The 10th Region Baseball Hall of Fame was established in 2025.
Class of 2026
Announcement: https://10thregion.com/baseball-2026-halloffame/
Pre-Alignment Inductees:
Woodrow “Woodie” Crum was a Kentucky high school coach known for success in both basketball and baseball. Over a 37-year high school coaching career, he recorded 527 basketball wins and 250 baseball wins in 10 years. He coached the 1958 Maysville Bulldogs baseball team to a state championship. Crum was a multi-sport letterman at Jenkins High School and was named an All-State basketball player in 1947. He later attended Union College, where he competed in basketball and track and was elected “Mr. Union” during his senior year. He began his coaching career at Mays Lick. In 1951, Crum moved to Maysville High School as an assistant basketball coach. After the retirement of Earle D. Jones, Crum became head basketball coach where he led the Bulldogs to three Sweet 16 appearances. He also coached baseball at Maysville from 1952 to 1960, leading the program to six district championships (1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, and 1958) along with the 1958 State title. After Maysville, Crum coached basketball at Daviess County High School in Owensboro. In 1962, he was selected to coach the Kentucky All-Stars. He later moved to Indiana and spent six years as head basketball coach at Lawrence Central in Indianapolis, where he made one trip to the Indiana state tournament. Crum returned to Kentucky in 1970 and became head basketball coach at Harrison County. During an eight-year stint there, he won a regional title in 1976. From 1979 to 1983, he served as head basketball coach at Pendleton County. He then returned to Harrison County and coached there until his retirement in 1988. In addition to coaching, Crum served as first vice president and president of the Kentucky High School Coaches Association, and as a director of the National High School Coaches Association. Crum was honored posthumously with induction into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1995.
Allen “Smitty” Smith was a two-sport athlete at Maysville High School and a member of the Class of 1958. At 5-foot-9 and 140 pounds, He played basketball and baseball during his high school career. At Maysville, Smith scored 1,975 career points in basketball, which ranks No. 2 on the school’s all-time scoring list based on the information provided. In baseball, he was a key part of Maysville’s 1958 state tournament run and pitched every game of the state tournament as the school won its only state baseball championship. The left-hander attended Louisiana State University (LSU) on a baseball scholarship and pitched for the Tigers from 1960 to 1962. Over three seasons, he won 22 games and posted a 22-9 record with a 1.82 ERA in 237 innings pitched. His career totals included 107 hits allowed, 75 runs allowed, 48 earned runs, 73 walks, and 175 strikeouts. He also led his team in innings pitched in each of his three seasons. By year, Smith went 5-5 with a 2.31 ERA in 1960, 10-2 with a 1.34 ERA in 1961, and 7-2 with a 1.93 ERA in 1962. In 1961, he struck out 71 batters in 88 innings, LSU finished 22-5, and the program won the SEC Championship. Smith was named All-SEC in 1961 and 1962, was selected All-SEC Western Division in 1961 and 1962, and became LSU’s first-ever All-American in 1961. He was also LSU’s first pitcher to win 10 games in a single season, doing so in 1961.
Modern Era Inductees:
Nelson Faris, associated with Bourbon County and Paris, has built a long career in Kentucky baseball as both a player and coach. He was a five-year starter at Paris, where he was part of four district championship teams. During his playing career, he posted a 32-13 pitching record and batted just under .400. Faris later played at the University of Kentucky in 1967. Faris began his coaching career as an assistant at Harrison County for two seasons. He then served as an assistant coach at Bourbon County from 1982 to 2001, a span of 19 seasons, before becoming head coach in 2002. He has remained in that role through the present, totaling 24 seasons as head coach. His head coaching record includes 502 career wins, four district championships, and five regional runner-up finishes. Faris was inducted into the KHSBCA Hall of Fame in 2015 and received the American Baseball Coaches Association Lifetime Member Award in 2023.
Ron Herrington was an assistant coach at Harrison County for 27 seasons. Head coach Mac Whitaker credited Harrison County’s baseball success to the help of his longtime assistant coach. After the Thorobreds won the 2010 State Championship, the Lexington Herald-Leader wrote: It was strange seeing Harrison County win a state title without Ronnie Herrington. He was Mac Whitaker’s right-hand man for 27 years before he died of cancer in the fall of 2006. “He was on my mind a lot last week,” Whitaker said. “There were several times I was thinking, ‘What would Ronnie do in this situation?’” From the Herald Leader after in 2021 after Whitaker became Kentucky’s winningest coach in 2021: Among those who helped Whitaker along the way was his longtime assistant, the late Ronnie Herrington, who died in 2006. “It couldn’t have happened (without Herrington). He helped me for 27 years, and I know he’s up there … I was out there working on the field today, and I looked up and just said, ‘Can you imagine, Ronnie, what we’ve done?’”
