ARCHER CITY (KFDX/KJTL) — Late Petrolia Coach Pat Maxwell touched many lives across Texoma through his love of baseball, coaching dozens of young players season after season.

His Petrolia Pirates played their first game since his passing on Monday, but the clear focus this game? Honoring the one who taught them so much about it.

“He was my uncle, he was a father but for so many, he was a coach,” Pat’s Nephew Adam Kajs said.

Maxwell’s family said Pat truly was the kind of guy that left a mark on everyone he met. That’s why they said it was so important to honor him somewhere that he spent a lot of time, the baseball field.

“It was real important because you let everybody have a chance to kind of get together and talk about Pat and honor him and talk about him, all the things he did, he was a good coach good friend,” Maxwell’s former assistant coach at Archer City Terry O’Dell said.

O’Dell wore Pat’s jersey number as an honorary first base coach at Monday’s Petrolia and Archer City baseball game. O’Dell spent a lot of time with Coach Maxwell as his assistant coach in 2007, when the Archer City baseball team won a state championship for the first time.

“He knew what he was doing but it went further than that. When the boys went to play for him, he wanted them to be successful, he wanted them to be respectful and he wanted them to represent the schools right and their towns. He was proud to see his kids be good citizens,” O’Dell said.

Maxwell’s friends and family said they’re thankful for the prayers from this community and want everyone to recognize the kind spirit that Pat was and how many lives he touched just through genuine love and care.

“Seeing the outpour of love from all over Wichita and everything, it’s been fun to see. It’s been incredible to see it. Makes me think what legacy am I leaving behind. Because I wanna have half the legacy that Uncle Pat had,” Kajs said.

A life well lived, not only on this diamond-shaped field but beyond.

Pat’s visitation is Tuesday morning, April 25, at 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Wichita Falls. The funeral service will follow in the church at 11 a.m.