One of the most dominant pitchers in Kansas high school and Wichita State history, Mike Pelfrey went on to a 12-year major league career.

Originally drafted out of Wichita Heights High School, Pelfrey opted to attend Wichita State. Over the next three seasons, he was 33-7 with a 2.18 earned run average. Pelfrey was a three-time All-American and pitched for the 2004 gold medal-winning USA national team in Taiwan.

The New York Mets drafted Pelfrey ninth overall. The next season, he debuted with the Mets and became a mainstay of the rotation. From 2008-10, Pelfrey averaged 12 wins per season. In 2010, he was 15-9 with a 3.66 earned average in 204 innings. He started the first official game at Citi Field. Pelfrey also played for the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers, and the Chicago White Sox. Altogether, Pelfrey won 68 games in the major leagues.

Following his retirement from the major leagues in 2018, Pelfrey coached at Wichita State from 2019-2023 and is currently the Head Baseball Coach at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School.