TicketsCINCINNATI – Former University of Cincinnati baseball standout Mike Kinnett (1984-87) has been selected for induction into the James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame, the athletics department announced Tuesday.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be inducted on Friday, Oct. 23, the Friday night before Cincinnati’s football game vs. Texas Tech.
More details and the rest of the 50th anniversary class will be announced in the coming weeks. Others already announced to the Class of 2026 include legendary men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins, track and field All-American Loretta Blaut, and women’s soccer record-setting goalkeeper Christy Hoffman.
A two-time all-conference performer and four-year starter at first base, Kinnett holds the program record for highest career batting average (.372) and ranks in the Top 10 in several other categories. He hit .407 as a sophomore in 1985, one of five Bearcats to ever hit at least .400 in a season.
Kinnett played in 193 career games and still ranks among the all-time UC leaders in hits (236, 8th), doubles (52, T-6th), total bases (362, 8th), slugging percentage (.570, 9th), and on-base percentage (.438, T-9th).
His 1985 season was perhaps his best, during which he hit .407 and was named to the All-Metro Conference squad for the first time in his career. He was an all-conference performer in 1986 as well, hitting .388 with seven home runs and 40 RBI, both career-high totals.
As a senior in 1987, Kinnett was part of a Cincinnati team that advanced to the Metro Conference Tournament finals, eventually falling to College World Series participant Florida State.
A tough out, Kinnett struck out just 51 times in 635 career at-bats.
Following his playing career, he stayed on as an assistant coach for the 1988 season.
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