2021 Quincy Blue Devil Sports Hall of Fame Inductee: Mike Kirkpatrick, Athlete

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The 2020 and 2021 classes are being inducted into the Quincy Blue Devil Sports Hall of Fame together this year. Kirkpatrick will be inducted on Saturday, Nov. 27 before QHS’s boys basketball game.)

Mike Kirkpatrick did more than help elevate the Quincy High School football and baseball programs to new heights. He played a key role in Quincy baseball gaining national attention. The 1987 Quincy High School starred as a tight end and punter for the

Mike Kirkpatrick did more than help elevate the Quincy High School football and baseball programs to new heights. He played a key role in Quincy baseball gaining national attention.

The 1987 Quincy High School starred as a tight end and punter for the football program, helping the Blue Devils reach the playoffs in 1986 for just the second time in program history. Kirkpatrick was a dominant first baseman and pitcher on the diamond, guiding the Blue Devils to a Western Big 6 Conference championship his senior season before going on to play at Southern Illinois University.

To top it off, Kirkpatrick was part of the Quincy American Legion Post 37 baseball team that reached the Legion World Series and finished

fifth in the nation. He was named the MVP of the Central Plains Regional and finished the summer with 22 home runs and 88 RBIs as Post 37 went 62-18.

That came on the heels of a spring season in which Kirkpatrick hit .444 with a team-leading 54 RBIs. He had 10 home runs and 14 doubles as the Blue Devils went 31-6. He also went 10-2 on the mound.

Kirkpatrick went on to hit .314 as a freshman at SIU-Edwardsville before transferring to SIU, where he was a three-year letterwinner. Kirkpatrick hit .293 in his career with the Salukis with 20 doubles, five home runs and 48 RBIs.

Kirkpatrick is a doctor in the Blessing Health System and lives in Quincy with his family.