MICHELE DOYLE
Michele Doyle has been past board president for 25 years, and current board member for 2 years, for the Jackson Post Giants Baseball Program. There are no words that express what Doyle has meant to the Jackson Legion program. Doyle has been an advocate for Jackson and Wyoming American Legion Baseball. Doyle served as Jackson board president when the Jackson baseball stadium underwent major renovations to facilities (back stop, bull pens, batting cages, green monster, crow’s nest, restrooms, concession stands). Doyle orchestrated many fundraising campaigns through the years and spent many, many nights running the scoreboard, and even singing the National Anthem.
HARVEY “STUB” HATFIELD
Stub Hatfield has been coaching baseball in Sweetwater County for 45 years. From fast pitch and slow pitch softball, to Little League Baseball, to junior Babe Ruth Baseball, to American Legion Baseball. Hatfield moved to Green Riverton from West Virginia in 1975. He started coaching softball in 1976. He coached American Legion Baseball for 17 years, along with his son, Brad. He attributes most of his success to his son. Together, Green River finished as state runner up 3 times. For the past 3 years, Hatfield has coached in Rock Springs. Hatfield had only 4 losing seasons as head coach in Green River. His teams were always competitive.
JASON HUGGINS
Jason Huggins has been part of Wyoming American Legion Baseball as a player or coach since 1994. Huggins started his playing career in 1994 as a member of the Sweetwater County Miners AA Legion program. That team won a state championship in 1994. Huggins started his coaching career in Kemmerer, coaching the Kemmerer Aces in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, Huggins moved to Arkansas where he coached the McGehee Owls, leading them to a conference title and a Top 4 ranking. Huggins returned to Laramie after a year and coached the Laramie Rangers under the help of Head Coach Jon Johnson. Huggins also was head coach of the University of Wyoming Club Baseball Team in 2003. In 2004, Huggins became the head coach of the Rock Springs Legion program for a year. In 2004, Huggins became involved with the Post 43 program in Jackson. In 2008, Huggins became the B head coach in Jackson, and he became the head coach in 2010. Since 2000, Huggins i8s 376-374 as a head coach (305-310 as the head coach in Jackson). Huggins led the Giants to their first AA runnerup finish in 2019. He has been named coach of the year twice (2002-Arkansas, 2019-AA Wyoming). In 2013, Huggins started fall baseball in Jackson, and in 2014, the Giants Prep Program for 15U players. Huggins has helped more than 30 players continue their baseball players in college. Under Huggins’ direction, Giants Field facilities has been improved. Huggins serves as State AA Coaches Representative and on the Hall of Fame Committee.
NEVIN JACOBS
Nevin Jacobs of Powell has been of service to the youth of Wyoming for a long time. Jacobs has officiated football for 39 years. This upcoming season will be his 40th season. Jacobs has also officiated basketball for 25 years. Jacobs was inducted into the Wyoming Sports Officials Hall of Fame in 2018. Jacobs has been an assistant track and field coach for the last 18 years. Jacobs worked as an assistant football coach for 9 years. Jacobs lives in Powell with his wife Debbie, and he has two sons, Andrew and Eric. Jacobs works for the City of Powell. Jacobs has umpired baseball for 25 years. Jacobs has worked (3) regional tournaments. He has worked 10 AA state tournaments, and 11 A state tournaments. He has worked 15 American Legion district tournaments. Jacobs was the crew chief at the 2019 A Regional tournament in Cody, Wyoming, and he was the crew chief of the 2020 A State Tournament in Powell.
