San Luis Obispo High School - Tiger Tales Yearbook (San Luis Obispo, CA)

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Stickmen battle Eagles for early league lead After a disastrous early season record, the inexperi- enced Tiger horsehiders capitalized on last inning rallies to post a 7-O league mark at press time. The Tiger come- back gave hope that Coach Jim Zanoli would annex his third straight league championship, Baseball, the winning- est Tiger sport, has seen SLO win nine titles in 10 years. The loss of Doug Alderman lout with a broken handl left the Tiger horsehiders with only two seniors in the starting lineup while Pat Rusco and Mike Lee got a late start following the CIF basketball playoffs. A thin mound staff meant that the Tigers would rely heavily on seniors Garry Johnson and L. D. Hambly and might bring up Mark Reed from the J. V's. The young and inexperienced team took its lumps in the pre season games ll-5l as well as being outclassed in two tournaments. SLO lost the opener to Santa Bar- bara 2-1. ln the newly inaugurated Lompoc-Cabrillo Tournament, the Zanolimen lost four out of five contests. SLO's lone win was a 5-3 verdict over Lompoc. At the hands of the Santa Maria nines, the Tigers were given rough treat- ment including a 8-l whacking by the Saints and a 9-l belting by Righetti coupled with losses to Arroyo Grande 5-4 and Cabrillo 7-3. Rebounding from identical 3-O losses to Hueneme and Lompoc, San Luis reversed the score to win 3-0 over Arroyo Grande and nail down seventh place in the Santa Maria Easter tournament. ln the all important league race, San Luis blanked Atascadero 3-O, came from behind to defeat Morro Bay 6-2 and 6-5 and knocked off Paso Robles 7-3. Against always tough Arroyo Grande, SLO came from behind to win 6-5 on Randy Martin's tackle play and winning run. In the first two of three league games for the city championship, San Luis topped Mission 4-2 and 6-3. STRETCH-Lanky Pat Rusco, with a mid season league batting average ot' .500 akin to his all-CIF brother Dave, shows his defensive ability in this close play at first. SLO shut out Arroyo Grande in the Easter tourney fat letti. TOURNAMENT TENSION-Juniors Mike Lee fl9J, Pete Phillips, Dave Hildenbrand, Pat Rusco and Rick Reis talk over strategy after losing first two tourney games. Varsity Baseball-61

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TOP CHUCKERS-Soufhpaw senior Garry Johnson follows fhrough on a lasf ball while senior L. D. Hambly gefs ready for his iurn af mound pracfice laf righfl. SCORING SLIDE-On Skip French's single, Pete Phillips fakes off from second base and slides in safely during fhe Tigers 4-2 win over cross fown rival Mission. Phillips was hitting .391 offer seven league confesfs. VARSITY BASEBALL-FRONT ROW: Rick Reis, Mike Lee, Skip French, David Hildenbrand, Mike Herrera. ROW 2 L. D. Hambly, Tim Patierson, Peie Phillips, Randy Mariin, Bob True, Mike Pairick. ROW 3: Jim Zanoli, head coach Prince Lewis, Ron Seger, Garry Johnson, Darreld English, Jeff Feliciano, Byron Mele, manager. 60-Varsity Baseball

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'67 SLO nine blanks Royals, bows to Hart in CIF playoffs For the third time in nine years, San Luis Obispo's Tigers were knocked out of the CIF playoffs by the Hart Indians of Newhall. Hart won 4-2. Mark Lucksinger lo-2, l.O ERA, 70 S.O. I7 wl who still showed the effects of an ankle iniury, was tagged with the second round loss. In first round CIF AA action, the Tigers' Alan Noble pitched a one hit shut out to beat his former teammates, the San Marcos Royals of Santa Barbara, 2-O. The Tigers scored two runs off seven hits and committed only two errors while turning in two double plays to push their season total to I5. By downing Arroyo Grande two days in a row land by identi- cal 4-2 scoresi, the Tiger nine II2-3 Ieaguel dropped the Eagles into a second place tie with Atascadero IlO-5l and took over undisputed first place as well as the loop crown. Both Shortstop Dave Rusco and Noble won all-CIF honors. Rusco, who strangely enough was named to the first team second base position, batted .355 in 22 games, collected I8 RBl's and a fielding average of .928. Hurler Noble, who won nine and lost three, struck out IOI batters, issued only I7 walks and posted an 0.68 ERA, was picked on the second team. With five players on the first team, Stan Luis easily dominated the all league selections. Unanimous selections Noble and Mike McDermott were ioined by Rick Ortner, Pepper Martin, and Rusco. Lucksinger and Mike Lee were named to the second team while Bill Parsons and Steve Bees received honorable mention. I GLOOM-Tiger dugout is silent when Paso Robles ties up the ball game at 2-2. TIE BREAKER-Putting the Tigers ahead 3-2, Catcher Randy Martin fat rightl scores on a sacrifice fly by team- mate Mike Lee. San Luis went on to win 8-4 over Paso Robles. 62-Varsity Baseball SWITCH HITTER-Junior Mike Lee who batted .330 as G sophomore, goes both ways at the plate. Here the second baseman converted to shortstop slams one ot his three hits against Arroyo Grande in the final game ot the Santa Maria tournament Lee batted .571 in the three game tourney series. -1 vf - .r-Y