Three historical Winget titles for Bartlesville fans to remember

Following is a look at three Glen Winget Memorial tournaments for Bartlesville Doenges Ford Indian fans to remember.

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2003 WINGET

In what was perhaps baseball in its purest expression of transcendence, the Indians relied on both heart and Hartman to win their Winget opener, 2-0, against the Olathe North Eagles.

Hartman's two-run dinger provided all the difference in the first-ever Winget victory for John Pannell as the Indians' rookie head coach.

Olathe North pitcher Aaron Hicks was as smooth as frosty soda pop pouring down a dry throat, while Indians' starter Blake Yearout threw four shutout innings before he came out -- allowing only four hits and no walks. Ryan Rogers finished up on the bump for the Indians and completed the zero-sum classic.

Neither team made an error.

Next up in the tourney, the Indians ripped the team from Bolivar (Mo.), 9-3. Kolby Williams and Bryan Kayser each crushed a three-run homer for the Indians. With that dinger, Kayser made team history as the first player to hit double-digit homers in separate seasons.

Brett Mize earned the pitching win (5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K). Jeff Oliver and Brett Venamon both threw an inning of relief.

The Indians finished unbeaten in pool play by knocking off Emporia (Kan.), 10-2. Scott Eslicker and Brian Reeves both launched triples to fuel Bartlesville's attack.

Williams led off the third with a double to key a two-run rally that helped the Indians put Emporia away. Hartman later lashed a two-run circuit clout.

Ben Rovenstine collected the pitching win.

The win secured the Indians a semifinal spot. They made the most of it by outplaying Blue Valley (Kan.) West, 4-0.

Hartman again starred on offense by smacking three hits, including an early homer.

Aaron Upshaw delivered a sacrifice fly.

Yearout pitched the distance, snapping off the five-hit shutout, with one walk and three K's. That upped his streak of scoreless innings thrown to 11.

The Indians had made it to the championship game -- which, as it turned out, would be anti-climatic with a 12-2 dissection of the Ft. Smith (Ark.) Kerwins.

Indian nine-hole hitter Jeff Burro rapped two singles, scored one and drove in a run. Kayser contributed a solo homer and a RBI double.

Justin Waltman added a a hit and two RBIs.

Bartlesville pitcher Rogers depended on guts to overcome rust in his complete-game (five innings) grit-fest. While his control wasn't at his pinpoint best (three walks), he allowed only three hits. Reeves was on the receiving end of his sandpaper special, in which he kept scraping away until filing the edge off the Ft. Smith offense.

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1998 WINGET

Thanks to Jon Lindblom's dominating essence on the mound, the Indians dehorned Elk City, 7-2, in the final.

Lindblom ended the game with a dramatic twist -- getting the final batter to swing at a fast ball for the final strike of the final out of the game.

On the receiving end of Lindblom's hurling heroics was catcher Bobby Brown, who would throw out two would-be base thieves. Eric Rolfs administered the tag on one of the plays.

Third baseman Drew Phillips made another jaw-dropping defensive play that sucked the life out of Elk City like a vampire blood bank. Phillips -- who would play a season of rookie ball in the Cincinnati Reds organization -- also produced two hits on offense.

The Indians scored first when Ralph White drove home Rolfs, who had doubled. Justin Fowler hammered a two-out, two-strike, two-run single in the bottom of the sixth. Fowler finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs on offense in this final.

Fowler also had pitched masterfully in a 7-5 pool win against Fort Smith.

Elk City made an impressive tourney showing after having finished last in the previous two Winget tourneys.

The eight teams in this tourney included the Indians, Elk City, Fort Smith Coca-Cola, Springfield (Mo.) Hillcrest, Lawrence (Kan.) Raiders, Parkview Sonic Express, Ponca City Royals, Enid Argonne Post 4 and the Springfield (Mo.) Parkview.

The Winget title made manager Stan Walton the winningest coach in team history in the event with five titles, breaking a tie with Al Solenberger. The Indians also reached their 30th season win in the tournament, making that 31-straight years the team had won at least 30 games.

Some other 1998 Winget tourney facts: Drew Phillips hit .600 (9-for-15) during the tournament to lead the team and tied with Justin Fowler for the high in doubles (three)…. Despite pitching one game, Fowler hit .500 (7-for-14) in the tournament and drove in seven runs…. Radebaugh led the team with six walks as opposing pitchers chose to pitch around him. He tied Phillips for the team lead by getting to base nine times during the tourney…. Ralph White had a big all-around offensive tournament by hitting .467 (7-for-15) with four RBIs, a .500 on-base percentage and by leading the team in stolen bases (4-for-4)…. Jacky Manning was the next-most prolific base thief, stealing 2-for-2.

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1960 WINGET

This would be the Indians' first Winget tourney title -- although back then manager Glenn Winget was still alive and the event was called the July Fourth Baseball Tournament. Winget would die -- at age 42 -- a year later of acute leukemia and the tourney eventually renamed in his honor.

Bartlesville opened the '60 tourney by losing to Joplin, 11-4.

To stay alive, the Indians then beat Dewey in the second round.

Next up, the Indians crushed Springfield, 11-2. Bill Lunsford tossed a nine-hitter and Clark Halderson pounded a triple and two singles to star for Bartlesville.

Threatened with elimination, the Indians stopped Stillwater, 7-6. Dave Trotter and Bill Turner split pitching time for Bartlesville.

Jim Carey ripped a single and a triple and plated three runs.

The Indians then faced Oklahoma City in the final. Durand Lugar responded with a three-hit shutout to propel the Indians to the crown.

Halderson sparked the winning rally, doubling to the center field wall and scoring on Carey's single. Trotter walloped a two-run double in the fourth inning to plate Lugar and Don Reinhardt.

Some other Indian players in 1960 included Bill Dutcher, Paul Chesnut, Mike Vaclaw, Delton Cheek, Tommy Thompson, Bob Cook, Bob Woody, Jim Spalding, Harold Winget, Mike Hewitt, Stan Ogle, Pat Kane, Holcomb, Dave Neptune, Eddie Clark and Jim Legg.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Three historical Winget titles for Bartlesville fans to remember