame in 2001.