Sit with John Cyrus as he talks about his nearly 27-year career with the Missouri Highway Patrol — or his moon shots off a tee box on area golf courses – and his stories are hard to believe. At one point, he had no choice but to fire on an emu on I-44 in southwest… Read more »
News
Sport: Softball
2021 Class – Diamond Nine
CLASS of 2021 Mannie DeCastro (Carl Junction High School/Pittsburg State University) Judy Straatmann Hadsall (Washington High School/East Central College/Springfield Slow-Pitch) Gage Jacobs (Bolivar High School/Drury University) Catlin Evans Jones (Pleasant Hope High School/Southwest Baptist University) Alan Mahaffey (Kickapoo High School/Three Rivers Community College/University of Arkansas/Minnesota Twins) Justin McMillin (Hillcrest High School/Missouri State University) Willy Morgan… Read more »
Diamond Council of Columbia
When you look across the ball diamonds in Columbia – those that are filled with players in the Diamond Council – it’s hard not to shake your head in awe. This past spring and summer, there were 1,700 kids on 170 baseball and softball teams. Call it a testament to the council’s great work dating… Read more »
2020 Class- Diamond Nine
CLASS of 2020 Heather Anderson – Missouri State University Johnny Eierman – Warsaw High School/Tampa Bay Rays Kelli Wenberg Eierman – Warsaw High School/Park University Bill Fischer – Springfield Cardinals Dallas Hord – Ozark High School/Missouri State University/Miami Marlins Robert Murders – Southwest Baptist University Justin Skinner – Hillcrest High School/Drury University Ryan Vincent –… Read more »
2022 Class – Diamond Nine
CLASS of 2022 Dr. Mark Baker — Webb City High School/Missouri Southern State University Charlie Burt — Truman High School/Ban Johnson League/Missouri State University Tim Clubb — Eureka High School/Missouri State University Mary Stratton-Johnson — Hillcrest High School/Slow-Pitch Softball Jordan Logan — North Callaway High School/Jefferson College/Columbia College Renay Ries Spilker — Blue Springs High… Read more »
2019 Class – Diamond Nine
CLASS OF 2019 Nick Admire (Lebanon High School/University of Missouri) Charissa Fuhr (Kickapoo High School/Iowa State University) Hailee Hendricks Fury (Miller High School/Northwest Missouri State University), Colby Hughes (St. Louis Community College- Meramec/Missouri-St. Louis/Colorado Rockies) Logan Hughes (North Arkansas College/Missouri-St. Louis) Trent Oxenreider (Strafford High School/College of the Ozarks) Joey Rich (A.S.A./USA Softball) Brad Roweton (Bolivar High… Read more »
2018 Class – Diamond Nine
CLASS OF 2018 Clint Anderson (Willard High School, Crowder College & Charleston Southern University baseball) Nolan Fogle (Plato High School baseball & USSSA/ASA/NSA softball) Tina Ruble Helm (Lebanon High School & Southwest Baptist University softball) Jamie Holmes (Republic High School, Crowder College & Columbia College softball) Greg Lindstrom (Glendale High School & University of Missouri baseball),… Read more »
2015 Class – Diamond Nine
Class of 2015 Jack Burrell — Humansville and Southwest Baptist Brad Simmons — Glendale High School and the Kansas City Royals Kelly Snider — Hillcrest High School the Oklahoma Sooners and the Los Angeles Dodgers Barry Short –Mansfield High School, Three Rivers Community College and the New York Mets Jim Lumpe — Glendale High School,… Read more »
2017 Diamond Nine
CLASS OF 2017 Doug Bennett (Hillcrest High School/University of Arkansas/Los Angeles Dodgers) Dan Bishop (Springfield Central High School/Baltimore Orioles/New York Yankees) Jack Funderburk (Southwest Baptist University) Chelsea King Goodin (Strafford High School/Drury University) Kellie Becher Kessler (Missouri State University) Danny Powers (Carl Junction High School/University of Central Missouri/Minnesota Twins) Kyle Rapinchuk (Branson High School/College of… Read more »
2016 Class- Diamond Nine
CLASS OF 2016 Marin Whorton Cooney (Ozark) Sophia Alexander Denning (Strafford/Drury) Bob Detherage (Hillcrest/Royals) Bill Helfrecht (Glendale/Missouri State) Brent Maggard (Sparta/Crowder/Southern Arkansas) Kristen Marshall (Glendale/William Jewell) Troy McMain (Willard) Christian Overstreet (Nixa/Missouri State) Tom Wilson (Bolivar/Detroit Tigers)
Mary Phyl Dwight
There weren’t many opportunities for sports-minded young girls growing up in Missouri in the 1960s. So maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn Mary Phyl Dwight couldn’t quite help herself once she arrived on Missouri State University’s campus in the fall of 1970. A graduate of Raytown South High School, Dwight grew up yearning… Read more »
Don Edwards
If not for the influence of one high school coach, Don Edwards might have been a farmer. And while that likely would have been farming’s gain, it would have been a major loss for the sporting world in northwest Missouri. Admittedly, Edwards grew up with the same dreams of every other American boy. He wanted… Read more »
1990-1996 Era Fatima High School Softball
Coaches who cared, combined with a togetherness and friendship that’s still evident years later. Those were the secret ingredients behind Fatima High School’s softball success in the early-to-mid 90s. Success also breeds more success. And the more Fatima won, the more the players wanted to keep winning. And did they ever. From 1990-96, Fatima High… Read more »
Foremost Dairy Softball Teams 1966-1975
It’s an iconic photograph, taken in the early 1970s, with softball players surrounding – and one player atop – a milk delivery truck marked Foremost. Players are wearing orange and white uniforms, with knee-high socks. And, for folks who have passed by the photo at the Springfield Softball Museum at the Killian Softball Complex, it’s… Read more »
Joanie French
Every athlete has their favorite memory and, when Joanie French talks about hers, it’s almost too good to be true. In 1974, at age 17, there she was playing shortstop for Big Blue in the Women’s State fastpitch softball tournament against Foremost Dairy, known as Springfield’s best travel squad full of coaches and collegians. With… Read more »
Bonus Frost
Born in Lutie, Missouri, Bonus Frost grew up in Springfield and started playing fast pitch softball at the age of 10. By the age of 18, he was already a star on the Triple A fast pitch circuit. A fleet, left handed hitting outfielder, Frost played in 14 national tournaments, posting a career batting average… Read more »