Friday evening was rainy and gloomy as the Harrisburg Bulldogs hosted the Hallsville Indians and the 12-1 score was just as gloomy for the Bulldogs. 

The rain, however did not stop the Bulldog faithful from taking time to honor legendary Hallsville coach Barry Koeneke.  Graduating from Joplin  Memorial High School in 1970, Koneke moved on to pitch at the University of Missouri where he earned 13 wins and threw nine complete games as a senior while posting an earned run average of 2.74. 

After graduation, despite impressive college numbers, major league scouts did not sign Koeneke. MLB’s loss was certainly mid-Missouri’s gain. “I didn’t know Hallsville existed at the time,” Koeneke said. Even so, he received a job offer to coach the Indians.

Never coaching anywhere other than Hallsville, he has amassed nearly 700 wins and 16 district championships. In addition, he has made eight trips to the final four and has won a state championship three of those times.

Koeneke was inducted into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1993. At his induction ceremony, the secrets to his success were revealed as being an adherence to sound fundamentals and a caring heart. Both were noticeable Friday as early arriving fans witnessed not only Koeneke still out hitting infield to his team but also watching closely as the entire team gathered in a circle to play an old school game of flip, where two, sometimes three balls are tossed, or flipped, in the circle back and forth from player to player in an effort to build hand-eye coordination. Later, as the public address announcer read the tribute to Koeneke, not a single player from either team sat on the bench. Everyone was on their feet listening and watching Coach Koeneke for his reaction. 

Still, there was a game to be played. Hallsville came out swinging, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after the top of the first. 

The bottom of the first saw Harrisburg sophomore Anthony Alicea stranded on second after an infield single and stolen base. In the bottom of the second, senior Wyatt Robinson scored the Bulldog’s lone run after doubling to lead of the inning. The rest of the game belonged to Hallsville scoring two in the third, four in the fourth, and four in the fifth.