By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
The Webb City High School baseball team basically lived up to its promise in placing runner-up in the Missouri Class 3A Tournament this season.
“We had four players sign early (for college),” Cardinal coach Shawn Mayes said. “So we knew we had a special group of athletes returning. We knew we had good players who’d had success. They knew the game.”
It was the first assignment as a head coach for Mayes. He had assisted Bryce Darnell, who moved to Missouri Southern State University, for two seasons after helping Kirk Harryman for a pair during a four-year stint at Joplin High School.
The record of 24-6 overall and Southwest Conference championship at 7-1 suggest that Mayes, a graduate of Webb City High School, handled the transition well with an occasional bump.
Mayes is the 2008 Joplin Globe All-Area Coach of the Year.
“It wasn’t easy,” Mayes, 30, said of the season. “But Coach Darnell not only prepared me for the situation. The players were prepared, too. I give Coach Darnell a lot of credit.
“Honestly, I just happened to be the one the administration had trust in as the head coach,” Mayes said.
A contemporary coach described Mayes as “very open, very unassuming and a bit uncomfortable in the spotlight.”
No ego?
“Not at all,” said the coach.
Mayes is comfortable in saying he’s been blessed during his relatively brief coaching career. After all, Harryman’s Eagles won a state title during his time as an assistant. Ditto for Darnell’s Cardinals.
Mayes noted that the 2008 Cardinals, who broke several team and individual records, had failure — they lost to Carl Junction in a 2007 district final — as well as success in their past.
“That failure reminded them to not take things for granted. Anything can happen,” Mayes said. “We caught (Carl Junction’s) Zak Porath in an outstanding effort in that 2007 district championship game.
“This season, after our first inning in the district final, Porath again was dominant,” Mayes said. “We were fortunate to score some early runs and make them stand up.”
Mike Watt, whose St. Mary’s-Colgan Panthers won a fifth state title in a row this spring, was tapped for The Globe’s coaching award in 2007.
“What Coach Watt has done at Colgan is truly amazing,” Mayes said.
The competition is just part of the reason why the Cardinals look forward to playing Colgan each season, Mayes said.
“Coach (Watt) is a very down-to-earth person,” Mayes said. “I’ve liked him from Day 1. We know we’ll get their best effort.”
Sports
June 28, 2008
‘Blessed’ Mays selected area prep baseball coach of year
-
-
Outlaws open season Thursday on the road
Chris Oldner takes a cut during the Joplin Outlaws practice Tuesday afternoon. The Outlaws open their season on Thursday night at Rossville and play seven road games before their home opener on June 5.
The Joplin Outlaws and new coach Rob Vessell have set some lofty goals for the 2012 baseball season.
Continued ... - Five sign to join Missouri Southern women's track team
- Whisner ignites Joplin Miners past Webb City
- Venus Williams joins Serena on sideline in Paris
- Both sides of border hope changes make easier entry into Canada
-
- Pittsburg State Sports
-
- Vengels sixth in heptathlon; PSU picks up two seventh-place finishes
- Ethan Cordray signs with Pittsburg State
- Lions, Gorillas begin competition in outdoor track and field championship
- Three finalists named for PSU head baseball coach position
- Lions qualify 10, PSU 15 for Division II outdoor track meet
- Missouri Southern Sports
- High School Sports
-
-
Area athletes turn shine at state meet
Webb City's Jarvis Jones takes sixth in the 200.
- Cleo Elbert steps down at Thomas Jefferson
- Frontenac wins first state baseball title
- Joplin's Jeremy Lynn takes fifth at state tennis
- Frontenac advances at state baseball
-
