After 21 years, Normal West varsity baseball coach Chris Hawkins reached the milestone of 600 career wins.

Hawkins, who’s been at West since 1998 as an assistant and a head coach since 2004, picked up his 600th career win as head coach of the Wildcats on Wednesday, April 16, at Champaign Central High School with a final score of 8-0.

“It means everything … he deserves every bit of credit for those 600 wins,”  Senior pitcher and outfielder Ryder Coone said.

Coone has known coach Hawkins since he was in the 5th grade.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to be coached and mentored by such a powerful and knowledgeable all-around person… Hawkins has always been the most motivating person in my life.  He always holds people to a very high standard because he knows they are capable of achieving whatever he expects of them,”  Coone described.

“He always has a plan because he’s more than likely been in that exact situation countless times before, and it is so helpful to have such a smart, experienced person leading our baseball team and directing our lives.”  Coone continued.

Coone had a 2-RBI double and a stolen base in the blowout win. 

Sophomore southpaw Chase Reinhart goes 5.2 IP with 7 strikeouts, giving up 3 hits in the shutout victory.

Reinhart will return to the bump tonight, Wednesday, April 23rd, to face arch rival Normal Community at home at 4:30 p.m.

The Wildcats currently sit at 12-6 and second in the conference. The Ironmen are 12-3 and are first in conference play.