OKLAHOMA CITY — Ten legendary figures will join the ranks of the National Softball Hall of Fame as the Class of 2027 is set to be enshrined during the 46th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, October 30, at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. Honored for his accomplishments and dedication to the sport of softball will be meritorious leader, Donn Addante; standout umpires Billy Norton and John Orlowski; Fast pitch legends Ross Dey, Tairia Flowers and Venus Jennings; and Slow pitch greats Bryson Baker, Darby Cottle Veazey, Greg Fuhrman and Brian Wegman.
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Donn Addante – Meritorious Service
Recognized for his dedication to the sport, Donn Addante will join the meritorious service category with an extensive career serving in numerous roles within USA Softball. Addante’s 39-year career on the USA Softball Council includes appointments to the Legislative, Governance Review, Hall of Fame, Player Representative, Compliance & Ethics, Equipment Standards and Long Range Planning Committees. In addition to his committee involvement, Addante served in several leadership roles within USA Softball, including At-Large Player Representative (1986–2001), ASA/USA Softball Metro Cleveland Commissioner (2002–2010), Central Atlantic Regional Director (2020–2025) and At-Large Board Member (2019–2024). A nine-time ASA National Championship Representative, Addante has also served on organizing committees for National Championships held in Metro Cleveland.
Bryson Baker – Slow Pitch Player
Regarded as one of the most versatile players in the game of slow pitch, Bryson Baker spent nine seasons with the U.S. Men’s Slow Pitch National Team (MSPNT), helping Team USA earn eight victories over Canada in the annual Border Battle matchup. In 2014, Baker was named the USA Softball Slow Pitch Player of the Year and led Team USA in hits five times throughout his career and in overall batting average three times. At the grassroots level, Baker is a five-time ASA/USA Softball National Champion and four-time runner-up while competing in 13 National Championships. He earned ASA/USA Softball All-American honors eight times and was named MVP in 2018. Across his ASA/USA Softball National Championship career, Baker compiled a .720 batting average with 177 hits, 43 home runs, 111 RBIs and 148 runs scored in 246 at-bats. Outside of USA Softball, Baker competed in six NSA, ISA and WSL World Series, winning four championships. He also earned All-World honors five times and was named MVP twice.
Darby Cottle Veazey – Slow Pitch Player
Darby Cottle Veazey began playing ASA/USA Softball when she was 13 years old and would go on to play slow pitch at Florida State University (1980-1983). During her four-year career at Florida State, she helped lead the slow pitch program to an impressive 194-38 record and multiple state, regional and national championships. Known for her incredible glove at shortstop, she earned multiple All-American and All-Tournament honors and was named the nation’s top collegiate softball player with the 1982 Broderick-Honda Award. Her accomplishments were later recognized with induction into the Florida State Hall of Fame in 1988. Her ASA/USA Softball career was marked by success at both the youth and women’s Major levels, winning four ASA/USA Softball Youth National Championships with the Tifton Tomboys and earning MVP honors in 1976, before continuing her success in the Women’s Major division. She helped lead her teams to two Women’s Major National Championships, earning First Team All-American honors three times and Tournament MVP honors in 1981. Her accomplishments were recognized with induction into the ASA/USA Softball Georgia Hall of Fame in 1988.
Ross Dey – Fast Pitch Player
A five-time ASA/USA Softball Men’s Major National Champion, Edward “Ross” Dey cemented himself as one of the best in men’s fast pitch, finding success on both the national and international stages. During his 15 years at the Major level, Dey competed with the Decatur Pride, Meierhoffer and Frontier Casino, earning ASA/USA Softball All-American honors five times, including three First Team selections. He was also named the Men’s Major Batting Champion in 1998. Dey also found success at the U.S. Olympic Festival, earning bronze in 1994 and gold in 1995. From 2001–2004, Dey was a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team (MNT), helping Team USA capture gold at the 2002 WBSC Americas Qualifier and a silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games. He also competed at the 2004 World Championship. That same year, Dey competed in the Men’s Masters 40-Over Tournament, helping his team to a runner-up finish while earning All-American honors. Following his playing career, Dey continued to serve the sport as a member of the U.S. MNT Selection Committee from 2006–2007 and the USA Softball Board of Directors in 2005. His contributions to the game were further recognized with his induction into the USA Softball of Missouri Hall of Fame in 2006.
Tairia Flowers – Fast Pitch Player
Two-time Olympic medalist Tairia Flowers began her Team USA career in 1999, helping the Junior Women’s National Team (JWNT) earn a silver medal at the Junior World Championship. From 2001 to 2008, Flowers competed with the U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT), winning two World Championship titles (2002, 2006), two Pan American Games gold medals (2003, 2007) and Olympic silver in 2004 before capturing Olympic gold in 2008. She also represented Team USA at the 2001 U.S. Cup, 2005 Japan Cup, 2005 WBSC Americas Qualifier and 2007 Canada Cup. A standout at UCLA, Flowers led the Bruins to four Women’s College World Series appearances and a national championship in 2003. A two-time NFCA All-American and First Team All-Pac-10 selection, she also earned three All-WCWS Tournament Team honors and was a Top 10 finalist for USA Collegiate Softball Player of the Year in 2003. Following her playing career, Flowers continued her involvement with Team USA as a member of the WNT Coaching Pool from 2011 to 2021, most recently serving as an assistant coach for the 2020 Olympic team that earned a silver medal. She has also spent more than 17 years as an NCAA Division I head coach and has led Loyola Marymount since 2021.
