Evening star., 1944-04-02
Contests This Week
May Throw Light;
Rain Is Bugaboo
BY GEORGE HUBER.

Opening of the high school base
ball championship race : only a
week and two days away-it starts
on Tuesday, April 11-but rain and
wet grounds have hampered work
outs to such an extert that few
coaches have been able to get real
lire on just how strong their mines
will be. Indications are, however,
that Eastern and Wilson, which
battled it out for the title last
spring with Eastern the eventual
winner, again will be numbered
among the good teams.
Practically any of the others can
step to the front, however, by solv-
ing problem heer and there.
Pitching is big element in high
school baseball, and few of the
teams have any experienced
moundsmen left from 1943, which
goes to make this practically any
body's year. A lot depends on which
teams come up with capable hurlers
L
Western, Bill P'unkett at Central,
Josh Dorsey and Stu Brown at Will
son. Nelson Barnett at Tech, Harry
Swisher at Anacostia and Charles
Glazes at Roosevelt are about the
only hurlers who gained expert
ence in 1943. They weren't exactly
world-beaters last year, but with the
improvement due to added expert
ence may be able to head their re-
spective stats this season in COM
mendable style.
Eastern Strong Afield.
Eastern, under Coach Woody
Smitherman, again figures to come
up with good fielding team, but
SO far the Ramblers haven't shown
themselves the really potent nit
ters they were while taking the title
last season. Gene Collins, who comes
from Maryland, may get the No. /
pitching assignment, and a num-
Der of fair tossers will be ready to
back him. The Ramblers have
tall, rangy group of outfielders in
Sam Dellinger, Buck Rinehard and
Jim Allen. Rest of the first team
may be Joe Artino, catcher; Harry
Hughes, second Sonny Settle, third,
and Bob Lamon, short, with first
base undecided. Artino and Lamon
are letter men.
Smitherman piloted the Ramblers
to the championship in his first
coaching assignment last spring and
followed by winning the basket ball
championship this winter. He re-
Gently was classified la in the
draft, but has hopes of winning
another baseball title before he goes
to war.
Willard Bristor, handling the Will
son nine this year, figures it an av-
erage club with fair pitching and
hitting which may go places if one
or two holes here and there can be
plugged. More will be known of
Wilson's chances after it plays pre-
series games this week against Epis-
copal on Wednesday and st. Albans
on Thursday.
Coolidge Plays Two Games.
Coolidge, with Bob Dwyer as its
new coach, also has two games this
week, meeting National Training
School tomorrow and Bethesda
Chevy Chase on Thursday. Good
pitching should be furnished byl
Buck Henry and Sam Bassinger and
the Colts also have right fancy
shortstop in Al Shaw. He owns a
strong throwing arm and is better
than average at the plate. Dwyer
still is searching for a catcher and
some outfielders.
Western also moves into the swim
this week with Thursdays tilt
against Westinghouse. The Red
Raiders have larger group of ex-
perienced players than most schools
and may be able to make it a hot
series. Brian Bell at first, George
Conway at second, Jim Popham at
third and Jim Bissitt give Coach
Cliff Moore a veteran infleld.