Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus Virginia Tech on November 23, 2025 , Win , 65, to, 56
WBB
Final
James Madison
65
vs Virginia Tech
56
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Hall of Fame Spotlight: Baseball's Kellen Kulbacki
1/20/2017 8:02:00 AM | Hall of Fame
James Madison will welcome its newest class into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, January 28th. Tickets for the event are on sale now at JMUSports.com. As we approach induction day, JMUSports.com will feature members of the new class each week.
Today's article features former Madison baseball standout Kellen Kulbacki.Â
A dominant hitter and outfielder for the Dukes, Kellen Kulbacki set multiple school and conference records during his career (2005-07) that still stand today. He was a two-time, First Team All-American (2006, 2007) and was selected as Co-National Player of the Year in 2006.
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As a freshman, Kulbacki was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team and earned JMU's Kevin Nehring Rookie of the Year Award, setting a JMU freshman record for hits, at bats and doubles. During his sophomore season he was the national Division I leader in home runs (24) and slugging percentage (.943), both of which still stand as JMU records. He also set CAA records in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and home runs while being named VaSID and CAA Player of the Year.
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In his final season as a junior, Kulbacki was named CAA Player of the Year, having led the conference in on-base percentage, slugging and walks. He was also an ECAC Division I All-Star, JMU Athletic Director Scholar-Athlete, one of 30 candidates for the Brookes Wallace Award and a semifinalist for both the Dick Houser Trophy and a USA Baseball Golden Spike honoree.
          Â
In just three seasons for the Dukes, Kulbacki set career records in home runs (51), extra-base hits (105), slugging percentage (.764) and on-base percentage (.505). He is also second in career batting average (.400) and second in career total bases (446). He became the third-highest draft pick in JMU history in 2007 when he was selected 40th overall by the San Diego Padres. He played for six seasons in the minor leagues, reaching as high as Double-A. Â
Q&A With Kellen
1. When you think about your time as a student-athlete at JMU, what highlights or memories stand out?
Great times with teammates and friends on and off the field. Enjoying the culture of JMU in its entirety and being able to be a part of the baseball program has so many memories. The early practices, trainings, games and bus trips. All of these things have so many wonderful memories in their own right. But all the amazing people that I met at JMU made all the memories that much more special.
2. What memories stand out about JMU as a university?
A beautiful campus, incredible university and academics, loving caring people who worked there, friendships that have lasted a lifetime and a school that continues to strive for greatness day in and day out. Feels like home to be there!
3. What team rituals or traditions do you miss the most?
Bus trips and playing spades in the back with my teammates listening to music and cracking jokes all bus ride long, Sunday stretches, game and training routines, celebrating wins on bus rides home, everything about it!
4. What kept you motivated on a daily basis as a student-athlete?
To know that this was my only shot to make my future what I'd like to. To dedicate myself to do everything I could to strive to reach the level I wanted to reach. Michael Jordan was my idol growing up. I always used him as motivation for me to be the best I could be and to try and be the best. I also always thought that no matter how good I thought I wanted to be, there was always someone out there, somewhere, working harder than me. And I never wanted to lose that edge.
5. What was the most embarrassing moment for you as a student-athlete?
I did so many embarrassing things that it's hard to think of just one. I think my teammates knew I could have fun and say some funny or dumb things. But I think at least they thought I was funny.
6. If you could go back in time to your time here at JMU as a student-athlete, would you do anything differently?
I'd try to learn from my mistakes and to learn how to become a better person and better athlete through my college experience. I hope and pray that everyone knows how thankful I am for meeting them and to have them be a presence in my JMU experience is something I would never change! I have been blessed to meet so many amazing people and it'd be hard to imagine not meeting some!
7. How would you compare being a student-athlete in your time vs today?
Society has changed greatly. Times have changed. I enjoyed my time at JMU when I did, but now as an alumni it's such an amazing thing to see how it's transformed and to still always be here in my heart.
8. How well have you stayed connected to JMU since your time as a student-athlete?
I have kept in contact with many friends and people who have been here from the beginning. Jeff Bourne has been such a mentor to me and has kept me involved and I can't thank him enough for what he's done for me. He's an amazing man along with so many other people that I could name! I love you all!
9. What was your greatest achievement individually and as a team during your time at JMU?
Making the conference tournament was an amazing feeling my sophomore year. What a way to win and what a feeling for our team! Winning the national player of the year and being drafted 1st round as a junior were incredible achievements that I'll never forget as well!
