Saint Xavier High School Varsity Baseball Team

Baseball Through the Years

• In 1909 Coach Martin Musselman led Saint Xavier’s first team onto the field.
• James Hagan ’10 threw the first no-hitter in Tiger baseball history in 1910, a 3-1 victory over New Albany.
• Charles O’Laughlin ’15 hit two grand slam home runs in the same game in 1915.
• Saint Xavier’s home-game season passes sold for $1 in 1922, and the team won 20 games on the way to the city championship and a first non-sanctioned state title.
• In 1937 the Tigers won another title and finished the season a single loss away from perfection.
• The KHSAA sanctioned its first Baseball State Championship in 1940.
• A furious 7^th-inning rally carried the Tigers to a victory over the Male Bulldogs and earned them a trip to Lexington for the 1942 KHSAA state tournament. At the state tournament, “Fireman”Jack Barrett ’43 earned all three pitching victories as the Tigers captured their first KHSAA baseball title. Joe Mannel ’43hit .539 for the season.
• Eddie Martin took over as coach from Brother Firmin in 1945, and the Tigers earned another KHSAA crown. Ed Kinberger ’45 hit .667, leading the Tiger hitters at the state tournament. George Silliman ’47, Leo Meyer ’45, and Skip Baas ’46 each earned victories on the mound.
• Coach “Red” Hagan and his surprising Tigers captured the 1949 regional crown, advancing to Parkway Field for the state tournament. After the Tigers defeated Ashland in the first round, Jim McIntyre ’49 pitched a masterful no-hitter to carry them to the final game. Bob Haner ’49 blasted a long home run in the title game, and the Tigers defeated Madisonville to win the KHSAA championship for the third time in eight years.
• The Tigers knocked off Manual in the 1951 regional final to advance to the state tournament. When they beat Mayfield, Madisonville, and St. Joe in succession, they won their fourth championship in a 10-year span. The semifinal matchup with Madisonville was a 5-4 10-inning thriller.
• Frank Doninger ’69 fired consecutive no-hitters for Coach Leon Dunagan’s ’53 squad in 1969.
• The Tigers made back-to-back runs at the state title in 1972 and 1973. They completed the two seasons with a combined record of 57-6 under the direction of Coach Bill Glaser ’69. The ’72 squad finished 29-2 and advanced to the semifinal game, while the ’73 team was 28-4 after a frustrating 5-4 loss to Henry Clay in the championship game that began in a steady rain.
• Coach Al Burke ’68 led the Tigers to consecutive regional titles in 1975 and 1976.
• The first state title in 30 years was earned by outstanding pitching, solid defense, timely hitting, and great base running in 1981. The Tigers of Coach Dave Butler counted an incredible 11 shutouts among their wins, including four of their eight post-season games. Future Major League pitcher Jack Savage ’82 earned the victory in the final game.
• Coach Butler’s Tigers reached the 1986 final four and were led by St. X Hall of Famer Billy White ’86.
• The 30-win season in 1988 was a first for the Tiger Baseball team. The Tigers, under the direction of Coach Joe White, reached the final four for the second time in three seasons with a pitching staff that included future MLB^âAll-Star Paul Byrd ’88 and St. X Hall of Famer Tab Brown ’89.
• A new standard was established as the Tigers captured the 1993 regional title and won a record of 32 games.
• Future Major Leaguer Chris Burke ’98 completed a stellar high school career in 1998, and the Tigers went 33-2, earning the state’s top ranking before a tough loss in the regional tournament ended their championship dream.
• The 2006 Tigers won 16 of their final 18 games on their way to the KHSAA semifinals in what would be Coach Joe White’s final season at the helm of the program.
• In 2007 Project X brought the opening of Carl ’45 and Rosemary Mueller Field, the new home for Tiger Baseball. The Tigers defeated Meade County 10-0 in the first game played in the new facility.
• Ian Tompkins ’11 fired a no-hitter against Trinity in 2010 as the Tigers defeated the Rocks in their annual showdown at Slugger Field.
• In Coach John Jefferson’s ’85 final season, the Tigers advanced to the 2011 Final Four in Lexington. Matt Spalding ’11 was drafted by the Boston Red Sox.
• In 2012, Coach Andy Porta ’85 and the Tigers won 30 games and advanced to the state tournament for the second consecutive season. The pitching staff matched the 1981 squad by tossing 11 shutouts.
• Austin Clemons ’14 led the 2013 Tigers with a .510 batting average as they advanced to the state tournament by winning their third consecutive 7^thRegion crown and established a new record for wins in a season at 34.
• In 2014 the Tigers compiled a 30-10 record, won the 7^th Region for the fourth-straight year, and returned to Whitaker Bank Park for another shot at a state championship. In the tournament, Andrew McCormick ’14 led the 2014 Tigers to Saint Xavier’s sixth Baseball State Championship and earned the Most Valuable Player Award.
• The 2016 team complied a 29-12 record and won the tough 7^th Region championship to advance to the state tournament. Led by seniors Adam Elliott, Daniel Fischer, Dalton Dedas, Nick Nelson, Brian O’Neil and Sam Porta, the Tigers captured their second state championship in three years and seventh overall – the most in Kentucky history.
• Connor Holden ’17 pitched a three-hit shutout in the 2016 championship game and was named to the All-Tournament team with Daniel Fisher ’16 and Adam Elliott ’16. Elliott was named tournament Most Valuable Player. Head Coach Andy Porta was named Kentucky Baseball Coach of the Year by USA Today High School Sports.
• In 2018 the Tiger Baseball program spent most of the year ranked number one in the state. It ended the season with a program-best 37-2 record and its third state title in the past five years. Ryan Nicholson ’19 was named the state tournament Most Valuable Player. St. X fared well in a variety of 2018 National Baseball Rankings. The Tigers finished 3^rd in the Max Preps Composite ranking and 10^th in the Baseball America ranking.
• The 2019 Tigers went 26-6 in the regular season, and won the 26th District Championship before falling in the 7th Region Championship.
• The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The 2021 Tigers finished the season 28-11, defeated Male in the 26th District Championship, and advanced to the 7th Region Championship before falling in a 3-2 heartbreaker. Senior Sam Thompson was named 2nd team all-state by the KHSBCA and senior OF/P Parker Guillaume was named all-region by the coaches. Trey Sweeney '18 is selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the New York Yankees.
• The Tigers run-ruled Trinity in the 2022 7th Region Championship game, 11-0 in 5 innings, advancing to the state championship tournament. Senior catcher Jake Bennett was named the 7th Region Player of the Year, and was also named a 1st team all-state selection by the KHSBCA, after hitting 14 HR's and leading the state in RBI's with 67. Connor Holden '17 signs with the Detroit Tigers.
• The Tigers defeated Russell Co. in the 2022 KHSAA State Championship game, 11-1, to claim the 9th state title in program history. Junior 3B Cooper Smith was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, after hitting .571, and becoming the first player in KHSAA history to record at least three triples in a single state tournament (4). Senior C Jake Bennett and senior pitcher Ben Tedesco were also named to the all-tournament team.
• The Tigers finished the 2023 season with a 31-9 overall record, collecting a 26th District Championship and advancing to the Region 7 championship game. Saint Xavier became the first Kentucky high school baseball ever selected to play in the prestigious USA Baseball National High School Invitational Tournament in Cary, NC. Cooper Smith and Jake Gregor were named First Team-All State while Landon Akers made the Honorable Mention list.