Evening star., 1943-04-04
Games With Gonzaqa
St. AIbans Will Tune
Mines for Series
Vikings, Riders, Tigers,
Colts Not Yet Settled
On Regular Line-ups
BY GEORGE HUBER.

The first real line on prospects for
the high school baseball series-the
opener Is only nine days away on
April 13-will be given this week
when most OF the teams play their
f1rst games. Central's defending
champions already have been afield
once, losing by one run-not bad at
ALTO the George Washington in
tramural nine last Friday.
The other seven teams strictly
are an unknown quantity, however.
The coaches themselves still don't
know how they stand. They will
use this weeks shakedown games to
give them line on who will play
regularly and what starters I, Use
when the title goes on the line next
week.
Gonzaga and ST. Adams, both
promising mines, serve as tiff tests
this week for several series teams.
The Eagles meet Central on Tues
day and Roosevelt on Friday, while
the Saints engage Coolidge On
Wednesday and Wilson on Thurs
day.
More Pitching Troubles.
There are troubles at Coolidga and
Anacostia. Anacostia doesn't play
this week and will go against Gen.
tral in next weeks series opener
without preliminary test, but
Coach Tommy Nolan already knows
that lack of adequate pitching will
be serious handicap for the In
dians.
Coach Bob Masterson of Coolidge
also is singing the blues-and with
reason-about his pitching His
No. l hurler may be Buck Henry, a
youngster who is trying baseball at
Coolidge for the first time. He's a
big boy and the Colts in practice
have had trouble hitting his fast
ball. Bob Hosbline rates as fair, but
after these two, Masterson has little
in sight.
The team as whole figures to be
a good defensive outfit with rea-
sonably fair hitting.
Martin Is Colts Slugger.
Outhelder Dale Martin is the
Colts slugger and is set for regu-
lar post, as is Skip Koenig. Billy
Penn. earlier regarded as a certainty
in the outfleld, has been i'll recently,
and may be replaced by either Gene
Litteri or Lloyd Rapport, the latter
a newcomer who is good ball hawk
and promising hitter.
ole hot
for the third base post, with Sopho-
more Al Shore showing promise re-
Gently. He might beat out Jack
Clark who played there last year.
Another newcomer threatening
regular is Charles Kiesgen He's
after Paul Sickle's first base job
Kiesgen is little boy, but has ex-
ceptional reach for his size and
covers lot of ground He's a left
handler on the bag and at the plate
and has shown plenty of speed on
the paths.
All these boys will be given a test
against St. Albans on Wednesday,
and with regular berths hinging on
what showing they make agains,
the Saints. the Colts figure to put up
real battle.
Gonzaga, St. Adams Sturdy.
Coach Joe Kozik of Gonzaga has
several steady twirlers to try out
this week. Gil Lansdale. a really
tall boy and member of last years
team, probably is his best. The
Eagles are well stocked in most
other positions, too, especially in
the outfleld where three good slug
gers, Elmer Raba. Ronnie Waldron
and Jimmy O'Keefe, operate.
OKeefe is a 22O-pounder and gets
all that weight behind some of his
blasts.
st. Adams. too, is supplied with
veteran material, with Pitcher Jim
Trimble outstanding in good
mound corps. All Jimmy did last
season was throw tWo-no-hitters.
Earle Elliott and Cotton Smith are
other established hurlers, while
Coach Hubert Shaw has a new
conner, Steve Cromwell, who may
surprise. 1t makes a pretty good
quartet of hurlers to lead a team
which may be one of the best in
the city if it lives up to tie prom
lSe given In practice sessions.