This article is brought to you by the Winding Creek Music Festival. The sound of banjos, fiddles, and mandolins will echo across western Howard County once again this August as the Winding Creek Music Festival returns. But there’s something wandering in the woods this year.
That’s right. There has been a Bigfoot sighting!
Make sure to visit the Winding Creek Music Festival, Aug. 13-16, as a fantastic line-up of bands are joined by vendors, music instructors, a Sunday 5K, and that hairy forest recluse and his friends.
Tickets for the Winding Creek Music Festival are on sale now and can be purchased at www.windingcreekmusicfestival.com. See the site for prices on single-day, three-day, and four-day tickets. The Sunday family ticket includes admission for two adults and up to four kids for just $20.
When Mike Platt was in high school, during an era when playing multiple sports was encouraged more than today, he excelled as a Haworth Huskie on the basketball court and the baseball diamond. Since then, he’s parlayed his athletic success into a longstanding career in insurance; something his mentors and competitive teammates surely helped set the foundation for.
“He was a fierce competitor and displayed outstanding sportsmanship,” said former Haworth basketball coach Harold Cox. “He loved to play sports and had so many skillful teammates to support his career.”
Platt played on the 1972 American Legion State Championship baseball team with standouts like Tom Underwood, Pat Underwood, Dan Dumoulin, Joe Whitney, Randy Hulet, Dirk Hankins, and too many other good players to mention. Coach Bob Ronk led his teams with toughness, and his players knew he wouldn’t tolerate laziness or excuses. His successful coaching method prepared his players for the collegiate level.
During Platt’s four years at Haworth, the baseball team went to the Final Four in 1970, the Semi-State Championship in 1971, and the Regional in 1973. Among the big wins were still losses, like falling to the local downtown rival Kokomo High School, 2-1 in 10 innings, in an attempt to secure their fourth sectional championship in four years.
Platt’s former Legion teammate, Kokomo’s Tom Underwood, beat them on the mound that day to eliminate a perfect Haworth sweep during those years. As redemption, Haworth beat Kokomo 69-68 in the 1972 basketball sectional.
“I still have the scouting report from that game,” said Platt. “We were so well prepared because Coach Cox was such a great leader. I remember standing behind Dave Swihart and watching him hit two free throws to seal the game. We knew when, where, and how to get the job done.”
It’s been said that game was the loudest and most exciting game Memorial Gymnasium has ever had.
“As a basketball player, he was best known for his long-range jump shot,” said former Kokomo Wildcat standout and rival Dirk Hankins. “One of the greatest two-sport athletes in Kokomo history, he played a pivotal role in the 1972 sectional championship. He was one of my best friends and teammates during Babe Ruth, American Legion, and fast-pitch softball years.”
Ron Barsh, former coach and Athletic Director at Kokomo High School, added Platt was an outstanding player in both sports.
“Mike was a left-handed shooter in basketball who threw the baseball right-handed! A true Kokomo area and Haworth legend,” Barsh said.
When deciding where to attend college, Platt eventually chose a school that allowed him to continue playing both basketball and baseball. The University of Evansville and the Purple Aces became home for the next four years, beating out the University of Wisconsin. To this day, Wisconsin is the only Big 10 team that does not have a baseball team.
Platt’s career really took off in college, despite his high school success. The Evansville Aces basketball team was ranked No. 1 in the NCAA College Division during his freshman year and ranked preseason No. 1 his senior year. The Aces continued to win the Indiana Collegiate Conference three of the four years during his time at UE and made the NCAA Tournament twice.
The success Evansville basketball saw at this time was greatly due to Platt’s sharp shooting. He finished as the 13th all-time leading scorer for the Aces with 1,135 points. He was the Aces assist leader 1975, ‘76, and ‘77. He was MVP his senior year and All-Conference two of the four years. To round out his senior year, he was a Sertoma Indiana All Star. UE baseball also made the NCAA tournament twice during his time as an Ace.
“One highlight of my career was hitting for the cycle against Western Kentucky,” Platt said. “Evansville had a player do it in 2021 for the first time since my senior year in 1977.”
Platt was MVP his senior year in baseball and All-Conference three of his four years on the diamond.
“I was very fortunate to play both sports in college. Many people think that is not possible today; it is possible,” Platt said. “UE was a great fit for me, and I’m so glad I made the choice I did.”
Platt’s sports story doesn’t end there. After graduation, he was supposed to be a graduate assistant for the UE basketball team with Jerry Sloan at the helm. Sloan had just left the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach for the collegiate level but returned to Chicago after a few weeks.
Since the new basketball coach brought in his own staff, Platt moved over to coaching baseball, not as an assistant, but as one of the youngest head coaches’ collegiate athletics has ever seen. At 22 years old, Platt took over for his former coach Bob Hodges after Hodges became ill.
“Coaching your teammates was a very difficult thing to do. Had it been at a different school, it would have been an easier situation,” Platt remembered. “Thankfully, I had a lot of advice from Hall of Fame coaches, first and foremost being my dad. He connected me to his own college basketball coach at IU, Everett Dean, who also coached baseball at Stanford. Coach Dean passed along his practice and travel notes when he was coaching baseball.”
Platt added that his former Aces basketball coach, Arad McCutchan, was always there to answer any question. Being a young coach to his former teammates was not the toughest thing about 1977. That same year marked the Evansville plane crash that killed the UE basketball team.
“Knowing all the players was one thing, but having played with many of them for years and being friends with them was heartbreaking,” Platt reflected. “To be there that night, seeing their parents, it will always be unforgettable. I hope no one has to go through that pain.”
Platt eventually moved on from coaching at Evansville but is still a familiar face as he attends several games a year and supports various UE alumni groups. He has built a successful career in insurance as co-owner of Kitchell Insurance Agency, with offices in Logansport, Kokomo and Royal Center. He has two daughters, Hillery and Natalie, both who reside in Indianapolis and work in commercial real estate.
“I’m very proud Mike established himself as an outstanding businessman and citizen in the City of Kokomo,” says Harold Cox, his former Haworth basketball coach. “Congratulations on a good life!