First Region baseball sadly suffered the loss of a beloved figure on Tuesday night, as former Lone Oak head coach Jim Mizell passed away at the age of 80.
While teaching at Lone Oak, Mizell spent a successful 37 seasons as the baseball program’s coach, establishing the Purple Flash as perennial First Region contenders. By his retirement following the 2007 season, he held an all-time record of 594-383, making him the 19th winningest baseball coach in KHSAA history.
Under Mizell, the Purple Flash made seven trips to the First Region championship game, winning in 1987 and reaching the sectional semi-finals. For his accomplishments, Mizell was inducted into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association (KHSBCA) Hall of Fame as part of their 1999 class.