Photo courtesy of Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
An area native and a teacher in the Mountain Home School District will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame later this year. Bobby Bevel will be enshrined in the Class of 2023 as a Diamond 9 honoree.
Bevel says he was surprised when he learned about his upcoming induction.
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Bevel is being recognized as one of a few West Plains High School graduates that went on to play professional baseball. During his time with the Zizzers and playing for Coach Steve Hunter, a Hall of Fame inductee in 2019, he was named All-State during his senior season in 1991 and was the South Central Association Player of the Year. His record as a pitcher at West Plains was 17-11 with 172 1/3 innings and 251 strikeouts, and he also performed well at the plate with a career batting average of .360.
Bevel went on to continue his pitching career at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, where he had an earned run average of 2.50. He later transferred to Xavier University in Cincinnati. As a Musketeer, Bevel broke the school’s strikeout record his junior season with 80, and he surpassed his own mark the very next year with 87 strikeouts.
Following his collegiate career, Bevel was drafted in the 20th round by the Colorado Rockies. During his time in the minor leagues, he was a 1999 All-Star for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats of the Southern League and helped the Jacksonville Suns and San Antonio Missions win Double-A championships in their respective leagues.
Bevel pitched nine years in the minors, including five in Double-A and three in Triple-A. His last season was in 2003, and even though he never advanced to Major League Baseball, he says his time in the farm clubs was enjoyable.
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Since his playing career has ended, Bevel has served as a coach and teacher locally. He spent five years as the softball coach at Bakersfield High School. In 2010, he was hired as the head softball coach at Mountain Home. Bevel later served as an assistant coach for softball and wrestling. Bevel is about to wrap up his final year at Mountain Home before he relocates to West Plains and becomes a teacher and an assistant softball coach for the Lady Zizzers.
Bevel will be among the Diamond 9 honorees to be recognized during the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Spring Sports Luncheon June 7 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield.
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