Head Coach James Davis and assistant Carl Graham head into the 1949 baseball season with many veterans returning from last year's squad. Returning pitchers include Al Seifert and Vic Emel. Newcomers who should see action on the mound are Don Badorf, Dan Rupp, and Harold Ryder.

John Sholly will be the team's catcher, and he also will see time in the outfield. A battle for the first base spot is going on between Jack Potteiger, Ben Gouse, and Glen Bricker. Harvey Jacobs and Marlin Sheaffer should share the second base duties, while three players - Bob Sauve, Ray Snyder, and William Billett - battle it out to start at shortstop. One spot on the infield already secured appears to be third base, with Donnie Cornman playing the hot corner. In the outfield, in addition to Sholly, Coach Davis has George Wagner, John Waggoner, and Scott Koser.

With a group of many experienced players, the Wildcats should be in the thick of the battle for top honors in the West Shore Interscholastic Baseball League.

(4/5/49 Daily Local News)

In what proved to be a real slugfest, Mechanicsburg High walloped their traditional rivals, Carlisle High, 12 to 5 at Carlisle on Tuesday afternoon.

The Wildcats scored first on walks to Gouse, Cornman and Jacob’s force-outs and John Waggoner’s clean single to left to bring in two runs. In the second, the ‘Cats got four runs when Gouse, Cornman walked, and John Waggoner forced Jacobs at third but Potteiger drove a one-bagger to left to bring in two more runs. Snyder then doubled but was left stranded. The score at the end of two innings read 6 to 0 in favor of M.H.S.

Vic Emel opened the third with a single and went to third on a walk to Gouse, and Cornman’s fielder’s choice, but was picked off at the plate when Jacobs bunted into a double play. Gouse and Cornman went to third and second respectively, and were driven in on Rupp’s single to center. Waggoner reached first via an error and he and Rupp came around to score when Snyder and Sholly walked with the bases loaded. Emel lined out to first to end the inning.

Carlisle picked up four runs in the third when Emel, who was pitching, momentarily lost control. they later got a run in the fifth.

(4/14/49 The Torch)

Mechanicsburg scored three times in the bottom of the first inning, and went on to defeat New Cumberland, 5-1. Catcher John Sholly had two hits to lead the Wildcats. Don Badorf supplied very strong pitching, allowing only two hits in a complete game (seven inning) effort. It was the first home game for the Wildcats at the revamped stadium in Memorial Park, who are now 2-0 in league play (2-1 overall).

(4/15/49 Patriot News)

Mechanicsburg High School made it three straight wins behind the one-hit pitching of Albert Seifert. Mechanicsburg scored six runs in the first four innings on their way to a 7-0 rout. The big hit was a bases loaded double by George Wagner in the bottom of the fourth inning which scored three runs. A clean single to left field by Cree of Enola in the top of the fourth ended Seifert’s chances of turning in a perfect game.

(4/20/49 Patriot News)

Heading into the last of the sixth inning yesterday's game, Mechanicsburg trailed Lemoyne, 3-0. With one out, John Waggoner reached first base on an error. That was quickly followed by consecutive singles from Sonny Jacobs and Dan Rupp, which scored Waggoner to make it 3-1.

Glen Bricker then hit a slow roller to third, but it was bobbled by the third baseman, and suddenly the bases were loaded. The next hitter, Ray Snyder lined a hit over the right fielder's head scoring Jacobs and Rupp. As Snyder rounded first to head for what he must have thought was a sure double, he saw Bricker standing at second. Being forced to retreat to first, Lemoyne relayed the ball in attempt to get Bricker heading back to the base. However, the throw went wild, scoring Bricker from second, and moving Snyder all the way to third. This gave the Wildcats a 4-3 lead. The final run of the inning came when Snyder scored on a ground out to short by Al Seifert. The Wildcats finished with a hard fought 5-3 win.

Lemoyne hit into two double plays against Seifert, who scattered seven hits in a complete game victory. The next game for Mechanicsburg is Friday at home against arch rival Carlisle.

(4/27/49 Patriot News)

Mechanicsburg pitcher Al Seifert held Camp Hill hitless for five innings yesterday, while the Cats built a 6-0 lead. But Camp Hill erupted in the sixth inning to score six times and tie the game. The score remained 6-6 through seven, sending the game into extra innings.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Wildcats got a single from Donnie Cornman, who quickly went to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Ray Snyder lined a double to score Cornman and give the Cats a 7-6 win. The victory knocked Camp Hill out of first place in the West Shore League. (The Wildcats still had a chance for first place, but lost a game the next day to Lemoyne by a score of 6-3.)

(5/11/49 Daily Local News)

The high school baseball teams, both Varsity and Junior Varsity took a new lease on life this past week as the Coach Davis nine defeated Camp Hill in an extra inning contest, and the Junior Varsity in a three-inning game played yesterday bowled over the Carlisle J.V.’s by a one-sided score of 14 to 1. Jack Kintz hurled for the no-hit ball, but was robbed of a shutout in the second inning when they got their only run on an error.

In the senior league, Carlisle upset Enola last night by a score of 10 to 1, and the team standings put Camp Hill again in top position, with Mechanicsburg and Lemoyne tied for second place.

Tomorrow winds up the season for the three top teams, and if Enola can knock off Camp Hill and Mechanicsburg beat Lemoyne (note: Lemoyne won, 6-3), the local boys will be at the first place position.

An unusual feature of yesterday’s game between Carlisle and Enola was a triple play from Jumper to Winters to Godsey to Winters, with Jumper on the mound. Winters, Carlisle catcher, threw to first base, after Jumper took a slow grounder from Cocklin, forcing Raudabaugh out at home, and Cocklin was out at first , while Godsey returned the ball to the plate, who caught Waltz coming home from a stretch from second.

(5/12/49 Daily Local News)

The first year of JV baseball has proven to be very successful so far. he first game saw the Wildkittens go down to an 11 to 1 defeat at the hands of Carlisle. Wildness on the part of the pitchers and errors in the field proved the downfall of the Wildkittens. Nelson started the game and was relieved by Kintz. Keefer went all the way behind the plate.

The second game saw the JV’s reversing the decision by taking a 9 to 1 ball game from Boiling Springs. Pease and Kintz combined to pitch one hit ball while the Wildkittens were pounding the ball over the field. Alexander enjoyed a home run, triple, and single.

The Junior Varsity went on to take the next game from New Cumberland, 7 to 5. Pease started the game, was relieved by Kintz, who was then relieved by Nelson in the last inning.

New Cumberland got revenge by walloping the Wildkittens in the next game 14 to 3. Nelson started and was relieved by Pease. Wild pitching and errors were the deciding factor.

(5/13/49 Torch)