The Shawnee County Baseball Hall of Fame will induct its 2017 class at 6 PM on Thursday, July 13, at the Downtown Ramada Inn and Convention Center. Tickets are $25 and available at the Shawnee County Parks & Recreation office (785-251-6885) and Seabrook Apple Market.
Among the new inductees is Bret Cowdin, former coach at Rossville High and Manager of the Rossville Rattlers. Cowdin coached at five Shawnee County high schools and launched two college-age summer baseball programs before his death in 2013. He coached at Highland Park, Hayden, Topeka West, Rossville and Washburn Rural high schools. Cowdin also founded the Topeka Golden Giants and Rossville Rattlers that now play in the Mid-Plains League. His No. 14 was retired by both the Rattlers and Golden Giants. The Mid-Plains League championship trophy is named the Bret Cowdin Cup. A graduate of Topeka West and Washburn, Bret coached 29 players drafted by major-league franchises.