10. What are you doing today in your professional career?
I am the owner and founder of a baseball instruction and recruiting services business where I have around 160 individual clients that I train of all ages from the greater central Pennsylvania area. I also run a training facility that hosts close to 20 teams during winter months for training. I will be launching a new website this year for my high school clients to help them achieve exposure and recruitment to a database of colleges across the country.
Today's article features former Madison baseball standout Kellen Kulbacki.Â
A dominant hitter and outfielder for the Dukes, Kellen Kulbacki set multiple school and conference records during his career (2005-07) that still stand today. He was a two-time, First Team All-American (2006, 2007) and was selected as Co-National Player of the Year in 2006.
         Â
As a freshman, Kulbacki was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team and earned JMU's Kevin Nehring Rookie of the Year Award, setting a JMU freshman record for hits, at bats and doubles. During his sophomore season he was the national Division I leader in home runs (24) and slugging percentage (.943), both of which still stand as JMU records. He also set CAA records in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and home runs while being named VaSID and CAA Player of the Year.
          Â
In his final season as a junior, Kulbacki was named CAA Player of the Year, having led the conference in on-base percentage, slugging and walks. He was also an ECAC Division I All-Star, JMU Athletic Director Scholar-Athlete, one of 30 candidates for the Brookes Wallace Award and a semifinalist for both the Dick Houser Trophy and a USA Baseball Golden Spike honoree.
          Â
In just three seasons for the Dukes, Kulbacki set career records in home runs (51), extra-base hits (105), slugging percentage (.764) and on-base percentage (.505). He is also second in career batting average (.400) and second in career total bases (446). He became the third-highest draft pick in JMU history in 2007 when he was selected 40th overall by the San Diego Padres. He played for six seasons in the minor leagues, reaching as high as Double-A. Â
Q&A With Kellen
1. When you think about your time as a student-athlete at JMU, what highlights or memories stand out?
Great times with teammates and friends on and off the field. Enjoying the culture of JMU in its entirety and being able to be a part of the baseball program has so many memories. The early practices, trainings, games and bus trips. All of these things have so many wonderful memories in their own right. But all the amazing people that I met at JMU made all the memories that much more special.
2. What memories stand out about JMU as a university?
A beautiful campus, incredible university and academics, loving caring people who worked there, friendships that have lasted a lifetime and a school that continues to strive for greatness day in and day out. Feels like home to be there!
3. What team rituals or traditions do you miss the most?
Bus trips and playing spades in the back with my teammates listening to music and cracking jokes all bus ride long, Sunday stretches, game and training routines, celebrating wins on bus rides home, everything about it!
4. What kept you motivated on a daily basis as a student-athlete?
To know that this was my only shot to make my future what I'd like to. To dedicate myself to do everything I could to strive to reach the level I wanted to reach. Michael Jordan was my idol growing up. I always used him as motivation for me to be the best I could be and to try and be the best. I also always thought that no matter how good I thought I wanted to be, there was always someone out there, somewhere, working harder than me. And I never wanted to lose that edge.
5. What was the most embarrassing moment for you as a student-athlete?
I did so many embarrassing things that it's hard to think of just one. I think my teammates knew I could have fun and say some funny or dumb things. But I think at least they thought I was funny.
6. If you could go back in time to your time here at JMU as a student-athlete, would you do anything differently?
I'd try to learn from my mistakes and to learn how to become a better person and better athlete through my college experience. I hope and pray that everyone knows how thankful I am for meeting them and to have them be a presence in my JMU experience is something I would never change! I have been blessed to meet so many amazing people and it'd be hard to imagine not meeting some!
7. How would you compare being a student-athlete in your time vs today?
Society has changed greatly. Times have changed. I enjoyed my time at JMU when I did, but now as an alumni it's such an amazing thing to see how it's transformed and to still always be here in my heart.
8. How well have you stayed connected to JMU since your time as a student-athlete?
I have kept in contact with many friends and people who have been here from the beginning. Jeff Bourne has been such a mentor to me and has kept me involved and I can't thank him enough for what he's done for me. He's an amazing man along with so many other people that I could name! I love you all!
9. What was your greatest achievement individually and as a team during your time at JMU?
Making the conference tournament was an amazing feeling my sophomore year. What a way to win and what a feeling for our team! Winning the national player of the year and being drafted 1st round as a junior were incredible achievements that I'll never forget as well!
10. What are you doing today in your professional career?
I am the owner and founder of a baseball instruction and recruiting services business where I have around 160 individual clients that I train of all ages from the greater central Pennsylvania area. I also run a training facility that hosts close to 20 teams during winter months for training. I will be launching a new website this year for my high school clients to help them achieve exposure and recruitment to a database of colleges across the country.
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