Carthage High School has tabbed Kevin Burgi as its new head baseball coach.
The appointment was announced on Friday.
Burgi previously coached at McDonald County, Joplin and Hollister and played collegiately at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.
Also of note, Burgi’s father, John, is a former Carthage baseball coach.
“I am very excited to take a job at a school district and within a community that I have felt a connection with my entire life,” Burgi said in a press release. “This position comes with great responsibility because of the rich tradition that has been established by so many great people in the program’s history. The success was built through hard work and dedication from many stakeholders in the community. The coaching staff will work to continue and build on this tradition. I would like to thank the Carthage administration and school board for giving me this amazing opportunity.”
During his time at McDonald County, Burgi was named the Big 8 Conference Coach of the Year in 2021 and ’22. Burgi resigned after the ’22 season to move into an assistant principal position at MCHS.
Burgi was on the coaching staff at Joplin for five years, including a stint as the interim head coach in 2017 after Kirk Harryman retired.
Burgi, who was born in Carthage, graduated from Valley View High School in Jonesboro, Arkansas. After a standout prep career, Burgi played at Arkansas State, Garden City Community College and MSSU.
Burgi and his wife, Carrie, have three children—Olivia, Brooks and Brynlee.
Burgi replaces Luke Bordewick as Carthage’s head coach. Bordewick recently resigned after three seasons in charge of the program.
NEW BASEBALL STADIUM IN THE WORKS
The Carthage School District announced on Thursday that the K.D. & M.L. Steadley Trust, Bank of America, N.A, Trustee, pledged $2.5 million to construct a baseball stadium on the CHS campus.
According to a press release, no specific construction schedule or anticipated completion date have been finalized.
