End of an Era

Ward twins say goodbye to county baseball

By Brandon Haynes
For the Leader

Truman and Hunter Ward, of Imperial, have become staples in Jefferson County baseball, but
their county baseball journeys have come to an end, following Rock Memorial Post 283’s 8-4
loss in the District 13 tournament to Bonne Terre July 14.
Truman, an incoming sophomore at Jefferson College, does not have plans to continue playing
baseball. Instead, he will begin preparing for a life outside of the diamond.
“I’m going to continue to go to school, like I’ve been doing this year,” Truman said.
“He just wants to get his life started, which is a decision that he had to make,” Rock Memorial
Post 283 head coach Danny Sigman said. “Part of what we try to teach them is to be prepared to
be the person that you want to be, accept your responsibilities and hopefully they’ll take some of
that with them into their life experiences.”
Hunter, meanwhile, received an offer to play college baseball at Meramec last year but declined,
opting to take the year off instead. After performing well throughout this summer season, he
rediscovered a love for the game.
“I fell in love with (baseball) again,” Hunter said. “I wasn’t as into it, but this year I’m loving it.
I don’t want to stop playing.”
For the first time since both twins began their baseball journeys, Hunter will look to deviate
away from Truman and continue his baseball career at the collegiate level. While his options are
still open, Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, is one program that has caught his
attention.
Regardless of where he plays, Rock Memorial baseball will look different than it has in years.
“I've been with the program for nine years, and for nine years, there has been the last name of
Ward in the lineup between Kael, their older brother, and the twins.”
For five years, the Ward twins have been penciled into Rock Memorial’s lineup, going from two
of the program’s youngest players to seasoned 19-year-old veterans.
The pair graduated from Windsor High School in 2021, bringing an end to their high school
baseball careers, ones cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“(We played) three years because of COVID,” Truman said. “It was really fun. To be honest,
(winter baseball) is not really that different baseball-wise than summer baseball.”
Despite graduating from high school, the twins competed for Post 283 in each of the past two
seasons, helping lead Rock Memorial to a District 13 championship game appearance last year
and serving as key leaders for the team this season.
“They are my on-field leaders,” Sigman said. “They know what's expected, what we want to
accomplish and how we want to do it. They know exactly what I expect, as soon as we get to the
ballpark from the time we leave.”
Hunter, who primarily serves as the team’s catcher, and Truman, who consistently roams center
field, work to hold both themselves and others to a high standard of play.
“I want everybody to be better and hold everybody accountable,” Hunter said. “Because I’ve
been catching forever I know where people are supposed to be and what they’re supposed to do
in a play.”
“Defensively, (Truman) is a huge asset to my outfield and is a leader out there,” Sigman said.
“As a person, (Truman) and (Hunter) both seem like all they do is smile and laugh, and they’ve
got that good energy about them.”
Their energy has blossomed into a bond between the two unlike any other.
During a June 11 game against the Kentucky Post 8 Saints in Murray, Kentucky, their twin-like
instincts went on full display.
“I was playing shortstop,” Truman said. “I came out from pitching and they put me at shortstop.
(On) the first or second pitch, we back-picked the (runner) at second base without saying a word
to each other.”
“It was awesome,” Hunter said. “We never get to do that because (Truman) is always in center
field. That was my favorite part of the season.”
Sigman will be tasked with filling the voids of these defensive stalwarts while attempting to
replace the impact each made on the offensive end as well.
Over the past two seasons of American Legion baseball, Hunter has hit a combined .327 with 23
runs batted in, 10 runs and 22 walks. Truman added a .258 batting average alongside 22 RBIs, 36
runs and 14 stolen bases.
As the two age out of American Legion baseball, it will mark a new era of Rock Memorial
baseball. For Truman, baseball will become a sport of the past but one he is grateful for.
“(Hunter) and I are both very grateful to Danny Sigman, our dad Wayne Ward and our brother
Kael Ward,” Truman said. “They’ve been with us every step of the way.”
Hunter, however, will look for an opportunity to continue playing the game he loves for the first
time without Truman.
“It’s going to be weird,” Hunter said. “I’ll probably never have a better center fielder and I’ll
never have my brother there with me. He’s always been there and we did everything together.”