Awards

IUB Athletics Hall of Fame - 1996

About Vernon Wilshere

Vernon won baseball letters in 1933 and 1934. He is perhaps the greatest pitcher in IU baseball history with a 8-1 record in 1933 and 9-1 record in 1934. Vernon held IU record for season wins until 1985, a span of 51 years. He had 109 strikeouts in 82 innings in 1934 and 88 strikeouts in 77 innings in 1933, still IU records. His 197 career strikeouts is still third on IU lists. He is IU's career leader in earned run average with a 1.12 mark, while season marks of 1.10 and 1.17 rank second and fourth. Vernon received the L.G. Balfour Award for baseball at IU in 1934. He went straight from IU to the majors with the Philadelphia Athletics before suffering arm problems after 10-12 major league record in three years. Vernon entered the U.S. Navy in 1942 and became a commissioned Lieutenant from the Naval Academy, serving as an officer and a baseball coach.