Missouri Sports Hall of Fame honors area athletes, coaches
Jun. 4—The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame class of 2023 includes a number of athletes and coaches with ties to schools in Southwest Missouri.
A luncheon to honor the athletes is set for 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield. Shaun Marcum, a former Missouri State University student-athlete who played professional baseball, will headline the luncheon. Marcum, one of the inductees, is also a former pitching coach at Missouri Southern State University in 2017 and 2018.
"This is an exciting class," Byron Shive, CEO and executive director of the Hall of Fame, said in a statement. "Every one of these honorees made a tremendous impact in their respective sports, and it's great to be able to honor them and recognize their accomplishments."
Among those being honored:
Shaun Marcum
According to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, he "became one of the best pitchers ever to come out of Missouri. He was on Excelsior Springs' 1999 Final Four team and was a USA Today All-American. At Missouri State, he was a two-year closer and starting shortstop. In 2002, he helped the team finish as the runner-up in the NCAA Regional at the University of Nebraska and, a year later, Marcum helped the Bears reach the College World Series. He then was a third-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2003, and spent 12 seasons in professional baseball (2003-2015), including nine years in the big leagues. He started 167 games, made 28 relief appearances and logged more than 1,000 innings. He also pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets and Cleveland Indians.
"From 2007-2012, he compiled the seventh-highest win percentage (.628) of all major-league pitchers with over 800 innings pitched."
Since his playing days, Marcum has helped college programs such as Northwestern Oklahoma State, MSSU and Washburn. He also was Liberty High School's coach.
John Burgi
"A 1975 Carthage High School graduate, Burgi became a successful baseball coach. He led his alma mater for eight seasons (1982-1990) with three teams reaching the state semifinals. They also won five conference championships and seven district championships. He also coached at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas (1991-2000), where his teams won four conference titles, and Burgi won three Jayhawk Coach of the Year awards.
"He had 37 players drafted, with six reaching the big leagues. He also coached at Valley View High School in Jonesboro, Arkansas, from 2004-2012, winning two state championships (2008 and 2009), and at one point was the recruiting coordinator at Arkansas State University. He also led the 2008 local American Legion team to a state title, the Midwest Regional and a fourth-place finish in the American Legion World Series.
"In high school, Burgi was an all-district pitcher on Carthage's first-ever district title team. He later played at Crowder College and Emporia State University. From 2012 to 2022, he was the athletic director and head baseball coach at Hollister High School."
Webb City Little League World Series Teams, 2002 and 2015
According to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, "only three teams from Missouri have ever reached the prestigious Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and two are from Webb City.
"Its 2002 team finished 13-3 by going undefeated in four games at the district tournament, the state tournament and the regional. Playing as the Midwest representative, Webb City came incredibly close to extending its trip to Williamsport, as its losses were only 1-0, 2-1 and 2-1. Players were Darren Aggus, Caleb Powell, Brett Richardson, Jerick Swarens, Alan Pink, Preston Walker, Chance Sossamon, Dakota Miller, Landon Zerkel, Jordan Hickman and Jayrd Gregory. That team was coached by Craig Powell, Matt Sossamon, Kenny Zerkel and Bhurle Sossamon.
"The 2015 team was 15-4, including 7-1 in districts, 3-0 at the state tournament and 4-1 in regionals. Webb City lost to Pennsylvania and Rhode Island but beat Canada and was awarded the Jack Losch LLWS Sportsmanship Award. The team included Jaxson Cartwright, Kamdyn Culver, Mekhi Garrard, Cole Gayman, Eli Goddard, Brett Graham, Cale McCallister, Noah Mitchell, Treghan Parker, Blake Smith, Jaystin Smith, Devrin Weathers and Matt Woodmansee. Coaches were Eric Parker, Jason Woodmansee and Tyler Burgess."
2000-2003 Joplin High School Baseball Era
"Joplin has enjoyed a rich history in baseball going back to its minor league days before its high schools emerged with quality teams. One of its best eras covered the years 2000 to 2003, as the Kirk Harryman-coached Joplin High School Eagles reached the Final Four three times in Class 4. The 2000 Joplin club placed fourth at the state tournament. The 2001 team won it all by beating Francis Howell North 2-0 as Josh Tupper fired a no-hitter, with the Eagles finishing 22-10. The 2003 team finished as the state runner-up. The 2001 season saw Joplin beat Kickapoo for the district title, stun Lebanon in the first round, beat Columbia Hickman in the quarterfinals and edge Eureka 1-0 in the semifinals. The Eagles always seemed to survive drama, as the 2000 team beat Glendale in extra innings in the district championship game. The 2003 season featured a 10-inning win against Glendale for the district title, a 2-1 win against Hillcrest in the sectional and Luke Lawver's game-winning home run in the quarterfinals."
