Plainville High School - Plainsman Yearbook (Mariemont, OH)

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State Champions! That is the title they earned, the title they deserved. The 1945 baseball team started slow, but rounded into the best club yet to represent Plainville High. The Plainsmen won eight games during the regular season; as tournament time rolled around the Devils were in top shape. The first game, with Colerain, was a pitchers' battle, with Plainville winning, three to one. In the second round we played Greenhills. We took the lead in the first few innings; were able to hold on to a ntne-to-seven margin. In the dis- trict final we met Fairfield and won five-to-one. Our first gcsme in Columbus was with Wood- viile. We got into trouble and trailed up to the last inning. Losing six to five, the Devils com- bined two hits and a bunt to shove across two runs. Second round game was with University School of Columbus. They were easy marks for the hard hitting Plainsrnen. Advancing in the final round, we met St. Henry's sporting a seventeen game winning streak. It was a tough game all the way, with the lead changing sev- eral times. We won nine to eight. Joe McGowan, one of the six iuniors on the team, played centerfield. He covered every bit of territory between left and right and very few balls got behind him. Sonny Tiberghein was a big gun on the squad. He led the team with a phenomenal batting average of .500, collected the most doubles, and hit the most home runs. x 3mm 76 Jack Wade was another power hitter. He blasted enemy pitching for a percentage of .370, fourth highest on the team. Gerry Starch is known for his lively play around second base. He is a consistent hitter, owning the second highest batting average on the squad, .432, and he led in triples. Stan McCracken, another iunior, played first base. Starting the season in a slump, he came to life about mid-season. He hit the longest ball of the season, a home run at Terrace Park. Ed Wilkinson, now in the Navy, played right field. He has been a consistent hitter for three years, leading the team in his sophomore year, and last season finishing third. Jimmy Wilkinson, Edis younger brother, has one of the hardest iobs on the team, that of catching. Gene Lentz was the youngest member of the team. Only a freshman, he took over the ditt- cult iob of short stop. He had a capable arm, was IeadoH hitter, and batted iust under .300. Don Geiger took over the third base position when Tiberghein pitched. The firean of the squad was Chuck Ludwig. In the state championship game he relieved in the fourth inning, and allowed only one run. Nelson Beckler, a .400 pinch hitter will re- place one of the outfielders. Jim Jordan filled another garden spot besides taking his turn on the mound. Gordon DeWeese saw action as catcher.

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i STAN McCRACKEN GERRY STORCH DON GEIGER SONNY TIBERGHEIN EOB SUMMERS GEORGE BAKER

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SONNY TIBERGHEIN GENE LENTZ JIM WILKINSON GERRY STORCH Cl IARLES LUDVVIG DON GEIGER STAN McCRACKEN 77