Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2003
Vic Sorrell dedicated his life to baseball as a player and coach. His long career in the professional leagues and in the ACC as both a player and manager make him one of the more compelling baseball figures from Wake Forest.
Sorrell was a stellar pitcher for the Demon Deacons during the mid 1920s. He won a freshman state championship in 1924 and helped the Deacs win two varsity state championships in 1925 and 1926.
Shortly after his collegiate playing career was over, Sorrell joined the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League in 1926. In 1928, Sorrell broke through to the Major Leagues with the Detroit Tigers. He played with the Tigers for 10 years and helped the 1935 club to the world championship.
As a rookie in 1928, he was selected to the American League All-Rookie team. During his first few seasons, Sorrell was a workhorse for the Tigers, logging 1341.4 innings with 80 complete games and 76 wins. Toward the end of his career he came out of the bullpen, finishing 6th in American League saves in 1936.
Following his professional retirement, Sorrell served as head coach at N.C. State for 21 years, compiling a 223-195 record.
Vic Sorrel passed away on May 4, 1972 and was posthumously inducted into the WFU Sports Hall of Fame on January 25, 2003.
