Bob Homolka

A native of Salina, Bob Homolka umpired more than 4,600 games at all levels.  For nearly 40 years, Homolka umpired at the collegiate level, mostly in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference.  He was selected to umpire 20 NCAA Division I Regional tournaments, three Super Regionals and two College World Series.

Homolka umpired in the Alaska Summer League and was a fixture at the NBC World Series.

In 1995, Homolka worked Major League games during an umpire’s strike.  Among the games he umpired was the Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo’s debut, which was a five-hour game that set a record for most pitchers used.

Homolka helped Kate Walden achieve success at the major college level.  Walden was the first female umpire in the Big 12 Conference.

A long-time educator, Homolka was a math professor and department chair at Kansas State University Salina.  He taught various levels of algebra, trigonometry and calculus and twice was named “professor of the year.”

In 2009, Homolka delivered a scholarly paper at the Midwest Section of the American Society for Engineering Education.  His topic was “An Academic Home Run: Baseball, Umpiring and Mathematics.”  In 2010, he presented at the society’s national meeting in Louisville and global meeting in Singapore.  The topic was “A Triple Play: Baseball, Mathematics and Storytelling.”