ARCANUM – Arcanum veteran Lady Trojans fast pitch softball coach Mike Morris registered his 250th career varsity win Thursday night, April 23, as Arcanum defeated the Vandalia-Butler Lady Aviators 14-3.
“It’s the kids, the players I have had from FM to here,” said Morris. “They buy into what we’re doing. If you don’t have good pitching, if you don’t have good pitching coaches, you’re not going to win. It’s just not me, it’s everybody in this program, and hopefully I’ll get another 250.”
Morris was recognized the following night before Arcanum’s home matchup with WOAC foe National Trail. The Lady Trojans went on to win that game 13-3 in five innings.
Before taking over the Lady Trojans softball program at his alma mater, Morris also coached baseball and softball at Franklin Monroe.
The milestone was especially meaningful with longtime assistant, helper and scorekeeper Gene Morris, Mike’s father, still in the dugout at 80 years old.
“It’s pretty special,” Gene said of Mike’s 250 wins. “I don’t think that counted baseball. He was at Franklin Monroe for three or four years, had pretty good success there.”
“This is really special to me because he lets me ride along with it,” Gene added. “He didn’t know that was coming, and he doesn’t want to make a big deal of it, but it is, it’s special. He’s had some pretty good talent, and you have to have that.”
Gene said he enjoys his role with the Lady Trojans.
“I kind of sit back and stay out of the way,” he said, “but it is fun for me to just be a part of it.”
Coach Morris said his father remains an important presence in the dugout.
“He’s a scorekeeper and a bench coach,” Morris said. “He’ll take care of the issues or if somebody is not paying attention, he’ll get on them on that.”
“He’s been like my security blanket,” Coach Morris continued. “He coached me and coached with Randy Baker at Arcanum baseball. He knows what I do and knows how we’re going to run our program – he tells me every night before the game, ‘do what you do.’”
Morris said having his father alongside him continues to be special.
“He’s 80 years old, and he still enjoys it,” Morris said. “My wife gets on me because I can be hard on him, we kind of get into it once in a while – that’s just part of the game. We both want to win and what’s best for the kids. I enjoy having him in there.”
Morris was named the 2023 WOAC All-Conference Coach of the Year.
Since the inception of the Western Ohio Athletic Conference in 2022, including the current 2026 season, Morris owns a 97-37 overall record, good for a .730 winning percentage. In conference play, he has guided Arcanum to a 46-5 WOAC mark, a .901 winning percentage.
