By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Friday night was all about celebrating Seaman High baseball and many of the people who have helped make the Vikings one of the most successful programs in Kansas history.
Seaman inducted nine players, two coaches and the school's first-ever state championship team as part of its inaugural 2021 Hall of Honor class Friday in the school auditorium.
"We're here tonight in a celebration of so many people that have impacted a great (Seaman) community -- a great high school, a great program and all the players and coaches that have put in so much time and effort and dedicated so much of their life to making this program what it is today,'' said Steve Bushnell, longtime Seaman baseball coach and the school's current athletic director.
Steve Bushnell (standing), who coached Seaman to nine state baseball titles, talks about Hall of Honor inductee Ben Carlson Friday night at Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The first two coaches in program history, the late Duane 'Blackie' Melvin (1986 and '87) and Phil Loomis ('88-'98), were inducted into the Hall of Honor as well as longtime program contributor Dan Carlson, the 2000 team that won the first of the Vikings' nine state championships, and former Seaman standouts Ben Carlson (class of 2006), Chris Carlson (class of 2002), Eric Cheray (class of 2011), Ryan Colombo (class of 1986), Rick DeHart (class of 1986), Robbie Rea (class of 2009), Chad Rodriquez (class of 1992), Richard Thomas (class of 1989) and Ryan Zeferjahn (class of 2016).
Players and coaches for the 2000 team that beat Hays 12-9 in the state championship game incuded Larry Kelly, Jeff Kurdziel, Travis Northup, Ryan Brooks, Derek Child, Charlie Dillon, Michael Hansford, Austin Hanson, Nick LaBin, Nick Butler, Chris Carlson, Steve DeForest, Kyle Edwards, Ryan Heston, Chris McCulloch, Adam Schroeder, Chad Brown, David Duckworth, Mark Simoneau, Richard Thomas and Bushnell.
"We were just a band of brothers and it just goes to show you that from where you start to where you finish, that's two different seasons and we definitely finished the right way,'' Chris Carlson said of the 2000 championship team. "I was proud to be part of an unbelievable team.''
Seaman Hall of Honor inductee Chris Carlson shares the stage with the softball teams he coaches during Friday night's ceremonies. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Carlson, the Vikings' career leader in multiple categories, went on to become an All-American at New Mexico and was one of several Seaman players honored Friday who went on to play professionally, including his younger brother, Ben, an All-American at Missouri State.
DeHart, who played for the Montreal Expos and Kansas City Royals, was the first Seaman alum to play in the Major Leagues while Zeferjahn is currently playing in the Boston Red Sox organization.
Rick DeHart, the first Seaman baseball alum to play in the Major Leagues, talks to the crowd during Friday's Hall of Honor induction ceremony at Seaman. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Bushnell, who coached all nine state championship teams and is now in his first year as Seaman's athletic director, said a multitude of people have helped make the Vikings' success possitble.
"I'm simply the most fortunate person ever because I get way too much credit and to me the honor is watching these guys (the Hall of Honor inductees) be honored,'' Bushnell said. "That's truly what a blessing is to me.
"Everybody's that had a profound influence on me over the years, I can't thank them enough. I'm very fortunate to have sat in that seat (as head coach) for that long and I owe that to everybody else. I can't ever re-pay or thank you enough. You mean the world to me.''
