Hall of Fame
Derwood ''Woody" Derickson played both baseball and basketball during his playing days at McKendree. However, it was the baseball diamond where Woody made his mark with his talent and versatility.
Noted by Coach Dale Cruse as having talent, motivation and an unbelievable work ethic, Woody was a key contributor for the Bearcats' baseball squad during his three seasons with the program. In his first season of 1957, Woody was second on the team in several statistical categories including hits (29), runs scored (28), home runs (4) and triples (2). McKendree captured the Prairie Collegiate Conference (PCC) championship as well. In 1958 he was part of a McKendree team that went a perfect 10-0 in PCC play and carried a collective batting average of .349. Woody was a big reason for the team's lofty batting average as he finished the year hitting at a team-best .460 clip. He also led the Bearcats that season with 30 runs scored while finishfng second in fielding assists with 53.
During his senior season of 1960, Woody helped carry McKendree to its seventh consecutive PCC championship. The Bearcats won 17 games that year as Woody once again put up some solid offensive numbers. He led McKendree with 19 walks while tying for the team lead with four round-trippers. In addition, Woody was second on the 1960 team with a .390 batting average, 32 base hits and 10 stolen bases.
In 1958, Woody was among those invited for a special workout with the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.
Not limiting his talents to the baseball diamond, Woody was also a part of the Bearcats' basketball program. He earned All-Tournament honors for McKendree while playing in the Concordia Invitational.
Throughout the years, Woody has remained a loyal fan and booster of McKendree athletics.
