2019 Award Winners Dave Johnson Small School COY ······················· Mike Archer, Selah Paton-Fouts Large School COY ········ Donnie Lindgren, Moses Lake Player of the Year ············································· Henry Gargus, Davis Reding Media Award ······················································· Todd Milles Dan White Assistant COY ····················· Bishop Beilic, North Mason

Larry Linville Service Award ········································ Lynn Eakman ALL STATE Freeman Dedication and Commitment Award ················· Jerry Gatto For a List of Past Award Winners, Please Visit: https://washingtonbaseballpoll.com

2019 All State BASEBALL 2019 hall of fame inductees

and Hall of Fame Banquet Merle Watkins, Kittitas

6:00 Doors Open 2019 marks the 5 year anniversary of Kittitas High School Baseball head coach Merle Watkins’ resignation. 7:00 Welcome, Introductions and Thanks Over the span 23 seasons 1992 – 2014, Coach Watkins has had fifteen winning seasons, ten league championships, twenty trips to the district tournament 7 Innings including nine district Championships, fifteen trips to the WIAA Baseball State tournament, including a 2nd place 1. 2019 WSBCA Award Winners finish in 1995. He was selected Coach of the year honors 8 times, and his teams won three sportsmanship awards 2. Dinner while winning the league championship the same year. His 304 career wins made Coach Watkins the winningest baseball coach in Kittitas High School history. 3. Banquet Speaker: 4. All State Plaques: Team Adams and Team Baker Prior to assuming his post at Kittitas, Watkins coached Babe Ruth teams in Ellensburg (1989), also the freshmen team coach at Renton High (1987) under Head Coach Lloyd 5. Hall of Fame Inductees: Riddle (HOF member), and together with Steve Nelson and John Nobis coached the 1986 Renton American Legion team. Merle Watkins, Kittitas | Rex Ashmore, Centralia Along with coaching baseball, Coach Watkins was a Middle School and High School JV 6. All State Plaques: Team Rainier and Team St. Helens Coach for fifteen plus years, most recently coaching the Kittitas High School 7. Hall of Fame Inductee: C team in 2017-18. He also coached MS and HS football for fifteen plus years. In 2010 he guided the Coyotes to a South division Championship, earning coach of the year Kevin Heimbigner, Toutle Lake/Odessa/Naselle/Ilwaco honors that season. Watkins led the Coyotes to the state football playoffs two of his three seasons as Head Football Coach and had a (18-13) record.

Watkins currently resides in Ellensburg, WA and teaches Physical Education and Math at 2019 All State and HOF Closing Kittitas Elementary School. He received an A.A. degree from South Community College 1987, Bachelor’s degree in recreation 1990 CWU, Elementary Education Certification in 1995 CWU, and Master’s in Physical Education 2005 from Emporia State.

Joe Ross, WSU and UW Rex Ashmore, A native of St. Paul, Minn., Joe Ross has over 30 years of Centralia successful coaching experience. Prior to scouting for the Kansas City Royals and the Pacific NW Area Supervisor, he was Coach Ashmore grew up in Centralia and hired as the State Cougars’ recruiting coordinator has continued to live there his entire life. and worked with hitters and catchers. Prior to WSU, Joe worked He played baseball at Centralia High the five years as a scout for the . School and continued his career at Centralia College where he was inducted Ross joined the NCAA Division I ranks when he became the top into the Centralia College Hall of assistant coach at Washington in 1993. Elevated to associate Fame in 2000. Rex started his teaching head coach in 1997, Ross spent 17 seasons with the Huskies. career late in life at Boistfort School District He oversaw Washington’s recruiting efforts, coached catchers where he taught middle school social studies for a year and third grade for a year before and ran the Huskies’ offense during games. moving into Centralia to teach fourth and fifth grade for the past twelve years.

Washington’s recruiting classes were ranked in the top 30 nationally six times by Coach Ashmore started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Centralia High School Collegiate Baseball. The Huskies ranked in the top 12 nationally in home runs each in 1990, which was culminated by winning the state baseball championship in 1993. He season from 2003-06. Players coached by Ross account for 79 percent of the spots in continued as an assistant there until becoming the head coach at Adna High School in nd rd the Huskies’ single-season top 10 for at bats, batting average, doubles, hits, home runs, 1998 where he coached them to a 2 place and 3 place finish in the state tournament. runs, RBI, stolen bases, triples and walks. Since 2013 Rex has been the head coach at Centralia High School and has guided the Tigers to the regional tournament five times, winning the state championship in 2015.

Ross earned his bachelor’s degree in 1982 and his master’s degree in 1986, both from Rex is married to his wife Jenny, has three brothers and a sister. Three daughters Danika, Wisconsin-River Falls. He and his wife, Laurence, have two sons, Alex and Luke. Morgan, and Avery and a grandson, Ethan.

Ken Knutson, Kevin Heimbigner, Ken Knutson holds 30 years of collegiate coaching experience, Toutle Lake/Odessa/Naselle/Ilwaco including 17 as a head coach at the University of Washington and five seasons as the pitching coach at , including his final two as associate Head Coach Kevin Heimbigner grew up on a wheat farm in Ritzville, and Recruiting Coordinator. In January of 2015, the Washington and graduated from Washington State Cleveland Indians hired Knutson as the Throwing Programs University in 1972. He was a Business Education teacher and Rehab coordinator. from 1973-2003 and was a staff writer for the Chinook Observer for 11 years. He has authored three books and He has coached one Golden Spikes Award winner, a two-time lives with his wife of 45 years in Long Beach, Washington Cy Young Award winner, three Pac-10 Pitchers of the Year and has three grown children. and 36 All-Americans. Dating back to his tenure as head coach at Washington, Knutson has coached at least one Coach Heimbigner coached high school baseball, football, All-Conference pitcher every season since 1993, including 19 All-Pac-10/12 and basketball for 33 years. He amassed a combined Conference pitchers in his five years with the Devils. 501-166 baseball win-loss record at Toutle-Lake, Odessa, Naselle, and Ilwaco High Schools. His teams advanced to Coach Knutson has not only dedicated a lifetime to collegiate baseball, he has the state tournaments 18 times, winning the state enhanced the game at all levels in the state of Washington. Coach Knutson opened all championship at Toutle Lake in 1978 and 1979 and placing aspects of his program to Washington high school coaches and players. His presence 2nd at Naselle in 1992. Coach Heimbigner was selected as league coach of the year 26 in the state of Washington has been felt by many. times. He was selected as Washington State Coach of the Year in 1978.

ALLSTATEBASEBALL.COM | JESSE BENEDETTI 509.969.6538 | BRIAN JACKSON 253.381.8732 | GLEN WALKER 253.350.6018 | NICK ALOISIO 253.405.4290