By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ryan Schmidt, who retired this past spring as Shawnee Heights' baseball coach after an outstanding run with the T-Birds, was inducted into the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame Thursday night in Manhattan.
Longtime former Shawnee Heights baseball coach Ryan Schmidt was inducted into the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame Thursday night. [Submitted photo]
Former Shawnee Heights baseball coach Ryan Schmidt (second from right) was inducted into the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame Thursday night as part of the class of 2025. [KABC photo]
Schmidt led the T-Birds to a pair of Class 5A state championships in his 25-year stint as Heights' head coach while also having a hand in two other state titles during his six years as an assistant under Craig Cox.
Schmidt, who coached multiple players who went on to play professional baseball, ended his coaching career with an appearance in the 2024 state tournament at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
Schmidt compiled a career record of 390-141 at Heights, leading the T-Birds to nine league championships, 15 regional titles and seven final-four finishes in the state tournament.
The Heights great was a member of the 2025 KABC Hall of Fame class along with Joe Auer (Wichita Heights), Dee Kolzow (Southeast-Saline, Salina Central), Lorne Parks (Kansas City-Sumner Academy, St. Thomas Aquinas) and Bill Shaw (Derby, Wellington, El Dorado).
