Darwin Pennye (2018) - Hall of Honor

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Darwin Pennye

Class
Induction

2018
Sport(s)

Baseball

Darwin Pennye was a two-year letterwinner at centerfield for the Bobcat baseball team from 1987-88. A two-time conference batting champion and first team all-conference selection, Pennye is the Bobcats all-time career batting average leader and was selected to the Southland Conference All-Decade Team.

Gallery: (1-1-2019) Darwin Pennye Hall of Honor

Pennye made the most of his two seasons as a Bobcat after transferring from Blinn College, leaving his individual mark on several Bobcat records and earning numerous accolades. Pennye still holds the Texas State record for highest batting average in a season at .419 during his junior year in 1987. His senior year batting average of .398 ranks fourth all-time for the Bobcats. Collectively, his career batting average of .409 is the best in the history of the program.

He was named to the All-Southland Conference First Team his senior year. He was also honored as the SLC Hitter of the Year and was crowned the conference batting champion. He was a team captain that year, was named team MVP and was a member of the 1988 Converse All-Star All-Region Team. He led his team in at bats, hits, runs scored, RBIs and stolen bases. He was also named conference player of the week once during both his senior and junior seasons.

As a junior in 1987, he was named to the All-Gulf Star Conference First Team, while also being named the GSC Newcomer of the Year. He was the conference batting champion, team MVP and Bobcat Newcomer of the Year. He dominated statistically, leading the team in at bats, hits, runs, doubles, triples, stolen bases and batting average. He was also second on the team in home runs and third in RBIs. He helped lead his team to a record of 39-21-2, the 39 wins by the Bobcats is still the third-most in program history.

Despite only playing two seasons, after his senior year he held career records for at bats, runs, hits, stolen bases, total bases and average. He is still first in career and season average, 10th all-time in career triples with eight, 14th in career runs scored with 113, 14th in stolen bases with 30, tied for ninth all-time in single season triples with five and is tied for 5^th all-time in single season hits with 88.

After his senior year, Pennye was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft. He spent is rookie season with the Watertown Pirates of the New York-Penn League, where he was named team MVP and selected as a league all-star. He was the Pirates minor league leader in hits in 1989 and was named the Pirates Minor League Player of the Month in April. In 1990, as a member of the Pirates advanced Class A team, he was again named the minor league player of the month in May. He was also honored as a Carolina League All-Star and promoted to Double A later in the season. During his five-year professional playing career, he enjoyed stints with the Pirates, Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos.

After his playing career ended, Pennye pursued a career in coaching and athletic administration. He began his coaching career in 1998, first in the minor leagues with the Houston Astros from 1998-00 where he won a New York-Penn League Championship in 1998. In 2003, he began his high school coaching career in Houston as an assistant baseball coach at St. Pius X High School where his team won the TAPPS 5A State Baseball Championship. He served as the head baseball coach and director of athletics at Bay Area Christian School from 2004-15, while also serving as head football coach in 2008, 2009 and 2013. He led the baseball team to two district titles, four area titles and was named the 2009 District Coach of the Year. During his three-year stint as football head coach, he won three district and area titles, one regional championship and was named the 2008 District Football Coach of the Year. He also served one year as the director of athletics and head baseball coach at the Logos Preparatory Academy where he won an area championship. He also spent 15 years from 2000-15 as an instructor with the Proway Baseball Academy.

Pennye is currently employed with the Kansas City Royals as the Executive Director of the Royals Urban Youth Academy. The Urban Youth Academy is a non-profit organization with the mission to empower Kansas City's underserved youth through baseball and softball, academic and social opportunities to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Pennye is a licensed and ordained minister in the Baptist Church, and in 2003 he graduated from the College of Biblical Studies-Houston with a degree in Organizational Leadership. He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and has been active in several Texas High School Coaches Associations. Pennye served as the Houston TAPPS District President from 2008-2016 and was a member of the Houston Touchdown Club's Private School's Committee from 2011-2015. He currently serves on the Historic 18th and Vine District's Customer Service and Experience Advisory Committee. He is also a Bobcat Club and “T” Association member.

He is married to Maria Rodriguez Pennye, also a Texas State Bobcat.

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