Howie Pierson is one of the top players in the storied history of the baseball program, while also playing for the men's basketball team. He led the 1957 Jasper squad with a .421 batting average, and finished second in the nation in slugging percentage and fourth in home runs. Pierson served as a team captain and 1958, before signing a professional contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He would go on to play two seasons of in the minor leagues. Following his professional career, he would go on to serve as the Athletic Director at Rockland Community College, and became an extremely proficient golfer. Pierson won the Metropolitan Amateur golf championship in 1980, qualified for the United States Amateur twice and played in eight events on the PGA Senior Tour.