DAVE KOZA
Dave Koza played 10 seasons in professional baseball, all in the minor leagues with the Boston Red Sox organization. Although he never achieved his childhood dream of playing in the major leagues, he did spend seven successful years in AAA with the Pawtucket Red Sox. Koza’s most memorable moment in baseball started on Saturday, April 18, 1981. The game, which is the longest game ever recorded in baseball history, was suspended 8 hours later around 4 a.m. in the 31st inning `on Easter Sunday. The game, which pitted the hometown PawSox versus the Rochester Red Wings, ended mercifully on June 23. After playing for more than 8 hours, it took only 18 minutes to complete the historic contest thanks to Koza. It was Koza’s opposite field bloop single over the head of Rochester third baseman Cal Ripken, Jr. that ended the contest. Koza’s hit, which drove home Marty Barrett with the winning run, ensured a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown for all the players who were part of the action. For the record, Koza was 5 for 14 including a pair of doubles. The game’s eye-popping statistics included a total of 219 at bats and 60 strikeouts. The Rochester team featured Cal Ripken, Jr. who is enshrined in the Hall of Fame and who holds the baseball record of 2.632 consecutive games played. The Pawtucket team featured future Major League stars Wade Boggs, also in the Hall of Fame; Marty Barrett and Rich Gedman. Roger LaFrancois, who played American Legion baseball in Zone VI, caught 26 innings of that game, going 2 for 8 at the plate. Koza was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He grew up in Torrington where he starred in football, basketball and track. He played in more than 1.000 minor league games, posting a career .263 batting average in more than 3,800 at-bats.
HUGH LOCKHART
Hugh Lockhart has served as an American Legion Post trustee for over 30 years in Laramie. He has served as Husted-Pendleton Post 14 Commander two times, totaling three years. He is currently in his 4th year as the Post Sergeant of Arms. He has served on the baseball committee since 1986, helping to oversee 1 AA State Championship in 1986 and 1 State A Championship in 2013. He served in the US Army from 1966-68 and, he served 15 months in Vietnam. He has been a member of the Laramie Veteran’s Honor Guard for several years, something he is very honored to do.
TIM SHIBUYA
Tim Shibuya is the most accomplished player in the Post 43 Jackson Giants program. He started playing in the Jackson program at age 14. Shibuya was part of 2 state championships and 1 state runner up. Shibuya also earned 3 first team all-state awards while in the Giants program. Shibuya went on to play for UC-San Diego where he earned several individual pitcher awards. In 2009, Shibuya was awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove for a pitcher. In 2010 and 2011, Shibuya was named West Pitcher of the Year by ABCA, Daktronics, NCBWA. Shibuya won all-region and all-American awards. In 2011, Shibuya was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 23rd round, and he started his professional career at the rookie level in 2011 with the Elizabethton Twins, and by 2015, Shibuya was pitching for the AAA Rochester Red Wings. In 2016, Shibuya was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched for the AAA Oklahoma City Dodgers in 2016 and 2017.
RON TROWBRIDGE
Ron Trowbridge was inducted as a part of the Inaugural Cheyenne Post 6 Baseball Hall of Fame Class in 2011. He played for Cheyenne Post 6 from 1973-75 and was a part of the state championship team in 1974. In 1974, he pitched 93 innings with 150 strikeouts and had a 1.89 ERA and won the state Most Valuable Player award. Trowbridge pitched the regional opener in 1974, beating Alaska, giving up 1 hit and striking out 18. Trowbridge continued playing at the University of Wyoming for 4 years as a pitcher, designated hitter and first baseman. His college highlights included 4 hits in a win over 5th-ranked San Diego State. Ron is an auditor for the State of Wyoming.
JOSH WARREN
Josh Warren was all-state all three years of his American Legion Baseball career in Laramie. Warren played 2 years at Northeastern Junior College and was first team all-conference both years. Warren played 3 seasons for the Laramie Colts summer baseball league, earning defensive most valuable player in his final year. He played one year at the University of Nebraska Omaha. He concluded his college career for York College, an NAIA school in Nebraska and was named second team all-conference in his final season. Warren also helped York make the regional tournament for the first time in school history. In his one season, he had the 15th best single-season batting average in school history, tied for 2nd for the most runs scored in a single season, had the 7th most doubles in a single season, the 6th most hits in a single season, the 15th most walks in a single season, and the 2nd most stolen bases in a single season.