(b. Feb. 17, 1951) A native son of Oregon, and a graduate of Corvallis High School, Dave Roberts made a spectacular leap into professional sports as baseball’s No.1 draft choice in 1972 – the only time an Oregonian has ever earned that honor. Drafted by the San Diego Padres, Roberts went on to play 11 years in the major leagues with career statistics of 49 HRs, 208 RBI’s and a .239 batting average.

He first gained national attention at the University of Oregon when as a sophomore, he hit .384 against PAC-8 pitchers and was selected as the All-Conference shortstop. 1972 was a thrilling year for Roberts as he was named NCAA All-American and NCAA Player of the Year, led the nation in home runs as well as being the first Oregon player since 1958 to top the coveted .400 mark. Roberts’ love of baseball has never gone away and he is currently a major league scout for the Detroit Tigers.