ALEXANDRIA — If you’ve attended an Alexandria Post 41 Legion baseball game this season, you probably noticed a patch on the collarbone of the jerseys.

This patch isn’t for looks or any sort of achievement, but instead, a way of honoring and remembering a former teammate and friend to the team and community of Alexandria.

The patch contains the initials “H.W.” in honor of Hadley Wallace, who tragically passed away in a car accident last month.

Alexandria had a scheduled game against Baltic/Colton on June 14, the day of his passing, that was ultimately canceled and have had the patches on their jerseys since a 2-1 loss to Tabor Post 183 on June 18.

Alexandria Legion head coach Chris Marek said the idea to honor Wallace was sparked almost immediately after the news of his passing.

“We were supposed to play the night of his accident,” Marek said. “We didn’t play that night obviously, but we had them in place by the next game which was two or three days later. It was just something that my wife and I came up with and just thought about how I’ve been intimately around these kids for quite a few years, not just baseball but in all sports at Hanson, and I just felt like it was fitting.”

Photo of Alexandria coach Ray Slaba during a Legion baseball game in Parkston on July 14. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

When adding a patch in this situation, teams will most commonly put it on the sleeve, collar, or even just above the numbers on the back, but Marek said the decision to put the “HW” patch on the collar was mainly about visibility and tearability.

“The placement was just where we thought it would be most visible and maybe not get torn off as easily,” Marek said.

While Wallace would’ve been a few months too old to play one more season with the Alexandria Legion, it was his connection with his teammates and friends that made this decision that much more important.

“I think the biggest thing was that he was a good baseball player, but he was an exceptional teammate, and I think that was probably the thing that hit home the most,” Marek said. “Everybody had a connection with him as a teammate more than what he did on the field because it was probably one of the lesser sports he was good at, but boy he was a great person and a great guy.”

Wallace’s leadership and commitment to not just baseball, but all Hanson athletics has left a lasting impact on his teammates, coaches, and community.

“He was a leader by example. He wasn’t very vocal but when he spoke you knew he had something to say that meant something,” Marek said. “He would give his full effort in everything he did. Just that, leading by example and being a teammate, being a support system for everybody around him. I think that’s what drew him to the community and to his teammates and so forth.”

And for coach Marek, personally, Hadley’s drive and leadership is something he’ll always remember from coaching him.

“As a coach, the kid that’ll just go out and work his tail off and lead by example goes a long, long way,” Marek said. “He always had a place in my heart because of how he handled himself as a young man.”

Wallace was a standout athlete for Hanson High School, competing in football, basketball, baseball, and track.

Wallace graduated from Hanson High School in May of 2023 and was a redshirt running back on the Dakota Wesleyan football team last fall.

In high school, Wallace earned football all-conference honors three times, a football all-state honorable mention, and finished his high school career with nearly 3,400 total yards, 41 touchdowns, 158 tackles, as well as two interceptions for the Beavers.