Area Baseball Community Honors Bob Wright

Frances Wright accepts a plaque and poster from Jackson High School Athletic Director Jack Fairly prior to the championship game in the Bob Wright Memorial Baseball Invitational. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

Most everyone who has played baseball in Jackson County in the last 60-plus years probably ran across Bob Wright a time or two.

He spent 57 years teaching the game of baseball to high-school aged students.

Wright died on Jan. 21, 2021, at the age of 92.

The tournament named after him has been changed to the Bob Wright Memorial Baseball Invitational. 

Administrators at Jackson High School gave family members a plaque and a poster from Saturday’s event prior to the championship game.

Lumen Christi defeated Western 16-1 to win the 2021 tournament.

Wright is known as Mr. Jackson baseball in several coaching circles.

After coaching and teaching at Wyoming Lee High School for eight years, Wright came back to the Jackson community to coach baseball and basketball at Jackson High School. During his 29-year tenure with the Vikings, his teams won several district and regional championships in both baseball and basketball. 

He would retire from coaching varsity sports in 1988 but went on to coach two additional seasons at Jackson Lumen Christi from 2004-05.

But Wright touched most every baseball program in Jackson County by starting the Wendy’s travel baseball team. The team of hand-selected athletes represented Jackson around the state.

On Saturday, teams from Western, Northwest, Lumen Christi, and Jackson high schools competed for the title. 

The Panthers advanced to the finals with an 8-3 win over Northwest in game one.

Lumen Christi defeated Jackson 7-5 advancing to the title game in the second opening-round game. 

The Vikings lost 14-2 to the Mounties in the consolation game. 

Games were played at Louis Glick Community Field at Jackson High School.