By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
Dec. 15, 2001
West Lauderdale baseball and slow-pitch softball coach Jerry Boatner is one of five members of the 2002 class of inductees into the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame.
Boatner has coached 32 years, beginning at Clarkdale and establishing a state dynasty at West Lauderdale in both baseball and softball.
The Knights are Mississippi's all-time winningest baseball program as far as state championships as they won their 10th title under Boatner on May 14 of this year with a 3-0 victory at Independence in the third game of that best-of-three series.
West also won state baseball titles in 1978, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, and 2000.
Boatner is the state's second-winningest baseball coach as far as career victories.
The Lady Knights have been nearly as dominant in slow-pitch softball, winning state championships in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, and 2000 under Boatner.
Other inductees are N.Z. Bryant Jr., the late Raymond Faulkner, Bobby Nelson, and Greg Wall.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com.