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- Title:
- Student-Athlete
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- Previous College Sports Played:
- Baseball
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- Graduating Class:
- 1949
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- Induction Class:
- 1983
Bio
A fixture on the Morningside campus for 28 years, Don Protexter served as head baseball coach, assistant football coach, and taught economics in the business department. “Pro” led the Maroons baseball team into prominence by capturing four North Central Conference baseball championships in 1960, 1964, 1978, and 1980, with the last two squads making appearances in the NCAA Division II regional championship. Pro won 342 games (342-335) in his career, and had a 168-151 record in NCC contests.
He coached 53 players who won All-NCC honors over his tenure, including four (Rich Vanderloo, Denny Turnure, Mike King, and Jay Rehnstrom) who earned three-time all-conference honors. Pro was instrumental in recruiting Paul Splittorff to Morningside, who later enjoyed a successful 14-year Major League Baseball career with the Kansas City Royals. He was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame, and the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.