Wise, Quigley to be honored by Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

Alex Wise, former three-sport standout at Neosho High School, will be honored next month by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

Wise is one of the Diamond 9 Awards winners who will be recognized during the hall’s Baseball and Softball Luncheon at 11 a.m. on Sept. 17 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds E-Plex East Wing in north Springfield.

Tickets are $50 apiece if purchased in advance and $60 at the door. Advance tickets can be obtained by calling the Hall of Fame, 417-889-3100.

Howard Quigley, former Aurora High School baseball coach, is one of three individuals who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during the ceremony. Others to be inducted are brothers Andy and Alan Benes, former pitchers for the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Mansfield High School baseball program.

The Diamond 9 Awards recognize former high school, college and professional players or those who have made significant contributions to the sport.

Wise was an all-state quarterback for the Wildcats’ football team, a McDonald’s All-America nominee in basketball and a three-time all-conference selection in baseball.

He chose baseball as his college sport and was a two-time all-region pick at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, hitting .391 as a freshman and .345 as a sophomore. He also led the region in stolen bases both seasons.

Wise played his final two college years for the Oklahoma Sooners, starting all 58 games his senior season in 2016 when he batted .304, scored 39 runs, hit 16 doubles and drove in 28 runs.

Wise also is an alumni of the Joplin Outlaws’ summer collegiate team.

Other Diamond 9 Award recipients: Heather Anderson (Missouri State), Johnny Eierman (Warsaw HS, Tampa Bay Rays), Kelli Wenberg Eierman (Warsaw HS, Park University), Bill Fischer (Springfield Cardinals front office), Dallas Hord (Ozark HS, Missouri State, Miami Marlins), Robert Murders (Southwest Baptist), Justin Skinner (Hillcrest HS, Drury), Ryan Vincent (Hollister HS, Missouri, SBU, Ozark Mountain Ducks) and Taylor White (East Prairie HS, Central Methodist).

Quigley won 458 games in 30 years as a high school baseball coach, including 19 seasons at Republic where he won 22 games and two district championships.

Before going to Republic, Quigley compiled a 118-41 record in five seasons at Aurora, highlighted by a state tournament quarterfinal appearance in 1994. The district championship that season was the first for the Houn’ Dawgs in school history.

Quigley, a native of Paducah, Kentucky, was an all-state high school baseball player. He played one season at Murray State before transferring to Southwest Missouri State for his final three seasons (1983-85). He was a team captain his senior season.