Inside Rensselaer, September 27, 2007: Four Elected to Athletics Hall of Fame



	Neil Little

The Rensselaer Athletics Hall of Fame Selection Committee has chosen four individuals for induction into Rensselaer’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The Class of 2007 is made up of Paul Battaglino ’94 (lacrosse), Neil Little ’94 (hockey), Ira Shetty ’99 (soccer and track) and Kevin Sprague ’96 (baseball).

An attack from Binghamton, N.Y., Battaglino scored 112 points, including 55 goals and 57 assists, in 23 career games over two seasons. A transfer from Army, he led the team in goals, assists, and points both years and was a two-time All-League selection. Battaglino garnered All-America honors as a senior and was named the Capital District Coaches Association (CDCA) Most Valuable Player in 1994.

Little, a goaltender, played in 109 games, compiling a 58-39-10 record with a 3.42 goals against average and an .891 save percentage. He holds the school record for career wins (58) and is second in numerous career categories, including saves (2,930), games in goal (110), games started (105), and minutes (6301:57). He earned many honors, including team Most Valuable Player (twice), ECAC All-Rookie Team, All-ECAC (twice), College Hockey Classic All-Star, National All-America, and Hobey Baker Award finalist. Little was a draft pick of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers.

Shetty played midfield in soccer. In 32 games she tallied two goals and 17 assists for 21 points while helping the team to a 24-6-2 record, including UCAA and ECAC Championships in 1996. The UCAA Rookie of the Year in 1995, Shetty was an All-America and All-League First Team selection as a sophomore. She also garnered All-Northeast Region First Team honors and was the ECAC Tournament MVP. In track & field, Shetty, who only competed in athletics for two years because she was in the accelerated medical degree program, had numerous top performances. Among her most prominent, at the 1996 UCAA Championships she finished second in the javelin (22.00m) and third in the high jump (1.45m), 100m hurdles (17.20), and 400m hurdles (1:14.68).




Paul Battaglino

Sprague was a two-time captain and a four-time All-League catcher. In 128 career games he had a .355 batting average with 144 hits, including 27 doubles, three triples, and 15 home runs, in 400 at bats. He also scored 113 runs and knocked in 119 to help the team to a 105-48-1 record, including a 29-5 mark in 1996. That team, which led the NCAA in team earned run average, advanced to the Division III World Series—the first in school history to do so. Sprague was All-Region twice, All-ECAC three times, and named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team three times.

Battaglino, Little, Shetty, and Sprague will be inducted at Rensselaer’s Annual Hall of Fame Banquet, which will be held during Homecoming Weekend Oct. 19-21. Anyone interested in attending the ceremonies, including former teammates, should contact Carole Romano in Rensselaer’s athletics office at 276-6685 or romanc4@rpi.edu.

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