Hall of Fame
Leroy Douglas was a standout baseball and basketball player for Ozarks in the early 1950's. In basketball, he led Ozarks in scoring during the 1953-54 season, averaging 16 points a game. An All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference performer for the baseball team as a freshman in 1953, Douglas was 7-2 as a pitcher, hit a conference-best .481 and led the team in RBIs, hits and home runs. In one game against Fort Smith Junior College, Douglas pitched a perfect game, hit two home runs and had nine RBIs. After receiving offers from 16 different professional baseball teams, Douglas left Ozarks in 1954 to sign a major league contract with the Detroit Tigers. His professional career was cut short after he was hit in the head by a fastball, causing a near-fatal skull fracture. Douglas went on to a successful coaching career, going 582-227 in eight seasons of coaching junior and senior high boys and girls basketball at Coal Hill. He also served as junior high principal at Ozark High School for 12 years.
