Harryman resigns as Joplin baseball, softball coach
By Jim Henry jhenry@joplinglobe.com
In 893 games spanning 31 seasons, two memorable postseason runs headline Joplin coach Kirk Harryman’s career.
Harryman has stepped down as the head coach of the Eagles’ baseball and softball teams after being named sophomore principal at the high school. Harryman was hired for the new job in August about the same time that preseason practice began for the softball team.
“I’ve had my master’s degree since 2005,” Harryman said. “At the time I enjoyed coaching, and I still enjoy coaching. For me it was a good time in my life to transition into the next step of my educational career.
“With Tyler (his son) being a senior next year, I’ll be able to go and be a dad. I have an eighth-grade son Josh who will be a freshman next year. We’re hoping he becomes part of the baseball program next year. It’s not that I didn’t want to coach my own child; I think I would have liked to coach my own child, but from a professional standpoint, the opportunity came and it was too good to pass up.
“I’m excited to see the possibility of just being a dad and sitting in the stands and watching my son play baseball. And I’m excited to be able to watch Tyler finish his senior year playing football and get to sit with my wife (Deborah) in the stands. She’s spent a lot of time sitting and watching games by herself. I really appreciate all she’s done for me.”
“Kirk has been fantastic to work with, No. 1,” Joplin athletics director Jeff Starkweather said. “He’s a great person who cares about kids and has done a fantastic job in softball and baseball.
“He’s going to be missed. I’m happy for him that he’s moved up into administration. It’s something he’s been wanting to do, but he will be missed. He’s been a fixture here for 20 years.”
Harryman, a graduate of Neosho High School and Missouri Southern, has been the Eagles’ baseball coach the last 17 seasons after spending three years as an assistant. He compiled a 270-212 record overall, 91-56 in the Ozark Conference and guided the Eagles to six conference titles and six district championships. They reached the state quarterfinals four times and the semifinals three times with one fourth-place finish, one second and the state title in 2001.
“We gave up one hit in the last two games,” Harryman said. “ ‘Sully’ (Jason Sullivan) pitched a one-hitter in the semifinals, and Josh Tupper pitched a no-hitter in the championship game.”
But before that, the Eagles won “the miracle at Lebanon” in the sectional round.
“We were down 3-0 going into the seventh inning,” Harryman said. “Nick Admire, who wound up pitching at the University of Missouri, had struck out 14 of us. We had three outs left, and dark clouds on the horizon started getting closer and closer. About the time we started the seventh the wind starts blowing and it’s getting ready to storm on us.
“Kyle Cupp hit a ball that the right fielder takes two steps in and the wind blows it over his head, and that made it 3-1. … C.J. Ketchum hit a ball to right field that the kid dives for and the ball comes out of his glove that lets us score a couple of runs. ... Jeff Taylor hits a three-run opposite field homer, and at that point it’s raining hard.
“Kyle Cupp comes up again and we tell him to strike out on purpose. It ended up being 7-3 and as we get ready to take the field, the wind and rain stops and the sun comes out. It beat anything I ever saw.”
As Joplin’s softball coach, Harryman directed the Eagles to a 255-156 record in 14 seasons — 2001-10 and 2013-16. The Eagles were 105-15 in Ozark Conference play and won 10 league crowns, three district championships and advanced to the state quarterfinals twice and the semifinals once.
That semifinal appearance came in 2015 after the Eagles beat Blue Springs 5-2, scoring all five runs in the fourth inning.
“We had played Blue Springs two or three times and none of the two games were competitive,” Harryman said. “That year was amazing. The week before district I think we went 2-3 in the Carthage Tournament, and I told Bobby (Stackhouse) and Amanda (Smith), our assistants, I don’t know if we have a run in us or not. We’d been playing pretty good softball up to that point.
“But in district, the walkoff win against Webb City (in the semifinals), Michaela (Sennett) striking out 22 against Republic (in the district final) and then beating Blue Springs to get to the final four. That group of seniors deserved that. I reminded them all the time you are the group that every other softball team is going to compare and ask are we that good.”
http://www.joplinglobe.com/sports/l...cle_05fe318c-a501-594c-a0b4-06e2b7465c1e.html
By Jim Henry jhenry@joplinglobe.com
In 893 games spanning 31 seasons, two memorable postseason runs headline Joplin coach Kirk Harryman’s career.
