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WINONA, Minn. — Juggling the demands of being a student and an athlete is a daunting task for any college student-athlete. Throw in a second sport, and those demands more than double.

To play two sports at the collegiate level is one thing — to excel at two sports at the collegiate level is another.

And George Drouches B’78 did just that as a member of the Saint Mary’s men’s basketball and baseball teams.

Drouches was so prolific on both the hardwood and the diamond, that on Saturday, he will be among five who will be inducted into the Saint Mary’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Drouches, along with Bruna Bucciarelli B’76, Mark Staub B’88, Jennifer (Gutterman) Becker B’06, and Jennifer (Schipp) Stewart B’06, will be recognized and honored as part of the second annual Cardinal Excellence Fund Dinner, which will be held at Visions Event Center in Winona.

“It’s truly very humbling to be going into the Hall of Fame — I was very tearful when I got the news,” Drouches said. “I cried when I came to Saint Mary’s, and I cried when I left. Saint Mary’s has always been very near and dear to me, and I am very grateful for this wonderful honor.”

A First-Team All-MIAC selection during his junior and senior seasons as a member of the men’s basketball team, Drouches averaged 15.5 points-per-game and ranks 16th all-time in career scoring with 1,176 points. He enjoyed his best season as a senior, averaging 13.5 points-per-game, while dishing out 67 assists and adding 88 steals.

On the baseball field, Drouches enjoyed his best season as a junior, hitting .314 (33-for-105) with three doubles, three triples, and a home run in 28 games. For his career, Drouches hit .267 (70-for-262) with eight doubles and four triples, while going 22-for-26 in stolen bases.

“I wish they had a 3-point line during my playing days,” joked Drouches, who not only played basketball and baseball at Saint Mary’s, but also served as the head coach of both programs in the mid-1980s. “I have been very blessed to have Saint Mary’s and the Christian Brothers in my life — and being selected to the Hall of Fame is another one of those Saint Mary’s blessings.”

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