Brad Holt Memorial Tournament won't happen in July, likely returning as spring high school event

Jun. 30—Jimmy Harris quickly realized the significance of Brad Holt's life and legacy in the Stillwater baseball community.

Since taking over Stillwater High's team in 2013-14, Harris has lost count of the number of visiting coaches who say they have been to Couch Park for the Brad Holt Memorial Tournament. He's noticed the large tree with a granite marker that honors Holt at the ballpark, and he carries on the tradition of recognizing one player with the Brad Holt Award at the Pioneers' annual banquet.

"I've heard a lot about him," Harris said. "I've had the family message me (about) who he was and what kind of guy he was, what type of competitor and baseball player he was."

Holt, a Stillwater resident who died in a 1991 automobile accident, is immortalized within his high school baseball program.

So when the tournament named for Holt was in jeopardy of ending due to logistical challenges, Harris decided to step up.

Typically set in July, the Brad Holt Memorial Tournament will not happen this summer. Instead, Harris has reached out to Ron Holt, Brad's father, about reintroducing it as a spring high school event.

"We've been in talks," Ron said. "It's fine with us, and we'll be glad to do our part if it works out for Stillwater High School to host their own tournament."

The tournament traces back to 1967, several years before Brad was born. It started as a Stillwater American Legion event, and Brad competed in it, advancing to the finals in 1991.

Brad was a promising college prospect, a Cowley College signee, but he never played beyond high school.

After Brad's death that summer, the American Legion added his name to the tournament's title. Year after year, the event has raised money for the Brad Holt Memorial Scholarship Fund, which benefits Stillwater student-athletes.

At first, teams flocked to the annual summer games, but the Brad Holt Memorial Tournament underwent changes in 2013. The American Legion had difficulties assembling a team, Ron said. With the growth of summer travel ball, young baseball players weren't always available in the Stillwater area.

When the Legion no longer organized the tournament, it changed hands a few times. Tony Holt, Ron's brother, hosted it with his summer team when he coached Stillwater baseball before Harris. Then Red Dirt Baseball co-founder Mike Brown pitched in. In 2021, Guthrie coach Casey Porter held the event in his town.

This summer, instead of scrambling to piece together a tournament, Ron told the former organizers they didn't need to worry about it.

"I sent letters to Mike Brown and Casey Porter just saying how much we appreciated everything they had done, but we realized they were going out of their way to try to help us have one each summer," Ron said. "And so we never really knew when it would be, when it would host, so it was just uncertain with the last couple summers, which makes it tough on us because we do a tournament program and sell T-shirts."

The community wouldn't let the tournament disappear.

Assistant athletics director Brian Warwick, who starts as Stillwater's head athletics director July 1, called Ron to make sure Couch Park would be available for the tournament. After Warwick learned it wasn't happening, he ended up talking to Harris, who contacted Ron about his idea for continuing it.

Although the plan hasn't been solidified, Harris said he's looking at mid-or late-April for potential times.

"We're waiting to set a couple dates and kind of go from there," Harris said. "On our end, if we're allowed to do it, we're doing it. We're looking forward to it."

As a Stillwater tradition, the tournament has involved several local figures and businesses. Josh Holliday threw out the ceremonial first pitch in 2012. Hideaway Pizza contributes to the scholarship fund. Ron said he and his wife, Becky, have calculated that the fund has awarded about $58,350 in scholarship money.

This summer, with no tournament, Ron said some people have pledged to continue their donations.

"There's been a lot of support in town that we've appreciated," Ron said.

Because the plan is unofficial, no information about sponsorship or participation has been released, but Harris said he hopes to have a tournament date established in the next few weeks as the Stillwater baseball team maps out its spring schedule.

It's a way to carry on the mission that has guided Ron since 1991: making sure people remember who Brad was.

"I think it shows the sense of community we have," Warwick said. "Coach Harris, myself and many others that are involved in the athletic program weren't around when Brad was, or even when the Holts were working with the school system.

"But to have Coach Harris understand the importance of it for the community and being a part of the community and wanting to step up, I think it speaks volumes to him as a person and volumes to this community of how close-knit we are, and we understand how important things like this are."