LANSING, Mich. – Former Western Michigan head baseball coach Fred Decker has been elected as part of the Class of 2023 for the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame, it was announced on Wednesday.
 
Coach Decker amassed a Western Michigan and Mid-American Conference record 791 wins in his 29 seasons at the helm of the Broncos from 1976-2004. The 791 victories also make him the winningest coach in the history of WMU Athletics. Decker holds the MAC record for conference wins as well, having collected 401 during his tenure with the Brown & Gold.
 
During his time as head coach, Decker produced 88 Major League draft picks, 55 All-MAC First Team performers, 12 All-Americans and 18 Academic All-Americans. In 1989, he was named the MAC Coach of the Year and Mideast Regional Coach of the Year after guiding the Broncos to a program-record 39 wins and securing the conference title with a 23-6 league record. That season, Western Michigan reached its first NCAA Tournament since 1967, and won its opening game against three-seeded USC.   
 
A Western Michigan alum and WMU Athletics Hall of Famer, Decker was a two-time All-American outfielder for the Broncos while playing under legendary head coach Charlie Maher. He graduated from WMU with a degree in physical education in 1964 and a masters degree in the same field in 1967. He began his coaching career at Western Michigan in 1967 as an assistant coach for Bill Chambers, and served on Chambers' staff for eight seasons prior to taking the helm of his alma mater.
 
This year's Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at Jackson Field, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, on Friday, July 7. For more information, visit the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame's website.