Greg Fuhrman – Slow Pitch Player
Widely regarded as one of slow pitch’s greatest hitters, Greg Fuhrman competed at the highest level of ASA/USA Softball National Championship play from 1976 to 1990. During his career, he competed in 17 National Championships, winning five titles and earning nine All-American honors. A dominant force at the plate, Fuhrman was named the 1978 Batting Champion and set an all-time ASA/USA Softball National Championship batting record as a teenager, going 17-for-18 for a .944 batting average with 12 home runs. He also earned the Outstanding Pitcher Award in 1982. Throughout his career, Fuhrman competed with several elite teams, including Jerry’s, Campbell’s, Superior, Steele’s and York Barbell. He also competed in the 1983 ASA/USA Softball Winston Cup All-Star Series and the 1989 U.S. Slow Pitch Olympic Festival.
Venus Jennings – Fast Pitch Player
Venus Jennings made her mark on the history of softball as one of the nation’s most elite women’s fast pitch players and the first African American woman named to the U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT). Competing predominantly with the Budweiser Belles at the grassroots level, Jennings appeared in seven ASA/USA Softball Women’s Major National Championships from 1978–1984, helping her team to a runner-up finish in 1978. She also earned ASA/USA Softball All-American honors three times, including First Team selections in 1978 and 1983 and a Second Team honor in 1982. Jennings began her Team USA career in 1979 as an alternate for the Pan American Games before participating with the Red, White and Blue at the U.S. National Sports Festival in 1981. She went on to help Team USA earn a silver medal at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela. A true legend of the game, Jennings was inducted into the Budweiser Belles Hall of Fame in 1991 and later returned to the organization as an assistant coach in 2003.
Billy Norton – Umpire
Selected in the umpire category, Billy Norton brings nearly 30 years of experience and dedication to the sport. Beginning his USA Softball umpiring career in 1995, Norton has gone on to work 21 National Championships, including nine at the Men’s Major Fast Pitch level and five Men’s Open East National Championships. His experience also includes Men’s A, B and Masters Fast Pitch, as well as Men’s D Slow Pitch, while attaining elite status, gold level in the medals program and being a member of the National Indicator Fraternity. In 2006, he was selected to represent ASA/USA Softball on the world stage at the ISC Tournament. Norton’s contributions to the sport earned him the Michigan ASA/USA Softball Umpire Award of Excellence in 2009 and induction into the ASA/USA Softball of Michigan Hall of Fame in 2010. Beyond his National Championship experience, Norton served as a District Umpire-in-Chief (UIC) from 1994-2012 and has earned 21 state tournament assignments, serving as UIC for 12 of those events.
John Orlowski – Umpire
From slow pitch to fast pitch, John Orlowski has officiated and served as an Umpire-in-Chief (UIC) at nearly every level of the game offered by USA Softball. Beginning his umpiring career in 1977, Orlowski has worked more than 20 USA Softball National Championships in both slow pitch and fast pitch, serving as UIC for 13 of those events. On the international stage, Orlowski was selected to umpire the 2000 Women’s World Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, as well as the 2004 Champions Cup in Irvine, California, and subsequent World Cups of Softball hosted by USA Softball. A member of USA Softball of Kansas City since 1991, Orlowski served as the Metro Kansas City UIC for 25 years before joining the USA Softball National Umpire Staff in 2016. He has served as the USA Softball Region 7 UIC since 2017 and is a member of the USA Softball National Indicator Fraternity and the USA Softball Elite Umpire Program. Known for his contributions both on and off the field, Orlowski has served as an instructor at multiple National Umpire Schools across the country and continues to dedicate his post-umpiring career to training, evaluating and promoting umpires throughout the region and nation.
Brian Wegman – Slow Pitch Player
Widely regarded as one of the best all-around players in slow pitch softball, Brian Wegman earned legendary status as an outfielder whose hitting ability made him one of the most decorated players in ASA/USA Softball history. A 12-time ASA/USA Softball All-American, Wegman captured 12 ASA/USA Softball National Championship titles from 2004-2021 and earned four MVP awards while competing at the Men’s A and Super levels. In 2019, Wegman added a Batting Champion title to his list of accomplishments after leading the tournament with a .875 batting average. He was also named the 2013 ASA/USA Softball Slow Pitch Player of the Year. Wegman represented the U.S. Men’s Slow Pitch National Team (MSPNT) from 2009-2020, competing in 11 Border Battle events in which Team USA earned eight victories over Canada, while Wegman also helped the U.S. to five wins over the U.S. Men’s Futures team in the annual Slow Pitch Showdown. His contributions to the game have also earned him induction into the Greater Cincinnati Softball Hall of Fame.
The National Softball Hall of Fame Class of 2027 will increase the total number of inductees to 481 since its establishment in 1957. To view a full list of Hall of Fame members, visit USASoftball.com.
USA Softball will officially enshrine the group of Hall of Famers at the Oklahoma City Convention Center on Saturday, October 30, with the National Softball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony beginning with a happy hour reception followed by a dinner and banquet.