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By Jay Spivey

For the Clemmons Courier

CLEMMONS — Coach Kevin Baity of West Forsyth was on an Alaskan cruise last week with his family just trying to soak in all the sights and enjoying some family time with his wife and two daughters.  

Little did he know that more was in store for him. While he was on aboard, he found out that he was being inducted into the N.C. Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.  

“Apparently someone had contacted my wife to get some information and told her, I’m assuming had told her I’d been nominated, maybe told her that I was going to be inducted. I honestly don’t know,” he said. “But (they) asked her if they could get some information and some stats.” 

Baity has an overall record of 534-191 after 28 seasons, helped West Forsyth to the NCHSAA Class 4-A softball championship in 2016, and won eight Central Piedmont 4-A championships with no losing seasons.

“We were on our cruise, first-ever cruise, and I wondered why (Tonya, his wife) kept, she wanted us to be in the room at a certain time,” Baity said. “And I no idea. I was kind of frustrated because when you’re on your first cruise you really want to spend, you know, time in the room. You want to be out enjoying stuff.” 

The announcement was made last week as part of the N.C. Coaches Clinic in Greensboro.  

“Apparently (Tonya Baity) had talked with Pop Rivers, Eddie Rivers. They call him Pop Rivers (Chairman of the NCSCA),” Kevin Baity said. “And she told him, I think they were wanting me to be there for the induction, obviously. And when she told were going to be on vacation, they arranged for us to do it through FaceTime. 

“I had no idea and she was on the phone with someone and Madison (Kevin Baity’s eldest daughter) said, ‘Dad, you need to come in here.’ So, I went in and it was actually (Rivers) doing the induction ceremony.” 

Tonya Baity, and his daughters, Madison, who is one of his assistant coaches on the West Forsyth softball team, and Laiken, his youngest daughter, all knew about it. 

“I had no idea how long they had known about it, but obviously, long enough. I was wondering why they were wanting to do the Wi-Fi/Internet package,” Kevin Baity said. “And now I know. I just assumed it was because they have to be on Facebook all the time or whatever they do. But I’m not in any of that.” 

Once the family was on FaceTime during the announcement last week, Kevin Baity said it took a little time to register what was going on. 

“I did not know what was going on until (Rivers) started saying, you know, obviously, the ceremony, and then it hit me that I was being inducted into the Softball Hall of Fame,” Kevin Baity said.  

Emotions took from there. 

“I was shocked,” Kevin Baity said. “I wasn’t expecting it at all. And obviously I was honored because I still honestly have no idea who recommended me, I don’t know where. I don’t know anything. I don’t know how it came about or how the process even works to be honest with you.” 

To have been nominated and voted on by his peers is special.  

“I’m honored to just to, if you look at some of the ones who have been inducted, I’m not sure I fit in that category,” Kevin Baity said. “But I appreciate them considering me.” 

Kevin Baity has won so many awards and honors in his coaching career. 

“Well (in) a state championship you strive for the school and for the players and for the program,” he said. “We had tried and worked so hard for that for many years. So, when we finally got that it was so much excitement.  

“This is an honor, no doubt. But I never really considered it. I mean this was not something that since I started coaching that I was really shooting for because that’s not something – it’s been about the program. 

That said, Kevin Baity is thrilled with the induction. 

“It obviously is an honor and it also is – I mean I couldn’t have done that without the teams and programs that we’ve had all along,” he said. “They’re a big part of this, also. It’s just I wouldn’t have ever thought about it because it’s just an individual for me. It’s just not what it’s all about.” 

Kevin Baity plans on coaching as long as can, and while he still enjoys coaching softball. 

“I think it’s nice to know that other coaches have recognized the hard work and the dedication that has been put into it, not by just myself, but my coaching staff and the players, the hard work that I get out of the players,” he said. “That I guess is the biggest, most positive thing that I see from this is that other people recognize the hard work and effort that’s been put into it.” 

Even though it was hard to have outside communication with others while Kevin Baity and family were on the Alaskan cruise last week that doesn’t mean he hasn’t heard from numerous people about being inducted. 

“I didn’t even have service on my phone for most of the trip, and my daughters, Madison, mainly, was showing me, because she does the Instagram for our team. And, of course, they all do Facebook,” Kevin Baity said. “So, they were showing me on their phone all of the replies that I was getting, and yes, there were many, many, many former players that were sending congratulations. That made me feel very good.  

“I did reply to all of them eventually and let them know that they were a huge of this. And it is all about the program and all about them, not me. And I definitely could not have done it without a single one of them.” 

The are also three other people Kevin Baity wanted to acknowledge – wife Tonya and daughters Madison and Laiken – all while on an Alaskan cruise. 

“I have truly been blessed with a lot of talent. There’s no doubt,” Kevin Baity said. “I have been blessed with a lot of talent. I’ve been blessed with a great administration, athletic directors — they’ve been very supportive – but first and foremost, my family has been with me every step of the way,” Kevin Baity said.  

It all goes back to his early days of coaching the Titans’ softball team. 

“And since 1996 when I started Tonya has been like a mother to a lot of these kids that I have coached,” Kevin Baity said. “And my kids have been in weddings of my former players.” 

It even goes back to the birth of his two daughers. 

“When Madison was born, two weeks later, she was at the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County (tournament) championship. So, when you mention them and the effort that they did once they found out that I was being inducted, the effort that they put into this just so that I could see it,” Kevin Baity said. “You know, I didn’t know how they did it, and to keep it quiet. That just shows how supportive they have been. And it truly is not just about my team and the program. It’s also about my family. They have been every step of the way they’ve been with me. And I couldn’t do it without them.”