KEN WATKINS
Basketball and Baseball, 1966-70
Inducted November 19, 1983

El Dorado Springs product Kenny Watkins was a four-year SMS basketball letterman from 1967 through 1970 and played on the Bears’ NCAA runnerup teams in 1967 and 1969 but his greatest athletic accomplishments for SMS came on the baseball diamond as his pitching led Coach Bill Rowe’s early clubs into the limelight for baseball success the Bears have enjoyed ever since.  Watkins was a starter on the Bears’ MIAA championship clubs of 1969 and 1970 and was a pitching mainstay as the 1969 team played the host role and finished second in the NCAA College Division World Series at Meador Park in Springfield.  He finished with a perfect 9-0 mark in 1969.  The next year Watkins’ pitching was instrumental as SMS again won league and regional titles and returned to the World Series for a third place finish.  His honors included all-region laurels as both a junior and senior, NCAA All-American second team honors in 1969, and all-American first team selection in 1970.  He was the SMS co-Most Valuable Player in 1970.  He posted a career mark with SMS of 21-4 with a lifetime winning percentage of .840 which is still the SMS record.  He also still holds career records for complete games and shutouts as well as season records for complete games, innings pitched, victories, winning percentage, shutouts, and consecutive scoreless innings pitched.  Watkins signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox following his collegiate career and played several seasons in the Red Sox farm system.