DAVID NEAL SHELTON RHS 1982
David Neal Shelton was an all-round athlete at Rector High School. David loved playing any kind of ball as a small boy and had the dream of playing baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He played pee-wee basketball, baseball, and football; elementary basketball and football; junior high basketball and football; senior high basketball (3) years, football (4) years, and baseball (4) years, and American legion and college baseball.
David’s honors and recognitions during his high school playing career include the following:
In football Outstanding defensive back 1978-79,
In baseball All-State 1979 All-District 1981 All-District 1982
David generated some very good batting averages during his time at RHS:
9TH grade .309 10TH grade .383 11TH grade .380 12TH grade .500
David was an integral part of the Rector High baseball team that produced the following record:
Batting avg. .348 At bats 115 Hits 40
Doubles 15 RBI’s 29 Scored 26 runs
20 extra base hits (13 doubles, six (6) triples, one (1) home run)
Batted in 51 runs in 55 games Walked 59 times
11-1 pitching record .256 era; .380 batting avg.
David’s baseball teams seemed to do quite well. His America Legion team had 39 wins and 20 losses. In the summer of 1979 his Rector Babe Ruth League team was League champs with a record of 17-0.
Shelton’s college honors include the following:
After his college days, David coached a softball team in Rector for several years. The following is taken from a July 25, 2001 article entitled “Rector softball association dedicates field to coach”:
A large crowd gathered Sunday afternoon at the Jeremy McDaniel Memorial Sports Complex in Rector to dedicate a softball field in memory of the late David Shelton. A sign reading "David Shelton Memorial Field" was placed to honor the memory of Shelton's dedication to the sport and to the Softball Association.
"He did a lot of hard work for the Softball Association and on this field in particular," said Laura Mooneyhan, a coach for the Mosley team. "We've planned and worked on this since the beginning of the season this year. We wanted to do something to honor all the hard work and dedication he showed to his team.
"David played ball in Rector all of his life, and he was an excellent player," Mooneyhan said. "He played baseball at Arkansas State University (ASU) for four years. The legacy he left is a tremendous one, and his dedication will not be forgotten.
David Neal Shelton was an all-round athlete at Rector High School. David loved playing any kind of ball as a small boy and had the dream of playing baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He played pee-wee basketball, baseball, and football; elementary basketball and football; junior high basketball and football; senior high basketball (3) years, football (4) years, and baseball (4) years, and American legion and college baseball.
David’s honors and recognitions during his high school playing career include the following:
In football Outstanding defensive back 1978-79,
In baseball All-State 1979 All-District 1981 All-District 1982
David generated some very good batting averages during his time at RHS:
9TH grade .309 10TH grade .383 11TH grade .380 12TH grade .500
David was an integral part of the Rector High baseball team that produced the following record:
- County champ 1977-78; 1978-79, 1980-81
- District champ 1978-79; 1980-81
- Conference champ 1978-79
- State runner up in baseball 1979
- 1981: Leader in six (6) categories:
Batting avg. .348 At bats 115 Hits 40
Doubles 15 RBI’s 29 Scored 26 runs
- 1982: Leader in six (6) categories:
20 extra base hits (13 doubles, six (6) triples, one (1) home run)
Batted in 51 runs in 55 games Walked 59 times
11-1 pitching record .256 era; .380 batting avg.
David’s baseball teams seemed to do quite well. His America Legion team had 39 wins and 20 losses. In the summer of 1979 his Rector Babe Ruth League team was League champs with a record of 17-0.
Shelton’s college honors include the following:
- Signed a four year scholarship with ASU in 1982.
- Ankle injury and only played 12 games that year.
- Hit a “grand slam” home run.
- 1984—Played 29 games; .262 batting avg.
- 1985-86—Broke ankle and out most of season.
After his college days, David coached a softball team in Rector for several years. The following is taken from a July 25, 2001 article entitled “Rector softball association dedicates field to coach”:
A large crowd gathered Sunday afternoon at the Jeremy McDaniel Memorial Sports Complex in Rector to dedicate a softball field in memory of the late David Shelton. A sign reading "David Shelton Memorial Field" was placed to honor the memory of Shelton's dedication to the sport and to the Softball Association.
"He did a lot of hard work for the Softball Association and on this field in particular," said Laura Mooneyhan, a coach for the Mosley team. "We've planned and worked on this since the beginning of the season this year. We wanted to do something to honor all the hard work and dedication he showed to his team.
"David played ball in Rector all of his life, and he was an excellent player," Mooneyhan said. "He played baseball at Arkansas State University (ASU) for four years. The legacy he left is a tremendous one, and his dedication will not be forgotten.