Saint Joseph Baseball Hall of Fame welcomes new members in 2022

The Saint Joseph Baseball Hall of Fame will grow in size in 2022. The Hall of Fame will add three; LeBlond High School’s 2013 state champion softball team, Rick Muntean (the first-ever GM of the Saint Joseph Mustangs), and Gus Sarris, who started the Central High School baseball program.

LeBlond, coached by Wayne Miller, had a dominant run in the 2013 regular season, going 20-3. LeBlond went into the state championship tournament on a 17-game winning streak. LeBlond won the state championship 8-6, defeating South Calloway. The team is the first-ever Saint Joseph softball team to win a state championship.

Rick Muntean joined the Saint Joe Mustangs as the first GM of the team, serving in that role until February of 2014.

Muntean has spent over thirty years in baseball across the country; including teams in San Jose, Calif., Walla Walla, Wash., Kenosha, Wis., Williamsport, Pa., Scranton, Pa., Bristol, CT., and Kansas City, Kan.

During Muntean’s time, the Mustangs advanced to three National Baseball Congress World Series and two MINK League championships. “I’m as proud of this as any moment in my life,” Muntean said when asked how he felt about being inducted.

“To be inducted into the Hall of Fame with the great people who I helped induct into it is a really special thing,” Muntean said, when reflecting on his journey to the Hall of Fame.

“There is one thing I always say: you have to live it. You can’t half do it. You have to live it,” noted Muntean.

Gus Sarris was an educator and a high school coach for 59 years, during this time he also served in the army during WW2. He was also an educator and coach for thirty-one years at Stewartsville, and twenty eight years Central High School. While at Central, he started the baseball program, while also serving as coach.

After his time as a coach, he transitioned to serving on the Missouri High School Association Baseball Advisory committee.

The newest members of the St. Joseph Baseball Hall of Fame will be welcomed with a pregame ceremony held at Phil Welch Stadium at 6:30 on June 25th.