The first Ronnie Coker “Hit a Homer” Home Run Derby is set for Thursday at 6 p.m. at Parkway’s Ronnie Coker Field. It includes a star-studded field of former high school players and one current one. One member of the Shreveport Mudbugs is also competing.
The event is sponsored by the Low Key Boat Tours Charitable Foundation and the Win The Day Foundation which was founded by the late Coker, a coach of state championship teams at Parkway at Captain Shreve.
The Low Key Boat Tours Foundation raises money to support VIP vacations for special needs families. The Win The Day Foundation’s “focus is on motivating, inspiring and providing educational opportunities for the underserved youth of our local service area,” according to its website.
Both organizations are non-profit.
Admission is $10 with proceeds benefiting the organizations and the causes they support. There will be raffle opportunities throughout the event.
The local high school and college stars scheduled to compete are former Airline, LSU and MLB standout Todd Walker, former Southwood and Tulane star Michael Aubrey, former Parkway and Coastal Carolina star Eric Brown, former Haughton and Arkansas star Peyton Stovall, former Loyola, Airline and LSU star Hayden Travinski, former Captain Shreve standout Lance West, former Parkway star Thomas McManus and former Benton star Jeremy Alford.
Former Parkway, UN0 standout Amani Larry is also competing along with his father, Jarvis, who was also a standout player at Parkway
Haughton senior Christian Turner, an Arkansas signee, is the lone current high school player competing.
Carter McKay of the Mudbugs will lead off the Derby. Former Benton state championship coach JD Stephens announced the order in a video on the Low Key Boat Tours Charitable Foundation’s Facebook page Wednesday night.
He drew the names in the office of Haughton Head Baseball Glenn Maynor, who is also a former high school and college standout, out of a Haughton High cap. A hitting camp is being held at Haughton featuring Stovall Thursday and Friday.
Following McKay in the batting order will be Stovall, McManus, Turner, Jarvis Larry, Amani Larry, Brown, Alford, Travinski, Walker, Aubrey and West.
For more information on the events and how to donate go to the Low Key Boat Tours’ Facebook page.
