Hall of Fame
Jess Hickman came to Louisiana College on a baseball scholarship in 1957. Hickman pitched three years for the Wildcats, boasting a 92-mile-per-hour fastball and helping Louisiana College defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks for its first home win in 1958. Hickman made history after his junior year when he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies and became the first Louisiana College player to be drafted into Major League Baseball. He played professionally until 1967. Jess and his father, Elbert Hickman, helped Coach Billy Allgood build the baseball field still in use at Louisiana College.
