By Joey McWilliams
Keith Baxter, director of athletics at Southeastern, has been successful in guiding the Savages/Savage Storm as both a head coach and administrator.
Sports presented by Indian Nation Wholesale.
In February, he will be honored for his success on the playing field itself.
Baxter is one of three in the 2018 class, along with Mark Buck and Dr. Chandler Mead, to be inducted into the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 3.
Baxter said he was honored to be selected for this recognition.
“When I got the phone call, I was speechless,” Baxter said. “And I’m still kind of speechless, because I’m pretty sure they made a mistake somewhere down the road. But I’m very honored, very humbled.
“Any successes that I have had at Northwestern or beyond that is the result of two basic things: the good Lord is watching over me and I’ve been around great people and people who are a lot more talented than I am and just have been the product of being in a spot where other people took care of me. That’s been my M.O., I guess.”
Baxter was a two-sport star in Alva. He was the starting quarterback from 1981-1984 and set several individual records. During his senior season, Baxter led the Rangers to a 7-3 mark and a top 25 ranking. He was also a three-time all-conference honoree in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference and an All-District 9 performer.
He also started on the baseball team for four seasons, as a first baseman and a catcher, and recorded a career batting average of .292. Baxter also earned postseason honors in baseball as a three-time All-OIC performer and an All-District 9 selection.
“I’m very honored about being inducted,” Baxter said. “I’m looking forward to it. And it’s really kind of a special deal for me because, selfishly, the other two inductees and I came to the school at the same time. We were all on the football team. I feel like our class had a little bit to do with the transformation of the program. So it’s going to be a neat deal to get to see those teammates again and to be around them for a little while.”
The NWOSU Hall of Fame luncheon is open to the public and tickets are $20 per person. Reservations can be made by contacting Hailey Cudmore at (580) 327-8593