Wally Pontiff, Jr.

Wallace Victor Sebastian Pontiff, Jr.

• School Louisiana State University
• High School Jesuit High School

• Born November 18, 1980 in Metairie, LA USA
• Died July 24, 2002 in Metairie, LA USA

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Wally Pontiff, Jr. was a star third baseman at Louisiana State University who was drafted by the Oakland Athletics. His father, Wally Pontiff, Sr., pitched in the farm systems of the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers in 1973 and 1974.

Pontiff was a four year letter winner at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, where he earned Class Five-A all-state honors in 1999. Wally batted .471 his senior season and finished his high school career with 39 doubles, 4 triples, 15 home runs, 64 RBI, and 103 runs scored.

As a freshman at LSU, Pontiff was on the 2000 National Championship team. Wally hit .347 with 20 doubles, 2 triples, 7 home runs, 45 RBI, and 41 runs. He was selected Most Valuable Player of the 2000 Southeastern Conference Tournament, batting .615 with a double, 7 RBI, and a grand slam in the championship game against Florida. Wally was named to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team.

As a sophomore, Pontiff hit .347, and led the Tigers in hitting in the NCAA Super Regional against Tulane. Pontiff was again named to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team.

In his junior year, Wally hit .339 and led the Tigers in walks and on-base percentage. In 307 plate appearances, Wally struck out only 20 times. He was selected to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team for a third consecutive year. Following the campaign, Pontiff was picked in the 21st round of the 2002 Amateur Draft by the Oakland Athletics (638th overall).

On July 24, 2002, Pontiff died at his parents home. An autopsy determined that he suffered from a genetic disorder that caused his heart muscle to thicken. The Tigers play an annual baseball game at Zephyr Field in Wally’s honor.

Pontiff's younger brother, Nicholas, played at Louisiana State University in 2006-2009 where he was an outfielder for the Tigers.

LSU bio