Jeremy Fikac was a letter winner at Texas State as pitcher and position player for the Bobcat baseball team 1997-1998. One of the most successful professional athletes to ever attend Texas State, Fikac is the first baseball letter winner ever inducted into the Hall of Honor.
Gallery: (11-1-2020) Jeremy Fikac Hall of Honor
Fikac transferred to Texas State after a two-year stint at Hill Junior College, where he led the Rebels to a National Junior College Athletic Association Texas – New Mexico state runner-up position while being named to the All-Region Team.
During his time with the Bobcats, Fikac proved to be a multi-dimensional talent both offensively and defensively in his role as starting pitcher, cleanup hitter and third baseman. His junior year, Fikac guided the Bobcats to their first-ever NCAA playoff appearance in school history while playing a handful of positions in 1997. At the plate, he batted .316 with nine homers and 42 RBIs. Fikac also starred on the mound with a 4-1 mark and a 3.38 ERA. Fikac defeated both Texas and Texas A&M while leading the Bobcats to the Southland Conference Texas Division title. After dominating the regular season, the Bobcats also won the Southland Conference Tournament Championship. Fikac was named Tournament MVP after playing third base, shortstop, first base and pitcher while hitting .391 with one homer and five runs batted in during the Bobcats championship run.
Fikac started in the Bobcats first-ever NCAA Tournament game, going 10 1/3 innings on the mound in a 7-6, 11-inning win over top-seeded Texas Tech. The Bobcats also claimed a victory in the same NCAA Regional with a 12-7 win over Clemson, a game in which Fikac went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBIs and a home run. The Bobcats finished the season with an impressive 38-26 record.
Fikac entered his senior year as team captain and again led the team to the Southland Conference Tournament. Fikac was named Second Team All-Conference as a designated hitter. He finished the season with a .327 batting average, 68 hits and 44 RBIs. On the mound, Fikac pitched in 14 games and recorded 83 strikeouts with a 6-5 record, including wins over Notre Dame and Oklahoma.
In just a two-year career, Fikac finished his career at Texas State fifth in shutouts , 12th in strikeouts, 10th in career home runs and 13th in career stolen bases.
In 1998, Fikac was drafted by the San Diego Padres. He spent seven years in professional baseball that included stops with the San Diego Padres, Oakland A's, Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants. In 2001, Ficak was named the Pitcher of Year for the Double AA Mobile BayBears, was named to the 2001 Southern League All-Star team and chosen to represent the Southern League in the Double AA All-Star Game. He was also named the Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Year for the Southern League.
That same year, Fikac was called up to the major leagues on August 16 to pitch for the Padres. In his major league debut, Fikac struck out the side and registered a win against the New York Mets. In September of 2001 he was named the Padres Pitcher of the Month.
In 2002, Fikac led all Padres in pitching appearances and set a rookie appearance record for the organization.
He was a member of the 2003 Oakland Athletics American League Western Division Championship team and a participant in the US Olympic Qualifying Team. Fikac joined the Montreal Expos in 2004 and completed his career with the San Francisco Giants in 2005.
After his major league career, Fikac returned to Texas State and started a career in collegiate athletics as an assistant coach for the Bobcat baseball team.
Fikac graduated with a degree in exercise and sports science from Texas State in 2011. A native of Shiner, Texas, he is a Bobcat Club donor, football and baseball season ticket holder, member of the Texas State Jersey Retirement Committee and a member of the “T” Association Board of Directors.