J.B. Schmidt of Harrison County was a multi-year high school baseball standout who lettered seven seasons, finished with a .355 career batting average, and was part of Harrison County’s 1997 and 1998 state championship teams. He was also named to the State Semifinals All-Tournament Team in 1996, 1997, and 1998, and at age 15 he played for Team USA in the Pan American Games in Japan. On the KHSAA individual offense records list, Schmidt is listed for the career state records in runs scored (311) and hits (275). He later played college baseball at the University of Kentucky from 2002-2005. In his collegiate career, he batted .271 with 80 hits
Chris Snopek was a key player on Harrison County’s four straight regional championship teams from 1986-1989. Harrison County finished 30-6 in 1989 and was the state runner-up. In his high school career, Snopek hit .458 with 223 hits, 36 home runs, 43 doubles, and 176 RBIs. As a senior, he hit .568 with 20 home runs, seven doubles, and 63 RBIs. He finished third in Kentucky Mr. Baseball voting in 1989. Snopek was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 11th round of the 1989 MLB Draft out of high school. He later played at Ole Miss, where he was the starting third baseman, earned All-SEC honors, and was named a Third Team All-American. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 6th round of the 1992 MLB Draft. Snopek played four seasons in Major League Baseball and finished with a .234 career batting average.
Gary “Noochie” Varner posted a .464 career batting average at Harrison County from 1995-1999, with 37 home runs, 53 doubles, and 207 RBIs, and also compiled a 17-5 pitching record. During that span, he was part of teams that went 163-35 and won five district championships, five regional championships, three sectional championships, and two state championships. Varner was named the 1998 State Semifinals MVP and earned All-State and Honorable Mention All-American recognition. He also finished in the top five of KHSAA career records in hits, doubles, runs scored, and RBIs. After high school, Varner played at St. Catherine Junior College, where he set records in multiple hitting categories. He was named a First Team NJCAA All-American in 2000 and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 10th round of the 2000 MLB Draft. Varner played seven years in the minor leagues.
Class of 2025
Announcement: https://10thregion.com/baseball-2025-halloffame/
Pre-Alignment Inductees:
Billy K. Anderson graduated from Nicholas County in 1955. He played baseball at Morehead State University as a pitcher from 1956 to 1960. He helped the Eagles win the 1957 Ohio Valley Conference Championship. He started his career at Deming and Williamstown, where he coached for six seasons. He returned to Nicholas County, where he coached for 33 more years. He led his teams to 21 appearances in the regional tournament. His 2000 team was District Champions, 10th Region Champions, and advanced to the state semifinals. He had 578 career wins as a head coach. He was inducted into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Nicholas County baseball field is named in his honor.
Woodrow “Woodie” Fryman played for Fleming County High School. He debuted in the major leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1966 as a left-handed pitcher. He pitched in the MLB for 22 seasons, appearing in 625 games with 322 starts. He threw 2,411.1 innings with 1,587 strikeouts. He was named a National League All-Star in 1968 for the Philadelphia Phillies and in 1976 for the Montreal Expos. He was inducted into the Montreal Expos Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. Fryman was born on April 12, 1940, and passed away on February 4, 2011.
Modern Era Inductees:
Cary Barr graduated from Paris in 1971, where he played baseball and was named to the All-Central Kentucky Team. He led his team in batting average in the 1970 season. He lettered all four years and was a team captain in baseball, football, and basketball. He went on to play basketball at Transylvania University. Barr was the head baseball coach at Millersburg Military Institute for seven years and an assistant at Bath County for four. He began his career at Paris in 1988 as the head baseball coach. He was the head coach for 31 years from 1988 to 2019. He has served as an assistant coach for the past six years. He has over 500 career wins and was inducted into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014. The Paris baseball field was renamed “Cary Barr Field” in his honor.
Matt Ginter played baseball at George Rogers Clark, where he graduated in 1996. He helped the Cardinals to the 10th Region title game in 1994 and 1996. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 17th round of the 1996 MLB Draft, but opted to attend college at Mississippi State. Ginter played for the Bulldogs for three seasons, from 1997 to 1999, during which he pitched in the College World Series and for Team USA’s national team. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the first round, 22nd pick of the 1999 MLB Draft. He played in the major leagues for seven seasons, appearing in 232 innings with 132 strikeouts and a 5.43 ERA. In the minors, he pitched in 263 games and 907.2 innings with 636 strikeouts and a 3.49 ERA. Ginter coached George Rogers Clark for six seasons from 2012 to 2017. He had a record of 116-77, won four district championships, and the 2017 10th Region Championship. He was inducted into the Clark County Public Schools Hall of Fame in 2023.
