Six Sagehens to Be Inducted Into Pomona-Pitzer Hall of Fame

Claremont, Calif. (March 9, 2023)—The Pomona-Pitzer Athletic Hall of Fame will induct six individuals on April 14. Those being inducted include: Pitzer College alumni Ruchi Patel ’09 for volleyball and Jose “Chico” Cortez ’09 for baseball and Pomona College alumni David Obert PO’84 for swimming, Megan Prior PO’09 for volleyball, Drew Hedman PO’09 for baseball, and Nancy Treser-Osgood PO’80 for distinguished service.

The ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. in the Edmunds Ballroom of Pomona College’s Smith Campus Center at 170 E. Sixth Street, Claremont.

Ruchi Patel ’09

Patel spent four years as a member of the Pomona-Pitzer volleyball team.

Patel stands on multiple different record books including seventh on the all-time career digs list at 1379 and ninth on the single season digs list with 496 in 2008. Patel averaged a conference leading 5.06 digs per game in her senior campaign and an incredible 4.49 digs per game for her career. She garnered double-digit digs in 67 of the 95 matches she played in.

Over the course of her career, Patel earned All-American Honorable Mention, First Team All-West, two-time First Team All-SCIAC selection, two-time Team MVP, and captain her senior season. She was also named to the Pacific Coast Classic All-Tournament Team.

Jose “Chico” Cortez ’09

Cortez graduated in 1999 from Don Antonio Lugo High School, where he played baseball for four years, basketball for four years, and football for two years. For baseball, he was a two-time league champion, Inland Empire home run leader in 1999, League MVP in 1999, and the 1999 Single Season home run leader with 14.

Cortez was a four-year member of the Pomona-Pitzer baseball team.

Cortez left Pomona-Pitzer as one of the most decorated athletes in program history. During his time with the baseball team, Cortez was an All-American all four years at Pomona-Pitzer, two-time West Player of the Year in 2002–2003, four-time First Team All-SCIAC Selection, and a two-time SCIAC Champion with the team in 2002 and 2003. Cortez also set the NCAA Division III Record for Career Home Runs, RBI, Total Bases, and Slugging Percentage.

He currently holds the Sagehen Career Records for Batting Average (.452), Home Runs (70), RBI (253), Runs Scored (214), and Slugging Percentage (.932). He sits in second for Hits (259) and third in Doubles (61).

He holds the Single Season Record for Runs Scored with 65 in 2003 and sits in second for Batting Average (.500) in 2002, second in Hits (77) in 2002, and second in Home Runs (20) in 2003. He holds the 3-6 sports in RBIs in a Single Season with 66 in 2001, 65 in 2002, 61 in 200, and 61 in 2003.  

Cortez was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball Draft and spent three seasons playing within the Phillies organization before returning to Pitzer to finish his graduation requirements in 2009.

He currently works in sales for WAXIE Sanitary Supply in Claremont, California, where he resides with his wife, Annemarie, and children, Anthony and Noah.

Read the bios of the rest of the Pomona-Pitzer Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

Adapted from the Pomona-Pitzer Athletics press release “Six Sagehens to Be Inducted Into Pomona-Pitzer Hall of Fame.” To learn more, please visit Sagehen Athletics.