Varsity Baseball 1981

Front row: Bob Gable, Mark McClintock, Don Burgard, Shawn Abner, Mike Dietrich, Mike Teeter, Randy Spurlock. Second row: Kathey Badger, Doug Cassel, Dan Jones, Scott Middlekauff, Tom Levosky, Kevin Conner, Chris Bowen, Ron Ney, Ryan Priest, Cindy Paulus. Third row: Coach Don Shirley, Mark Meloy, Joe Costello, Pat Heenan, Dean Rospendowski, Ben Abner, Tab Bush, Ray Derk, John Karlovich, Coach Steve Suave

The beginning ….

Trojans open baseball campaign by splitting with Mechanicsburg;

‘Cats rally to win

Mechanicsburg High is ready to toss its hat into the ring.  If there’s any room. The candidates for the Capital Area Conference baseball title are many.  But the Wildcats served notice that they want to join the elite with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Susquehanna Township in eight innings on Tuesday afternoon.

                Okay, so the Indians are about the only team in the league more inexperienced than Mechanicsburg.  Susquehanna started six sophomores and a freshman.

                But that Mechanicsburg did manage to win is a step in the right direction.  Last year the Wildcats were a dismal 2-15.  With Tuesday’s win, they are 3-1, including 2-0 in the Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley said the reason for the improvement is as easy as A-B-C.

                “We’ve been hitting the ball much better,” he said.  “And or pitching has been excellent.  We averaged eight walks a game last year.”

                The hitting has been taken care of by the likes of Ben Abner, Ryan Priest and Mike Dietrich, among others.  Abner lined the game –winning single to right in the eighth to the plate Dietrich, who had also singled.  Priest slugged a two-out double in the sixth to drive in Dietrich with the tying run.

                “ The last two games we’ve won in the last inning,” said Shirley.  “It was the same hitters – three, four, and five – each time.”

                In the second game of a doubleheader split with Chambersburg on Saturday, the Wildcats trailed 5-4 going into the seventh inning. But Abner singled and scored on a tripled by brother Shawn, and Priest’s hit chased in the go-ahead run.

                So the Wildcats seem to have one element essential to making a run at the CAC title: ability to hit in the clutch.  And pitching ain’t bad either.  Ron Ney and reliever John Karlovich walked just two Indians while holding them to four hits.

                But the pitching star early on seemed like it would be Susquehanna’s Rusty Ferguson held the ‘Cats hitless over the first four frames, and the Indians grabbed a 3-1 lead.

                Mechanicsburg’s run came in the second.  Priest drew a leadoff walk and stole second, one of four Wildcat steals on the day.  He went to third when no one covered second on a pickoff attempt, and waltzed home on a wild pitch.

                But Ferguson remained a puzzle as the game progressed.  The Wildcats didn’t reach him for a hit until two were out in the fifth, when Ray Derk singled.  And they only solved him and reliever John Pensiero for five hits in all.

                “We didn’t have many hits,” said Shirley.  “That pitcher baffled us for awhile with junk.  I thought we could’ve hit him a little better.”

                Finally, the Wildcats did.  Randy Spurlock cracked a triple to deep center leading off the sixth, and continued home as outfielder.  Dewey Bower bobbled the ball.  When Dietrich followed screaming double to right, Ferguson was finished for the day.

                Pensiero sat down the Abner brothers, but Priest slammed another double to right to set up the extra session.

                Ney lasted until he issued a leadoff walk to Jim Burger in the eighth.  With Karlovich on the scene, the Indians advanced Burger to third, but Bower looked at strike three.

                Dietrich dumped a pop-fly single into short rightfield to lead off the Wildcat eighth, and then stole second.  After he moved up on a groundout, Abner connected for his game-winner.

                Now that Mechanicsburg has disposed of Milton Hershey and Susquehanna, both destined for doormat status in the CAC, it’s time to tangle with the boys.

                First on the list is a Thursday afternoon contest at Cumberland Valley .  Shirley called the Eagles co-favorites for the league crown.

                “ Cumberland Valley and Lower Dauphin are definitely two good teams,” he said.  “Lower Dauphin is definitely the class of the league.  He has all his pitchers and all his hitters back.”

                And what of defending champion Hershey, which trampled CV, 13-3, last week?

                “On tradition, they’ll be good,” said Shirley.  “I think it’s going to be a dogfight.”

                And Shirley hopes his club is going to be a dogfight.”

                “Hopefully, we’ll be around the top,” he said. 

Mechanicsburg Wins Twice This Week

                In other diamond play, Mechanicsburg escaped Susquehanna Twp., 4-3, in eight innings as Wildcat Mike Deitrich got his second hit of the game, stole second, was sacrificed to third by Shawn Abner and driven home on a Ben Abner single.  Jim Burger had two hits including a two-run single for Susquehanna in the third inning, while Randy Spurlock had a solo homer in the sixth to ignite the Mechanicsburg rally.