Nate Jones played baseball for Pendleton County, where he graduated in 2004. He helped the Wildcats win their last District Championship in 2002. He went on to play baseball at Northern Kentucky University, which was NCAA Division II at the time. He played for the Norse for three seasons from 2005 to 2007. In his last season in 2007, Jones made 16 appearances and pitched 56.1 innings. He had a 2.88 ERA and struck out 60 batters, holding them to a .185 batting average. Jones was drafted in the 5th round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox with his fastball topping out at 102 mph. Of his 10 years in the major leagues, he spent eight years with the White Sox from 2012-2019, one season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, and split the 2021 season with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. He received a World Series ring for his time with the Braves during the 2023 regular season and pitched for Team USA’s national team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, winning a gold medal. For his major league career, he appeared in 325 games, threw 329 innings, and had a 3.45 ERA with 355 strikeouts. He was inducted into the Northern Kentucky University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Pendleton County Athletics Hall of Fame. He has been the head baseball coach at Pendleton County for the last two seasons.
Dion Newby played baseball at Harrison County, where he graduated in 1993, winning the Kentucky Mr. Baseball award and Gatorade Player of the Year. He was also named a Third-Team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association. For his career, he batted .399 with 46 home runs, 36 doubles, and 179 RBIs. In his senior year, he had a .504 batting average with 13 home runs. The Thorobreds won regional titles in 1990, 1992, and 1993. He led Harrison County to their first state championship in 1993 and was named Most Valuable Player of the state semifinals. He went on to play baseball at Wallace Community College in Alabama for two seasons before finishing his career at Northern Alabama.
Scott Schweitzer played at Campbell County, where he graduated in 1998 and was named to the All-State Team. He went on to play at Aquinas College in Nashville for two seasons and then at Kentucky Wesleyan College. In 2002, he was named to the Great Lakes Valley All-Conference First Team as a pitcher and first baseman. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 18th round of the 2002 MLB Draft. As a left-handed pitcher, he played in the minors for four seasons with 84 innings pitched and a 4.07 ERA. Coach Schweitzer took over the Campbell County baseball program in 2010. He is in his 16th year as head coach of the Camels and broke the 300 career win mark this season. His teams have won seven district championships and four 10th Region Championships in 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2022. The 2016 team finished as the state runner-up to St. Xavier, losing 1-0 in the title game.
Travis Sims played baseball at Nicholas County, where he graduated in 1992. He went on to play baseball at Georgetown College from 1993 to 1996. In the fall of 1997, he began teaching and coaching at Nicholas County. Sims was an assistant coach on the Bluejackets’ 2000 state semifinalist team under Coach Billy K. Anderson. He took over as head coach of the Bluejackets in 2002 and coached for 20 years until his death in 2021. His 2018 team won the 10th Region All “A” Classic for the first time in school history and was 38th District Champions. His team won the All “A” again in 2021. For his career, he had over 250 wins. Travis Sims was born on December 2, 1973, and passed away on July 31, 2021, after an almost two-year battle with brain cancer, which he continued to coach through. Coach Sims was inducted into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2022.
Shon Walker played baseball at Harrison County, where he was named Kentucky Mr. Baseball in his senior year in 1992. For his career, he had a .437 batting average, 52 home runs, 33 doubles, and 193 RBIs. In his senior year, he batted .565 with 70 hits, 29 home runs, and 76 RBIs. He holds the state record and is third in the nation for most home runs in a season (29). He is listed in the KHSAA record several times for career and season records in hits, walks, home runs, runs scored, runs batted in, and stolen bases. The Thorobreds won regional titles in 1989, 1990, and 1992. He was named a First Team All-American and signed to play baseball at Kentucky. He ended up being drafted as the 32nd pick in the first round of the 1992 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played seven seasons in the minor leagues with 2,278 plate appearances, a .254 batting average, 484 hits, 343 walks, and 57 home runs. He was inducted into the Cynthiana-Harrison County Baseball Hall of Fame.
Mac Whitaker played baseball at Harrison County, where he graduated in 1971. He went on to play at Morehead State as a walk-on and was later put on scholarship by Coach Sonny Allen. His first collegiate at-bat was a home run, and he was later named to the Ohio Valley All-Conference Team. He graduated from Morehead State in 1976 and returned as a teacher and assistant baseball coach under his brother-in-law, Don Snopek, in the 1977 season. Coach Whitaker took over the program in 1978, marking the beginning of his decorated coaching career with the Thorobreds. His team was state runner-up in 1984, losing 10-9 on a walk-off home run to East Carter. They were runners-up again in 1987, losing 10-3 to Owensboro. Coach Whitaker’s Thorobreds won their first State Championship in 1993 by defeating Pleasure Ridge Park 6-0. They won back-to-back State Championships in 1997 and 1998, beating North Hardin 9-6 and Boyd County 9-4. Their latest state title came in 2010 when they defeated Butler 2-0. Coach Whitaker is in his 47th year leading the Thorobreds. He leads the state of Kentucky with 1,266 wins and has accumulated 40 district championships, 22 region championships, two state runner-up finishes (1984, 1987), and four state championships (1993, 1997, 1998, 2010). He has been named Kentucky Coach of the Year five times and was National Coach of the Year twice in 2008 and 2011. He was inducted into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997, the Cynthiana-Harrison County Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2022. The Harrison County baseball field is named “Mac Whitaker Field” in his honor.