SENATOBIA – Northwest Mississippi Community College will induct two former student-athletes and one coach into its Sports Hall of Fame during Homecoming week Sept. 18–22 on the Senatobia campus.

The induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m. at the David M. Haraway Center. An invitation-only reception and meet and greet will precede the ceremony from 3–4 p.m.

Kickoff against Mississippi Delta is set for 6:30 p.m. that evening at Bobby Franklin Field.

Dr. Gerald J. Hasselman, a former All-MACJC center, Don Edwards, the winningest women's basketball coach in school history, and two-time all-conference third baseman Marcus Van Every will all enter the prestigious hall.

DR. GERALD HASSELMAN, MEN'S BASKETBALL, 1964-66
Hasselman had his fair share of big performances while starring on the basketball court at Northwest.
 
As a member of the Ranger men's basketball team from 1964-66, Hasselman finished with eight 30-point games, good for second all-time in program history, and concluded his Northwest basketball career by being named All-MACJC in the spring of 1966. Off the court, he was also selected to both the President's and Dean's Lists.
 
After Northwest, the Holly Springs native continued his academic and athletic career at Millsaps College from 1966-68. Off the court, Hasselman was a Dean's List honoree and an active member of the International Relations Club and Omicron Delta Kappa.
 
Hasselman traded in his skills on the hardwood for a different kind of leadership in the public school system after graduation from Millsaps.

In the fall of 1968, he was hired as a coach and teacher at Warren Central High School in Vicksburg and was later promoted to assistant principal in 1971 and principal in 1975. While at Warren Central, Hasselman continued his education at Millsaps, acquiring a masters' in history in 1971 and an educational specialist in principalship in 1979.
 
After 18 years at Warren Central, Hasselman became principal at Oxford High School in 1986 and simultaneously took on a role as director of secondary curriculum for the Oxford School District, sparking a transition to higher administrative roles. In 1989, Hasselman earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Mississippi State, and shortly after that, became the director of the Mississippi Department of Education's Bureau of School Improvement before becoming the Associate State Superintendent for Academic Education in 1993.
 
In 1997, he became the Director of Education at William Carey College's Coast campus while also returning to the classroom as a Professor of Education. After a brief stint in Eugene, Oregon, as the assistant principal at John F. Kennedy Middle School, Hasselman returned to William Carey in 2000 to his previous position and later moved to his current position as the Director of Educational Leadership at Mississippi College in 2003.
 
Hasselman has made numerous presentations and has served in various leadership opportunities throughout his career, including roles as a trainer for the National Association of Secondary School Principals' Assessment Center, a participant in Vanderbilt University's Principal Institute and as a Task Force member for the Mississippi Training Manual for School Safety and Crisis Management.

DON EDWARDS, HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH, 1987-PRESENT
Edwards enters his 31st season as Northwest's head women's basketball coach entering the 2017-18 season and has been a part of the staff for the last 34 years, starting in 1983 as an assistant under the late Harry Adair.

During his tenure as head coach, Edwards has led the Lady Rangers to 17 NJCAA Region XXIII and three NJCAA National Tournament Appearances, as well as a pair of MACJC championships in 1995 and 1996. His career record at Northwest stands at 447-310 (.590), posting 22 winning seasons overall and four seasons with 20 or more wins.

With all his success, Edwards has received numerous Coach of the Year recognitions. He was named Region XXIII and District 16 Coach of the Year in 1990, 1996, 1998 and 2005, MACJC Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1990 and was MAC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year in 1990, 1995 and 1996.

Edwards led the Lady Rangers to a 16-6 overall mark and a 9-3 record in the north division two years ago. The Lady Rangers advanced to the MACJC and Region XXIII Tournaments, falling in the first round to Copiah-Lincoln. After a 6-0 start to the season, Northwest earned its first national ranking since 1999-2000 at 25th in the NJCAA.

Edwards led the Lady Rangers to a fifth north division crown during the 2012-13 season, finishing with an 18-7 overall record and 9-3 mark in the division. The 18 wins was the most for Northwest in eight seasons.

Since 2004-05, a total of 28 Lady Rangers have gone on to play at four-year schools, including Destiny Gardner (North Alabama), Averyale Joy (Freed-Hardeman), Janesha Johnson (University of Charleston), Aspriona Gilbert (Delta State), Jacquelyn Brooks (Delta State), Bethany Lytle (Union University) and Sara Lytle (Union University) from the past three seasons. 

Not only have the Lady Rangers performed on the court, but they have done it off the court as well. Northwest posted a 3.15 team GPA last season and 3.20 GPA during the 2015-16 academic year to be recognized as an All-Academic team by both the MACJC and NJCAA.

Edwards also served as the head men's golf coach for 23 seasons at Northwest, being named the MACJC Coach of the Year twice, and sending at least one golfer to compete in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament in 11 of his final 17 seasons.

Edwards came to Northwest from West Panola Academy at Batesville where he served as the boys' and girls' basketball coach, golf coach and athletic director for eight years. Named Coach of the Year a total of six times, he coached in two academy All-Star games.

His record as a high school coach stands at 246-56 for girls and 162-82 for boys. Edwards' girls' teams finished in the top four in the state for six years, capturing the championship three times. Before arriving at West Panola Academy, Edwards worked at Quitman County High School where he was athletic director, basketball and football coach and driver's education instructor.

After attending Northwest for two years, Edwards transferred to Delta State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1973. He also holds an M.Ed. in administration and supervision from Delta State University.

MARCUS VAN EVERY, BASEBALL, 1998-99
The Northwest baseball team experienced the best offensive season in team history in 1999 and Senatobia native Marcus Van Every was a big reason why.
 
After originally signing with Gulf Coast (Fla.), Van Every returned to Senatobia after one semester and was a primary contributor during his two seasons with the Rangers.

The catcher/third baseman finished his career with a .432 batting average (third all-time), an on-base percentage of .508 (second) and 24 home runs (third). In 1999, Van Every hit .453 in his sophomore campaign, and alongside teammate Eduardo Pena, the duo led the NJCAA with 17 homers, which remains the Rangers' single-season record. Van Every also holds the single-season record for total bases at 132.
 
A two-time All-MACJC selection and NJCAA Distinguished Academic Student Athlete, Van Every later carried his talents to Delta State University. At DSU, he helped lead the Statesmen to a third place finish in the NCAA Division II College World Series in 2001. Van Every garnered numerous All-American, Academic All-American and All-Gulf South Conference honors and still ranks fourth all-time in career batting average (.395).
 
Van Every continues to give back to the game he loves today, coaching an 18U summer showcase baseball team, the Shockers Baseball Club.
 
Van Every and his wife Abby will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary next March. The couple have three sons, Easton, Vance and Jordan.