Harryman has stepped down as the head coach of the Eagles’ baseball and softball teams after being named sophomore principal at the high school. Harryman was hired for the new job in August about the same time that preseason practice began for the softball team.
“I’ve had my master’s degree since 2005,” Harryman said. “At the time I enjoyed coaching, and I still enjoy coaching. For me it was a good time in my life to transition into the next step of my educational career.
“With Tyler (his son) being a senior next year, I’ll be able to go and be a dad. I have an eighth-grade son Josh who will be a freshman next year. We’re hoping he becomes part of the baseball program next year. It’s not that I didn’t want to coach my own child; I think I would have liked to coach my own child, but from a professional standpoint, the opportunity came and it was too good to pass up.
“I’m excited to see the possibility of just being a dad and sitting in the stands and watching my son play baseball. And I’m excited to be able to watch Tyler finish his senior year playing football and get to sit with my wife (Deborah) in the stands. She’s spent a lot of time sitting and watching games by herself. I really appreciate all she’s done for me.”
“Kirk has been fantastic to work with, No. 1,” Joplin athletics director Jeff Starkweather said. “He’s a great person who cares about kids and has done a fantastic job in softball and baseball.
“He’s going to be missed. I’m happy for him that he’s moved up into administration. It’s something he’s been wanting to do, but he will be missed. He’s been a fixture here for 20 years.”
Harryman, a graduate of Neosho High School and Missouri Southern, has been the Eagles’ baseball coach the last 17 seasons after spending three years as an assistant. He compiled a 270-212 record overall, 91-56 in the Ozark Conference and guided the Eagles to six conference titles and six district championships. They reached the state quarterfinals four times and the semifinals three times with one fourth-place finish, one second and the state title in 2001.
“We gave up one hit in the last two games,” Harryman said. “ ‘Sully’ (Jason Sullivan) pitched a one-hitter in the semifinals, and Josh Tupper pitched a no-hitter in the championship game.”
But before that, the Eagles won “the miracle at Lebanon” in the sectional round.
“We were down 3-0 going into the seventh inning,” Harryman said. “Nick Admire, who wound up pitching at the University of Missouri, had struck out 14 of us. We had three outs left, and dark clouds on the horizon started getting closer and closer. About the time we started the seventh the wind starts blowing and it’s getting ready to storm on us.
“Kyle Cupp hit a ball that the right fielder takes two steps in and the wind blows it over his head, and that made it 3-1. … C.J. Ketchum hit a ball to right field that the kid dives for and the ball comes out of his glove that lets us score a couple of runs. ... Jeff Taylor hits a three-run opposite field homer, and at that point it’s raining hard.
“Kyle Cupp comes up again and we tell him to strike out on purpose. It ended up being 7-3 and as we get ready to take the field, the wind and rain stops and the sun comes out. It beat anything I ever saw.”
As Joplin’s softball coach, Harryman directed the Eagles to a 255-156 record in 14 seasons — 2001-10 and 2013-16. The Eagles were 105-15 in Ozark Conference play and won 10 league crowns, three district championships and advanced to the state quarterfinals twice and the semifinals once.
That semifinal appearance came in 2015 after the Eagles beat Blue Springs 5-2, scoring all five runs in the fourth inning.
“We had played Blue Springs two or three times and none of the two games were competitive,” Harryman said. “That year was amazing. The week before district I think we went 2-3 in the Carthage Tournament, and I told Bobby (Stackhouse) and Amanda (Smith), our assistants, I don’t know if we have a run in us or not. We’d been playing pretty good softball up to that point.
“But in district, the walkoff win against Webb City (in the semifinals), Michaela (Sennett) striking out 22 against Republic (in the district final) and then beating Blue Springs to get to the final four. That group of seniors deserved that. I reminded them all the time you are the group that every other softball team is going to compare and ask are we that good.”
http://www.joplinglobe.com/sports/l...cle_05fe318c-a501-594c-a0b4-06e2b7465c1e.html
