University of Delaware Athletics
Hall of Fame
Herb Orensky
- Induction:
- 2014
- Class:
- 1979
HERBERT M. “HERB” ORENSKY
Football (1974-77)
Baseball (1977-79)
Herb was a power-hitting catcher in baseball and a hard-hitting safety in football during his career as a Blue Hen. He earned six letters, played on six winning teams, competed in the NCAA Tournament twice in baseball, and was named the University of Delaware Outstanding Senior Male Athlete of the Year in 1978.
Herb enjoyed an outstanding three-year baseball career, batting .310 with a school-record 33 home runs and 135 runs batted in between 1977-79 for Hall of Fame coach Bob Hannah. He led his teams to a three-year record of 103-49 that included East Coast Conference championships in 1977 and 1979 and trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1978 and 1979.
He hit a school-record 13 home runs in 1978 when he earned All-ECC honors and then bettered that as a senior with 15 round-trippers in 1979 when he earned first team ABCA All-American and ECC Player of the Year honors. He signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979 and played four years in the system, rising to the AAA level before retiring in 1982.
In football, Herb was a two-year starter at safety for coach Tubby Raymond, leading teams to a three-year mark of 22-9-2 that included winning the 1976 ECAC Team of the Year and Lambert Cup Eastern championship. He spearheaded defenses that held opponents to seven points or less 15 times in his career. He was named the Wilmington Touchdown Club Senior Defensive Player of the Year following the 1977 season.
A native of Sharon Hill, Pa., Herb earned his degree in business administration from Delaware in 1979. His wife, Jill (Burns), a 1979 UD graduate and former captain of the Blue Hen tennis team, reside in Wilmington. Two of their children earned their degrees from Delaware.
Football (1974-77)
Baseball (1977-79)
Herb was a power-hitting catcher in baseball and a hard-hitting safety in football during his career as a Blue Hen. He earned six letters, played on six winning teams, competed in the NCAA Tournament twice in baseball, and was named the University of Delaware Outstanding Senior Male Athlete of the Year in 1978.
Herb enjoyed an outstanding three-year baseball career, batting .310 with a school-record 33 home runs and 135 runs batted in between 1977-79 for Hall of Fame coach Bob Hannah. He led his teams to a three-year record of 103-49 that included East Coast Conference championships in 1977 and 1979 and trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1978 and 1979.
He hit a school-record 13 home runs in 1978 when he earned All-ECC honors and then bettered that as a senior with 15 round-trippers in 1979 when he earned first team ABCA All-American and ECC Player of the Year honors. He signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979 and played four years in the system, rising to the AAA level before retiring in 1982.
In football, Herb was a two-year starter at safety for coach Tubby Raymond, leading teams to a three-year mark of 22-9-2 that included winning the 1976 ECAC Team of the Year and Lambert Cup Eastern championship. He spearheaded defenses that held opponents to seven points or less 15 times in his career. He was named the Wilmington Touchdown Club Senior Defensive Player of the Year following the 1977 season.
A native of Sharon Hill, Pa., Herb earned his degree in business administration from Delaware in 1979. His wife, Jill (Burns), a 1979 UD graduate and former captain of the Blue Hen tennis team, reside in Wilmington. Two of their children earned their degrees from Delaware.
Delaware Football Postgame Press Conference - WKU 10/3/25
Saturday, October 04
Delaware Football Weekly Press Conference - Week 6
Wednesday, October 01
Field Hockey vs Ohio State
Monday, September 29
Field Hockey vs William & Mary
Friday, September 26
