Mike “Q” McCune first started playing 16” softball the summer of 1988 after his freshman year at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa where he played both NCAA Division II football and baseball. His first exposure to 16” softball was with LASH Softball in Carlisle, Iowa where he started to learn the game. Soon after that, Mike played with Philly Bar & Grill out of Des Moines where they won a few of Iowa’s major tournaments.
At the beginning of the 1990’s Mike’s next move was to join the Carpet Country Rollers out of Marshalltown, Iowa where he started playing with guys that one day would be considered some of the best to play the game. During his Carpet Country days, the Rollers typically played in the championship games of all major tournaments in Iowa.
However, their biggest success came when Carpet Country beat Prime Time in back to back championship games during the 1995 ASA Nationals in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. In front of a large Illinois crowd and televised audience, Carpet Country scored 4 runs in the top of the 7th all with 2 outs and then retired Prime Time in order to win the only national title by a non-Chicago team.
It was that following year in 1996, when Mike and Carpet Country became the first Iowa team to get invited to the No-Glove Nationals at Forest Park. He has played in multiple No-Glove National Tournaments and had a top 4 finish with Stover in 2005.
Over the next five years Mike played with The Electric Company, Grand Slam, Iguana Jakes and Graphic Edge. During those years, his teams placed at the ASA Nationals as high as 3rd (Grand Slam), 4th (Iguana Jakes) and 5th (Graphic Edge). In all three of those top 5 finishes, Mike was named an All American, which included his initial 1st team All American award in 1999 with Iguana Jakes.
It was in 2001 when Mike joined Stover Publishing, who to this day has been one of the most consistent teams ever to play the game at a National level. From 2001-2010, Stover finish in the top 5 at Nationals their first 8 years. Included were appearances in 4 National Championship games. Although they never won the big one, Stover was a much respected and talented team. During his Stover years Mike was selected as an All American five times, including three 1st team honors.
In 2015, Mike was honored to be inducted into the Iowa ASA 16” Men’s Slow Pitch Hall of Fame. He is also one of four players to be a part of both Iowa teams which are current members of the Chicago 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame (Carpet Country 2016 and Stover 2017).
After a few years off, in 2014, the Stover team returned to play in their first SSA National Tournament which was held in their backyard, Urbandale, Iowa.
Over a span of 25 years, Mike played 16 Iowa 16” State Championship title games where he was named the MVP of the 2009 tourney and All State teams 5 other times.
He played in 20 National Championship tournaments and was an All American in half of them, his 10 times included four 1st team and six 2nd team All American awards. The one thing he was most proud of was his defense. Mike always said he would have rather throw out a runner from deep short center to end a game than to get the game winning hit.
Currently, Mike has come back to play along with his son, Alex, and other Stover “kids” and their friends as they continue the Stover tradition. The “New” Stover team has finished in the top 3 twice in the 2020 and 2021 SSA Class A Glove National Tournaments.
The Des Moines native currently resides in Johnston, Iowa and is married to his wife of 30 years, Tara. He has two children Alex and Ciara who currently live in the Des Moines area.
