Former Wichita State baseball coach Gene Stephenson is no stranger to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, Texas. Stephenson has been to the location on several occasions to see his former players inducted.

“He’s probably as familiar with the process as any of our past inductees,” said Mike Gustafson, executive director of the foundation.

This year, Stephenson will find himself on the other side of the table when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame in June.

With his recognition in college baseball, nobody had to nominate Stephenson to get him into the Hall of Fame. All they had to do was ask him if he wanted to go on the ballot, Gustafson said.

“In the case of guys like Coach Stephenson, with more division one wins than anyone else, it’s less of a nomination than it is a contact between them,” he said.

Gustafson said Stephenson blew away his competition on the ballot because of his accomplishments.

Stephenson and other inductees will take part in a two-day event at the grounds for the new Hall of Fame building in Lubbock, The George H.W. Bush National College Baseball Hall of Fame. Though the location has not been built yet, Gustafson expects building to start early next year.

He said a ceremonial groundbreaking will take place this summer, with construction starting in early 2015.

The ceremony, known as the Night of Champions, is not only an induction for the new Hall of Famers, but also several of the annual college awards.

Stephenson was the WSU baseball coach for 37 years before being replaced by Todd Butler in 2013. In his time at WSU, Stephenson took the team to four College World Series appearances and won 15 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championships.