2023 marks the return of an old, but important tradition in the history of Tiger Baseball as our current Hall of Fame Tigers have voted to induct current Assistant Coach, Former Head Coach/Pitcher Andy Jackson as well as former Pitcher Cody King as the 9th class of the Kirksville Tiger Baseball Hall of Fame. This past Saturday April 22, both Andy Jackson and Cody King were inducted into the Kirksville Tiger Baseball Hall of Fame. Followed by the honor of throwing out our ceremonial first pitches for the afternoon’s game against Licking. Each new member will also receive a framed baseball card as well as their old game jersey. This marks the return of a tradition that will see one to two new players or coaches inducted by our current Hall of Fame members on a yearly basis during our annual Alumni Weekend.
Andy Jackson: Head Coach (2000-2014), Asst Coach (2023-present), Player (1990-1993)
Andy Jackson is the longest tenured head coach in the history of Tiger Baseball. He has been a part of the baseball program for 20 years and counting. He began wearing the Tiger uniform as a player in 1990 and wrapped up his playing days in 1993 by being named an All-NCMC and All-State selection as a pitcher. to this day he is still tied for the most single season shut-outs as well as ranked third for career shutouts. Coach Jackson returned to the Tiger uniform in 2000 as Head Coach, a position that he held for 15 seasons. Over those 15 seasons, Coach Jackson had a combined record of 238-152, resulting in a winning percentage of .610 and the most wins in the history of the program. His Tiger teams won 6 conference titles, 4 district titles, and 3 sectional titles over that span. He coached 76 All-NCMC players, 65 All-District selections, 30 All-State players, and sent 34 players on to play at the collegiate level. Six of Coach Jackson’s 15 teams finished as top 10 Academic All-State teams with 23 of his players earning Academic All-State. In 2003, Coach Jackson was named the ABCA District 5 Division III High School National Coach of the Year. He is the reason we are here today as the original founder of the Tiger Baseball Hall of Fame, along with founding the Dugout Club, the Tiger Baseball Classic, Tiger Baseball Camp, and the Meet the Tiger Meal and Auction. Coach Jackson’s return to the Tigers as an Assistant in 2023 demonstrates his love for Tiger Baseball and bolsters his Tiger Baseball Hall of Fame selection.
Cody King: Player (2006-2009)
Cody King was a four-year letter winner for the Tigers from 2006-2009. He ended his career as one of the most decorated players in program history. During his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons in 2007, 2008, and 2009 he was an All-Conference, All-District, and All-State performer on the mound. For his career, Cody is the all-time leader in wins (24), innings pitched (191 ⅓), strike-outs (283), complete games (12), and saves (10) while ranking 2nd in shutouts (4). For a single season he ranks #1 in wins with 9 in 2009 and shutouts with 2 in 2008. He is also #2 in strike-outs with 95 in 2009 and in complete games with 6 in 2007; #3 in strike-outs with 86 in 2007 and 4 saves in 2009; and # 5 in innings pitched with 62 ⅓ in 2009. In addition to his dominance on the mound he was a solid hitter for the Tigers as well hitting .295 for his career (75 hits/254 at-bats) while scoring 52 runs, collecting 54 rbis, stealing 27 bases, and drawing 39 walks while also playing shortstop & centerfield. Cody's teams won District and Sectional titles in 2007 & 2009 while also winning NCMC titles in 2007 & 2008. His 2009 team won 24 games which is still the most wins in a single season by any team in program history. After his career with the Tigers, Cody went on to play collegiately at the University of Missouri before transferring to John Woods Community College and finishing his career at Quincy University. Cody continued his success at the collegiate level finishing his career with 19 wins and 4 saves in 192 ⅔ innings pitched while compiling a 2.62 era with 137 strike-outs. He earned All-Conference and All-Region honors in 2012 @ JWCC and 2014 @ Quincy. His statistics on the mound show just how dominant he was and he set the bar high for all future Tiger pitchers to chase.
Photo Credit: Cahalan Photography