A multi-sport athlete while at Valparaiso, Tom Orton was a three-year starter in both baseball and basketball for the Crusaders.

On the diamond, Orton was a three-time All-Indiana Collegiate Conference catcher for the Brown and Gold, and was named the league’s Most Outstanding Player both as a sophomore and as a senior.

He still holds the school’s batting average records, hitting .393 for his career at Valpo while also posting a .457 single season mark in 1958, leading the Crusaders to the NCAA Tournament.  A team captain, Orton guided the Crusaders to ICC titles in 1959 and 1960.

He also won a bronze medal with the United States in the 1959 Pan-American Baseball Games and went on to play in the Detroit Tigers minor league system.

On the hardwood, Orton averaged in double figures for his career with the Crusaders, including a best 12.2 points per contest as a junior.

Upon graduation from Valpo, Orton went on to coach basketball at various levels for 20 years. His 1983 Concordia University Texas team went 30-7 and won the Little College National Championship.

He is currently still a geography professor at Concordia University Texas.