Mike Tranchilla, Kelli Browning and Pat Venditte entered the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 9, 2021.
Photo by: Joey Gardner
Browning, Tranchilla and Venditte Inducted Into Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame
10/9/2021 3:00:00 PM | Baseball, Men's Soccer, Volleyball
OMAHA, Neb. —The Creighton University Athletics Hall of Fame added three all-time greats to its ranks on Saturday, October 9th, as Kelli Browning, Mike Tranchilla and Pat Venditte were honored at the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel just a few miles from the Creighton campus.
Kelli Browning became the first player in Creighton Volleyball history to earn All-American honors in three consecutive seasons, including a spot on the AVCA All-America Third Team in 2014. The Wisconsin native claimed All-Conference First Team honors during her final three seasons and earned Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors following the 2012 campaign. Browning graduated ranked first in Creighton career history for hitting percentage (.335), block assists (547) and blocks per set (1.42), while ranking second in blocks (602). She also held Bluejay single-season records for attack percentage (.370 in 2012), block assists (189 in 2012), total blocks (204 in 2012) and blocks per set (1.65 in 2012). Browning was a part of Creighton's first two teams to win conference regular-season and tournament titles in 2012 and 2014 and played in three NCAA Tournaments. She concluded her decorated career by being named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award and receiving the 2014 Omaha Sports Hall of Fame Sportswoman of the Year award.
Mike Tranchilla guided the Creighton men's soccer team to four NCAA Tournament appearances from 1999-2002, including College Cup trips in 2000 and 2002. His triple-overtime goal vs. Indiana in 2000 sent CU to its first national championship match. Creighton's first two-time All-College Cup team honoree, the Missouri native claimed a spot on the NSCAA All-America First Team in 2002 and the NSCAA All-Region team twice. Also a two-time finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy (2001, 2002), Tranchilla finished fourth overall in the voting after his senior season. He graduated holding Missouri Valley Conference career records for points scored (140) and goals (55) and in 2007 was named to the MVC's All-Centennial Team. He set school records in career NCAA Tournament points scored (17 in 11 games) and goals (6) and also ranked second on the program's career lists for points and goals. The Dallas Burn selected the five-time MVC Player of the Week with the 34th overall pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft.
Pat Venditte starred as an ambidextrous pitcher with Creighton Baseball from 2005-08. He earned Second Team All-America honors from multiple outlets as a junior in 2007, when he set Creighton single-season records in ERA (1.88) and appearances (38) and was named Most Outstanding Player of the MVC Tournament after helping the program to its first title. He threw 43.2 scoreless innings in a row at one point and ended his career as a Bluejay with a 2.86 ERA in 248.1 innings over the course of 110 appearances. He amassed 255 career strikeouts, including 39 career games with a strikeout with both arms. Venditte was drafted in both 2007 and 2008 by the New York Yankees. In 2015 he became the first ambidextrous Major Leaguer in the modern era when he made his debut with the Oakland A's. He pitched in 61 games as a Major Leaguer and appeared in a pair of World Baseball Classics.
Creighton started its Athletics Hall of Fame with the 1968 induction of Bob Gibson and has had a ceremony every year since with the exception of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic pushed this year's class back a year.
Kelli Browning became the first player in Creighton Volleyball history to earn All-American honors in three consecutive seasons, including a spot on the AVCA All-America Third Team in 2014. The Wisconsin native claimed All-Conference First Team honors during her final three seasons and earned Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors following the 2012 campaign. Browning graduated ranked first in Creighton career history for hitting percentage (.335), block assists (547) and blocks per set (1.42), while ranking second in blocks (602). She also held Bluejay single-season records for attack percentage (.370 in 2012), block assists (189 in 2012), total blocks (204 in 2012) and blocks per set (1.65 in 2012). Browning was a part of Creighton's first two teams to win conference regular-season and tournament titles in 2012 and 2014 and played in three NCAA Tournaments. She concluded her decorated career by being named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award and receiving the 2014 Omaha Sports Hall of Fame Sportswoman of the Year award.Mike Tranchilla guided the Creighton men's soccer team to four NCAA Tournament appearances from 1999-2002, including College Cup trips in 2000 and 2002. His triple-overtime goal vs. Indiana in 2000 sent CU to its first national championship match. Creighton's first two-time All-College Cup team honoree, the Missouri native claimed a spot on the NSCAA All-America First Team in 2002 and the NSCAA All-Region team twice. Also a two-time finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy (2001, 2002), Tranchilla finished fourth overall in the voting after his senior season. He graduated holding Missouri Valley Conference career records for points scored (140) and goals (55) and in 2007 was named to the MVC's All-Centennial Team. He set school records in career NCAA Tournament points scored (17 in 11 games) and goals (6) and also ranked second on the program's career lists for points and goals. The Dallas Burn selected the five-time MVC Player of the Week with the 34th overall pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft.Pat Venditte starred as an ambidextrous pitcher with Creighton Baseball from 2005-08. He earned Second Team All-America honors from multiple outlets as a junior in 2007, when he set Creighton single-season records in ERA (1.88) and appearances (38) and was named Most Outstanding Player of the MVC Tournament after helping the program to its first title. He threw 43.2 scoreless innings in a row at one point and ended his career as a Bluejay with a 2.86 ERA in 248.1 innings over the course of 110 appearances. He amassed 255 career strikeouts, including 39 career games with a strikeout with both arms. Venditte was drafted in both 2007 and 2008 by the New York Yankees. In 2015 he became the first ambidextrous Major Leaguer in the modern era when he made his debut with the Oakland A's. He pitched in 61 games as a Major Leaguer and appeared in a pair of World Baseball Classics.Creighton started its Athletics Hall of Fame with the 1968 induction of Bob Gibson and has had a ceremony every year since with the exception of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic pushed this year's class back a year.
2013 Creighton Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee Dan Smith
Friday, October 30
Jim Hendry & Alan Benes (4/11/11)
Friday, October 30
CREIGHTON BASEBALL
Thursday, October 15
Ambidextrous Pitcher
Thursday, October 15
