Collins, others to be honored Jan. 26
Veteran Latta baseballl head coach Eddie Collins has won numerous awards during his decorated career. He'll add another one later this month.
Collins will be among 12 players and coaches honored with the prestigious Ferguson Jenkins Award during the Warren Spahn Gala on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Museum in Oklahoma City.
The Jenkins award — named in honor of the Hall of Fame righthander who won the 1971 Cy Young Award and was voted into the major league baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 — is given annually to a baseball and softball coach and to five deserving players from each sport. Jenkins, who spent 19 seasons in the major leagues and was voted to three All-Star teams, helped establish the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame Museum in 1992.
“It’s great to meet the youngsters every year and celebrate their accomplishments in athletics and scholastics,” Jenkins said in a press release announcing this year’s award winners. “They really enjoy coming to the Warren Spahn Award Gala and being recognized by the stateís top business, community and sports leaders for their outstanding work.”
Collins was honored to be among the 2010 Jenkins winners.
“It’s a prestigious award — I’m flattered they would choose me,” Collins said. “Any accolades I get are a reflection on my family and on our baseball program.”
Collins arrived in Latta in 1981 and has established one of the state’s top high school baseball programs over the past three decades. He has won 10 state championships (seven spring, three fall), including three straight from the fall of 1992 to the fall of 1993 and three consecutive Class 2A spring titles from 2003-2005.
Randall King of Broken Arrow is the softball coach to receive this year’s Jenkins Award.
Baseball winners are Caden Cleveland from Christian Heritage Academy, Nick Fowble from Norman High, Dillon Overton from Weatherford, Jacob Rice from Tulsa Union and Cayle Shambaugh from Jay.
Softball recipients for 2010 are Sierra Bronkey from Edmond Santa Fe, Moore’s Sydney Garcie, Amanda McClelland from Lawton McArthur, Ashley Paxton from Mustang and Broken Arrow’s Jessica Turner.
In addition to the presentation of the Ferguson Jenkins Awards, the Warren Spahn Gala — named for major league baseball’s all-time winningest left-handed pitcher — will include the presentation of the Warren Spahn Award to C.C. Sabathia of the New York Yankees. The award is presented annually to the winningest lefthander in the major leagues.
For information about the Warren Spahn Award Gala or to purchase tickets, visit OKCspahnawards.com.
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