April 10, 2007

BALTIMORE, MD - Mike Durgala, a 2005 Johns Hopkins graduate, a four-year member of the Blue Jay baseball team and an assistant coach last season under head coach Bob Babb, was killed in a chain-reaction car accident on August 3, 2007. Mike's passing was a significant blow to the Hopkins baseball family. After his passing, the baseball program developed plans to sustain Mike's legacy. Their goal was to raise $100,000 in order to establish an endowed fund that will be used to assist a young person to follow in Mike's footsteps as an assistant coach. The Mike Durgala Memorial Fund will be the first of its kind in the Athletics Department, and support such as this will greatly influence the current team, as well as those that are to follow, opening wonderful opportunities.

Friends, family, alumni and outside sources all rallied behind the challenge and created an outpouring of support. In the months that followed Mike's passing over $125,000 in gifts and pledges have been committed in his memory. Durgala was a two-time Second Team All-Centennial selection for Babb and the Blue Jays during his career. He helped lead Johns Hopkins to three Centennial Conference Championships and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament during his career. He was a key member of the 2004 team, which posted a 40-4 record and spent virtually the entire season ranked number one in the nation. A tireless worker, Durgala concluded his career ranked among the all-time leaders in numerous statistical categories, including home runs (3rd/26), doubles (3rd/45), RBIs (6th/133) and runs scored (10th/123). He began his career as a third baseman before making the seamless transition to first base. A true student of the game, Durgala served as the team's strength and conditioning coach and worked closely with the Blue Jay catchers during his season as an assistant coach. He was active working with youth baseball players, often providing individual instruction. His personality and demeanor were tailor-made for coaching the intricacies of the game.

A native of Annandale, Virginia, Durgala graduated with a degree in computer science and was a student assistant in the Sports Information and Games Operations departments at Johns Hopkins. He worked countless hours both in the office and at athletic events and quickly demonstrated a professionalism that belied his age.

Mike's legacy within Hopkins history will be honored when the first recipient is named.

If you have questions related to how one can participate, please contact Director of Development, Chris Dax at 410-516-0412 or cdax@jhu.edu in the Johns Hopkins University Athletics Development Office.