Former longtime head baseball coach at Myers Park, Jack Sink, passed away on Saturday at the age of 87.

The field at Myers Park bears his name, as does the annual Easter tournament played at the school which is going on this week with out the former Myers Park head baseball coach for the first time in the 31 year run of the tournament.

The family had planned to bring coach Sink out to the tournament again this year, but his daughter Carol Tucker told the Charlotte Observer, “His health really faded in the last week. He wanted to be [at the tournament]. Until last year, he never missed a home game.” Instead of coach Sink’s frame sitting in his chair on the sidewalk looking out on left field, there was an empty cap on the folding chair he usually took in the action from.

Sink took the Mustang baseball program to a 4A State Championship in 1970 as well as three conference championships, four co-championships and over 300 wins in his 32 seasons as head coach. He also coached American Legion baseball, winning two state titles in his time in that organization.

Coach Sink stayed involved with the Myers Park program even after retirement, he was known for his letters to each graduating senior player on the team after the season.

He was one of the founders of the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association and was the organization’s first president. Sink is a member of the Lenoir-Rhyne hall of fame, his alma mater, and the N.C. Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.

Coach Sink had four children, Brenda, Cathy, Carol and Jack who all told the Charlotte Observer that they plan to attend the tournament all week leading up to the funeral on Thursday at 11 a.m. at Christ Lutheran Church on Providence Road in Charlotte.