More than a decade ago, a talented — and dedicated — baseball player named Riley Allen made his mark on the Dewey Seminoles American Legion team.

Allen had no way of knowing then what a big part that experience would have on his future.

The Oologah High graduate has returned to the familiar Dewey High baseball field — the site of so many of his teenage summer highlights.

Only, this time he’s going to play a different role — as the new Dewey High School head baseball coach.

Allen becomes at least the fifth Bulldogger skipper in less than eight or nine seasons.

He’s hoping to make his tenure a long stay.

“When I got hired, it’s almost like I’m going home. … It’s like I’m going to Oologah,” Allen explained.

Allen — who is barely 10 years out of high school — already has head coach seasoning. He’s been the skipper of both the baseball and softball programs at Hominy High.

“I just learned … if the kids will buy into what you’re trying to do, you’ll be successful,” Allen said. “I just really enjoyed their (Hominy’s) kids. They were a good group of kids, hard-working kids and sports-driven kids.”

But, the opportunity to coach at Dewey proved to be just too desirable for Allen to pass up.

He went through the interview process and earned the nod to replace the vacancy left by the departure of Rod Richardson.

Richardson isn’t going very far — just across the street to the gridiron.

Last spring, he was named the new Dewey head football coach, leading him to step away from baseball.

That opened the door for Allen to land in Bulldoggerland.

“I do have some family (in Dewey),” Allen said. “It’s mostly just friends and people I played ball with.”

Following his high school days, Allen spent a seasons with Hesston (Kan.) College and then transferred to Hillsdale Free Will Baptist (Randall University).

While at Randall, he appears to have been named a National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association All-American in 2013.

Even though Dewey baseball took a hard hit last spring by graduation, Allen feels he has some positive components to fit into next year’s mix.

Some of them include veterans Hayden Catlin and Zane Griggs, and freshmen Easton Davis, Lathe Griggs and Karson Johnson.

“We have a very good group of freshmen,” Allen said. “They’re going to be very talented. The older kids are going to be good.”

Allen praised results of Richardson’s work with the baseballers.

“You can tell he did a great job,” Allen said.

Dewey High Athletic Director Trey Ruble said he feels confident in Allen’s potential in guiding the baseball program into the future.

“He’s a super kid,” Ruble said. “He has obviously a lot of knowledge about baseball. He’s going to bring that aspect to it. He is a man of outstanding character. He’s been successful where he’s been at and it seems like he’s a good fit for us. When we interview him, it was like … we need to get him on board.”

Allen anchored the Dewey Seminoles at first base and as a left-handed thrower/batter.

Twenty games into the 2008 summer season, he boasted a .365 batting average, four doubles and 11 RBIs.

During his freshman season (2011) at Hesston, Allen carved out a 3.43 earned run average, with a 9-3 record, 73 strikeouts in 78.2 innings and only 36 walks surrendered.

Allen earned a spot, as pitcher, on the 2013 NCCAA Division II Baseball All-America First-Team — even though Hillsdale Free Will Baptist (Randall) didn’t qualify for the national tournament.