Two bitter high school baseball rivals have met on the diamond for decades with the same fiery field generals guiding them into battle.

While both Waterloo and Highland will still face each other in baseball and other Mississippi Valley Conference sports for one more year – the MVC is disbanding after the 2025-26 academic calendar comes to a close – the head coaches of these programs are hanging up their cleats and handing off their fungo bats to someone new.

Waterloo’s Mark Vogel and Highland’s Joel Hawkins have nearly 1,400 career wins between them, Hawkins taking the reins of his red-and-black Bulldogs in 1992 and Vogel making the lineup card for the orange-and-black Bulldogs starting in 1993. 

Waterloo didn’t join the MVC until 1998, but the two teams faced each other during Vogel’s first year in a non-conference doubleheader. 

Vogel and Hawkins forged a bond over the decades that extends beyond the white chalk of the baselines – first through a mutual respect and then something more. 

“We’ve been in constant communications with each other over the years,” Vogel said. “It’s a neat relationship we’ve developed.”

Hawkins agrees.

“He’s a great guy. He’s always helping me. I’ll call and we’ll talk about the teams we’re playing next, especially at playoff time. And we’ll help him out,” Hawkins said. “He’s been one of the best dudes in coaching for me the whole time, really.”

It just so worked out that both legendary longtime coaches are retiring from both teaching and coaching this year. Hawkins has been teaching for longer than Vogel, but Hawkins stuck around to coach his youngest son, who is a senior this year.

Last Wednesday was the last regular season meeting between Waterloo and Highland, with Hawkins’ Bulldogs besting Vogel’s Bulldogs by the score of 9-2 on Waterloo’s home turf. 

But with Waterloo at 24-10 and Highland at 21-13 on the season, don’t rule out one last battle in the sectional round. 

Vogel said he admires Hawkins’ attention to detail and his ability to push the right buttons year after year.

“He is always able to get the most out of his players and put together great seasons,” Vogel said. “You know you are going to have to play your best baseball to beat his team.”

Vogel added that some similarities between the two coaches include a focus on “small ball” – bunting, pitching, baserunning and defense. 

“And we’re both ultra-competitive,” Vogel added. 

Hawkins most definitely agreed with the competitive streak he shares with Vogel. 

“There’s a lot of intensity there, for sure,” he said with a chuckle.

Hawkins said he admires how Vogel has always been able to get his players to believe in him.

“He finds a way to make it work,” Hawkins said. “Both of us have a firm expectation for what each of our teams are supposed to work on. He does it in a different way than I do, but the results are very similar. Mark’s teams are so solid, year after year.”

When both were asked about memorable clashes between the two programs, the 2015 postseason seemed to stand out.

Vogel said his son Corey was the winning pitcher in the regional final against a tough Freeburg squad that season, sending Waterloo to the Salem Sectional. As fate would have it, Waterloo faced a Highland team in the sectional semifinal and lost 9-5.

Hawkins’ bunch went on to win his second career state title 10 days later.

“That’s a special coaching memory for me, having my son win a regional title,” Vogel said. 

As for the sectional defeat, Vogel chalked it up to “just another chapter” in his long journey with Hawkins. 

Hawkins said it wouldn’t have hurt his feelings had Waterloo won that matchup.

“When you see each other twice during the season, and then you play again in the playoffs, they know you inside and out. You know them the same way. His team was as good as ours. I’m glad he got to go to state a few years later.”

Indeed, Waterloo made Vogel’s second trip to state in 2019, placing third. The first trip to state was in 2011 when his Bulldogs won a school record 33 games and also placed third at state. 

“That 2011 team was certainly my best,” Vogel said. 

A big “what if” for Vogel is the 2020 season that did not happen due to COVID-19. Waterloo was set to return 10 players from its 2019 squad. 

“We would’ve had a great team in 2020, but there were bigger things than baseball going on that spring,” Vogel said.

As for Hawkins, his team first won state in 2008 behind future major league pitcher Jake Odorizzi. In addition to his 2015 state title, Highland returned to state last season and placed fourth. 

Of course, Highland had to face Waterloo again in the postseason, winning the regional final a year ago on Waterloo’s field.

Hawkins said the demise of the MVC and rivalries such as the one between Highland and Waterloo are not easily replaced.

“We have that connection with the conference that we’ve always been kind of proud of,” Hawkins said. “The Mississippi Valley is who we are. That’s where we are. And now it’s not going to be.”

Vogel said it will definitely be different not being in the dugout as head coach after this season, but he feels assistant coach and former WHS standout Garrett Schlecht is ready to take the reins. 

He’ll also miss the battles against rivals such as Hawkins’ pesky Bulldogs of another color. 

“It’s been a great ride,” Vogel said.

The feelings are mutual for Hawkins.

“I’m proud to be going out at the same time as he is, that’s for sure,” Hawkins said. “We’ve been at it a long time and we’ve shared a lot of stuff. He’s as good a friend in baseball that I have.”