photo by: Nathan Friedman/Special to the Journal-World

Free State head coach Mike Hill speaks to the team following the game against Shawnee Mission East on Tuesday, April 2, 2026, in Lawrence.

As long as there’s been a Free State baseball team, Mike Hill has been the one leading it.

Since the school opened in 1997, Hill has been the baseball coach, and through 29 years with Free State, Hill led the Firebirds to three state titles, four second-place finishes, 10 Sunflower League titles and over 450 wins.

But next year, the Firebirds will have their first season without Hill after he announced his retirement on Monday on social media. Hill’s announcement came two days after the 2026 Free State season ended in the state tournament in Wichita, where the Firebirds finished as the state runners-up in 2026 after winning the state tournament the year prior.

In total, Hill has spent over 30 years coaching baseball in Lawrence and has led Free State since the school’s first year in 1998. Under his tutelage, the Firebirds have been consistently at the top of the state, reaching the state tournament 16 times including eight in a row. Before winning the state tournament in 2025, the Firebirds had finished third in back-to-back seasons.

In late May, Zach Thornton became the first Firebird to be called up to the big leagues as the New York Mets. With a number of Firebirds who are already playing college baseball and more current Firebirds committed to colleges, that number could continue to grow in time.

In his announcement, Hill stated that he “owe(s) much to the coaches I have been honored to share the dugout with over the years” and that he is “indebted to each player I have had the honor to coach.”

In comments under the retirement announcement, former players, assistant coaches under Hill and opposing coaches across Kansas praised Hill and his impact.

Along with a new coach, Free State will bring eight Firebirds from the 2026 team into 2027 as they look to make the state tournament for the ninth-straight year.