                Mechancisburg also tacked a 4-1 setback on Hershey behind Ney’s five-hitter.

Carlisle drops first of year, 8-7

The Wildcats of Mechanicsburg handed Carlisle its first loss of the baseball season Saturday afternoon.  Mechancisburg squeezed  past the Thundering Herd 8-7.  Randy Spurloch paced the Wildcat offense with a three-for-three day at the plate.  One of Spurloch’s hits was a homer with one man in the fourth.  Peil Chronister had three Herd safeties with Steve Poska and Steve Meredith chipping in with two hits each. 

“They took advantage of our errors; they came in both their 3-run innings,” said Herd coach Harry Mundorff.  “We also left too many runners on base; three times we left the bases full.”

                Mechanicsburg scored three time in the first and the sixth innings, forcing the Herd to play catch-up ball.  Carlisle scored in six of the seven innings but could not come up with a big rally.

                Mechanicsburg has a 7-3 overall record with Carlisle now 6-1 and 5-0 in the South Central League.  “ Carlisle has a good team.  The kids put together a good team effort with our defense playing a big part in the win,” said Wildcat coach Don Shirley.

Hall of Fame is Pirate’s treasure

                At 33 years old, Mr. Barry T. Houser has been elected to the Mechanicsburg Hall of Fame.  Better known as the cafeteria monitor, Mr. Houser joins physical education teacher Mr. Stephen Sauve, who was a recipient of this honor in 1978.

                A special committee of the Mechanicsburg Alumni Association, using past achievements as a guide, periodically nominates outstanding alumni to the Hall of Fame.  Mr. Houser was chosen for his accomplishments in the field of baseball.  He played professional baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor leagues, and later for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the spring seasons.

                On that memorable occasion, Mr. Houser recalls feeling “…honored.  It was nice to get something from one’s peer.”

                While eating breakfast, Mr. Houser modesty talked about his skill as a baseball player.  “I was hot and cold.  To be a good pitcher one must be consistent, and I would be good one day and terrible the next.”  Somebody must have thought more of him, because he was chosen All-East pitcher for the Second Division during his college years at West Chester State .

                Mr. Houser had to leave the field of baseball due to physical ailments, mostly in his arm and shoulder.  He says it’s the old cliché “he fast but he won’t last.”  The thing he feels most strongly about with regard to leaving baseball is the fact that he made alternative career plans.  At West Chester State , Mr. Houser studied to become a teacher in case his baseball career fell through.  It did and he fell back on his teaching.  He cautions all athletes, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Baseball players strike gold on baseball diamond

Eleven and seven in league play and 14-8 overall, this year’s Wildcat baseball team ended the season with a third place tie in the ten-team CAC.

                “We’ve hit the ball well.  Our strength has been our hitting, and our pitching has also been consistent,” explains veteran manager Don Shirley.  “It’s been a team effort.” 

                Junior Kevin Connor, one of the teams starting pitchers, also comments on the season.  “The pitching staff has been fortunate because the team has hit and fielded well behind us.”

                “The people on the bench have done a great job.  We have a lot of depth-if someone get hurt, there is a capable person to fill in,” says senior Pat Heenan, a relief pitcher for the squad.  “We have a good team attitude and good team hustle.  Everyone helps out and when we need the big hits, we get them.”

                “Everyone’s enjoying the season-we’re all into it,” added third baseman Mike Deitrich, a junior.

                After sixteen game there were three players on the team hitting over 400; freshman Shawn Abner, Senior Co-Captain Ben Abner, and Junior Ryan Priest.  Ben Abner also led the team in home runs at that point in the season.

                The starting team consisted of Ben Abner, Shawn Abner, and sophomore Randy Spurloch in the outfield; Mike Deitrich or Senior Co-Captain John Karlovich at third base; Ryan Priest taking shortstop; sophomore Scott Middlekauff at second base; junior Chris Bowen or sophomore Mike Teeter anchoring down first base and seniors Ray Derk and Joe Costello sharing catching duties.  Sophomore Ron Ney was the designated hitter.  The DH in high school baseball may hit for any specified player.

                The pitching staff was made up of seniors John Karlovich and Pat Heenan,, juniors Kevin Connor and Dan Jones, and sophomore Ron Ney.

                Coach Shirley sums the year up:  “We’re a young team, but we’ve done well.”

1981 Scores and Record

Statistical leaders:

Batting average:  Ben Abner - .458, Ryan Priest - .440, Shawn Abner - .422, Ron Ney - .333,

Mike Dietrich - .313

Home runs – Ben Abner – 4

Hits – Ben Abner – 38, Shawn – 35, Ryan Priest – 33

RBIs – Ben Abner – 33

Doubles – Ben Abner – 9

Pitching wins:  Dan Jones – 5, Kevin Connor – 4

Innings pitched – Kevin Connor – 46, Dan Jones – 40 2/3

Strikeouts – Ron Ney – 39

Pinch runner scoring five consecutive appearances – Bob Gabel

1981 Final C.A.C. Standings