Hall of Fame
From 1983-87, Todd Melisauskas, was a catcher for the Red Raiders during an era that saw Shippensburg claim three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament (PSAC) titles and four consecutive NCAA Regional tournament bids.
Melisauskas earned the starting role as SU’s catcher in 1986 under hall of fame coach Art Fairchild. He continued as the starter in 1987 under interim coach Bill Rickenbach and made the most of the opportunity. He hit 17 home runs in 1987 – setting a school record that stands to this day, and ripped 59 RBIs – the third-most in a single season in SU history.
The hard work paid off as the Red Raiders went 39-11, won the 1987 PSAC Tournament and finished third in the NCAA North Central Region. Shippensburg beat Mankato State, 11-3, in the second game of the regional tournament.
The 1987 PSAC title was the third for the Red Raiders in Melisauskas’ four seasons. Shippensburg also won PSAC titles in 1984 and 1986. The Red Raiders won at least 35 games each of Melisauskas’ four seasons on the team, posting four consecutive NCAA Regional bids and an overall record of 145-53.
After earning ABCA All-America Honorable Mention as a catcher, Melisauskas was drafted in the 30th round (759th overall pick) by the LA Dodgers. He played in 53 games and had 108 at-bats in the minor leagues, suiting up for the Great Falls Dodgers in the Pioneer League in 1987 [rookie ball] and the Dunedin Blue Jays in the Florida State League in 1988 [single A].
Following his graduation, Melisauskas has spent more than 20 years as a seventh-grade world cultures teacher at Wilson Middle School in Carlisle. For seven years (1997-2003), Melisauskas was the head baseball coach at Dickinson College.
He has volunteered at Shippensburg’s baseball summer baseball camp for the last 20 years and, to this day, remains a regular in the summer Twilight Baseball League that plays along the West Shore. Todd also serves as a Little League and youth soccer coach.
Melisauskas is married to Mary Lou (Snyder), a 1988 SU graduate. They are the proud parents of their 11-year-old son, Todd Jr., and reside in Shippensburg.
