RHS graduate inducted into Washington State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame

Ritzville High School graduate Kevin Heimbigner was inducted into the Washington State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame on June 8.

Heimbigner grew up on a wheat farm in Ritzville and graduated from RHS in 1967. After graduating from Washington State University in 1971, he taught business education from 1973 to 2003 at schools throughout the state.

Over a 33-year span, Heimbigner coached baseball, basketball and football at Toutle Lake, Odessa, Naselle and Ilwaco High Schools. His record as a baseball coach was 501-166, and his teams placed in 18 WIAA state tournaments. At Toutle Lake, Heimbigner's teams were state champions in 1977 and 1978, while his Naselle team finished in second place in 1992. In all, he was voted as a league coach of the year 26 times, and was the State Coach of the Year in 1978.

Besides coaching high school, Heimbigner also coached American Legion baseball, adult softball and Little League. He retired from coaching in 2006 with an overall record of 1,206-386.

Heimbigner and his wife, Debbie, currently live in Long Beach, Washington, and have three grown children. He was introduced by his daughter, Bethany DeWitt, at the Hall of Fame induction banquet on June 8 in Yakima.

During his time on the Long Beach Peninsula, Heimbigner also worked as a staff writer at the Chinook Observer for 11 years and has authored three books.