John was a tremendous student-athlete in both basketball and baseball at what was then known as Missouri Baptist College. In basketball, Hartin accumulated double digit scoring in each season he played. In the 1976-1977 season, he averaged over 20 points a game, but his skills on the baseball field are unmatched in the history of Spartan Baseball.
As a freshman, John batted .400 and pitched a no-hitter. In his senior year, John hit .328 with 16 doubles, 12 home runs, and 56 RBI's and helped lead his team to finish as runner-up in the Little College World Series. As a result, he was recognized as an All-American. Consequently, John was drafted in 1977 by the Chicago Cubs in the 10th round, a few hours shy of earning his degree.
Admittedly, John struggled for many years, but was able to overcome tremendous adversity, using those struggles and his victory over them as a platform to share his faith on the Montel Williams Show and the 700 Club.
John returned to MBU in 2013 and completed his Bachelor of Science degree in History in 2014, making him eligible to be nominated for the MBU Spartan Hall of Fame. According to Dr. Smith, "John has definitely earned his place among the Spartan Best!"
Mr. Hartin has been married to Liesa (Class of 1980) for over 30 years. They have 4 children and 2 grandchildren with one more grandchild on the way. John is employed with H.R. Block as an office manager and also officiates for the Greater St. Louis Association of Umpires, and has been assigned to umpire at the NCAA Division I and II levels.
