It’s the end of an era for the Bryant baseball program. Hornets head baseball Coach Kirk Bock, a four-time 7A state champion coach for Bryant and five-time state champion overall, will hang up his cleats and become Bryant’s new assistant athletic director.
“It’s something that has kind of been in the works for a little while,” Bock said. “Mike (Lee) came to me with an opportunity to move into the assistant AD job. Financially it’s a better spot, but I to get the opportunity to help the whole program.”
Lee, Bryant’s athletic director, said the program is fortunate to have Bock in his new role.
“Under his guidance, he has elevated our baseball program to the most elite program in the state of Arkansas, in my opinion, and one of the most elite programs in the country,” Lee said.
Taking over for Bock as the new Hornet head coach will be former Bryant assistant coach Travis Queck. Queck has been an assistant for four years and a volunteer assistant for two years before that.
“I had somebody text me earlier and they said, ‘man, you’re working at a program that is top 25 (in the nation) every year,’” Queck said. “Who can ask for more? Yeah, expectations are high, but that’s what you sign up for. The community, the youth league and the legion program, that’s their expectation, too, and it’s going to be a fun ride.”
Queck is correct with the high expectations as the Hornets have won four of the past seven 7A state titles and went to five in the past seven years. The No. 1 team in the state according to most polls this past season, Bryant is also the No. 2 high school squad in the nation according to USA Today Super 25 computer rankings.
“[Bock] has set the standards high and he has also mentored an outstanding young coach in Travis Queck,” Lee said, “who is capable of taking over and assuming the head coaching duty. The attributes he has shown over the years and the confidence Coach Bock had in Travis in allowing him to assume all the roles he had as an assistant. That leads me to believe he’s going to be just as successful as a head coach as he was an assistant coach.”