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2016 CLASS OF INDUCTEES

BOB ABELN A hard-hitting catcher, he was

scouted by the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals. Invited
by the Cardinals, he attended a tryout camp at Busch Stadium.
Abeln was a four-year letterman on the Laboure High baseball
team with a batting average of .400 his senior year. He was
captain of his team and was named to the All-Conference team
twice. He received Honorable Mention on the All-Metro team.
In 1964, he was a catcher for the Gardenville-Affton
American Legion team that won the league championship and
finished second at the Missouri American Legion state tournament. In 1965, he played in a summer league at Forest Park and
Shaw Park. From 1966 to 1969, Abeln caught for Harris Teachers College. In 1969, he received the Most Valuable Player

Award after finishing the season with a .435 batting average. During those same years, he also
played for Kutis in the Heine Meine semi-pro league. His manager was Al Mick. Kutis won
the Carling Multi-State Semi-Pro tournament. In 1970 and 1971, Abeln was a catcher
for the Collegians in the St. Louis County League.
Abeln was a baseball coach for many years. From 1990 to 1994, he coached
in the CYC League for Queen of All Saints Church in Oakville. From 1995 to 1997, he
was a baseball coach for the Oakville Raiders. In 2013 and 2014, Abeln coached the
junior varsity team at DeSmet High School.

SCOTT BROWN A right-handed pitcher, Brown

played in the farm system of the Pittsburgh Pirates for two years.
Brown pitched for Vianney High School from 1981-84. He is
now the head baseball coach at Vianney. He has won 410 games
during his 23 years as head baseball coach for Vianney and CBC.
In 1985 and 1986, he was a pitcher for the University of Missouri
at Columbia. His coach was Gene McArtor. Brown pitched for
Belleville Area College in 1987, and Illinois State University in
1988 and 1989. He was a pitcher in the Central Illinois Collegiate
League for the Metro East Miners in 1985, and the Springfield Rifles in 1987 and 1988. He pitched in the CICL all-star game in
1988. From 1986 to 1992, he played for the Sauget Wizards in the
Mon-Clair League. He also coached the Wizards.
Brown has been the head baseball coach at Vianney
since 2011. During those five years, he has 130 wins and only 39
losses. He has won three district titles and two conference championships. His teams have made the Elite Eight every year at the
Missouri State Tournament, advancing twice to the Final Four. He
has the highest winning percentage of any coach in Vianney history. Before he came to Vianney, he
was the head baseball coach at CBC High School where he had 280 wins and 198 losses. He won 13
district titles and three conference championships. His teams made six Elite Eight appearances, advancing twice to the Final Four. In 1991, Brown was the assistant baseball coach when CBC finished
third at the Missouri State Tournament. He has the most wins of any coach in CBC history. In 2015,
he was inducted into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
Brown coached four years in the Metro Collegiate League with the Bandits and Dodgers.
The Dodgers won the NABF World Series in 2013 and 2015. He has worked at youth baseball camps
for almost 30 years. Brown was a high school and college umpire for over 12 years.
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JULIUS KEN COLLINS, JR. A righthanded, power hitting outfielder, pitcher and catcher,
Collins was scouted by a number of professional teams the
St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals when he was in
high school and college.
He began his baseball career in the Khoury League
as an outfielder, pitcher, and catcher for the St. Louis Hornets. He played for the Hornets from 1963 to 1967, and was
named to the Khoury League all-star team every year.
Collins hit five home runs in one game while playing for
the Hornets. From 1966 to 1970, he was an outfielder, infielder, and catcher for Sumner High School. He once
played all nine positions in a game. He had a composite
batting average of .386 during his four years on the Sumner
Bulldogs baseball team. In 1970, he was selected to the All-

City team and voted team captain. He was an outfielder for two seasons at Grambling State
University in Louisiana. He was selected to the Southwest Athletic Conference All-Freshman
team with a batting average of .333, and ten assists as an outfielder. Collins was an outfielder
and pitcher for two seasons with Harris Teachers College. He was the player-manager of the
St. Louis Blazers semi-pro team for eight seasons. He was named to the NBC all-star team
in 1976. In 1980, the Blazers were co-champions of the Heine Meine tournament, and
Collins was selected to the All-Tournament team. Collins coached baseball at the Wohl Community Center in North St. Louis. He umpired in various summer leagues when not playing.
In 1975, he was picked to umpire the Missouri-Illinois all-star game at Busch Stadium.

ORVILLE HOLLRAH A strong

right-handed pitcher, Hollrah was drafted by the
Philadelphia Phillies in 1965 while he was playing
for the University of Missouri at Columbia. In
1966, he graduated from Mizzou and was drafted
by the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago White Sox.
He played in the White Sox farm system from 1966
to 1968. In 1967, he pitched for the White Sox
farm team in Appleton, Wisconsin. He was named
the Most Valuable Player with eleven wins and
only two losses. His team won the Midwest
League championship.
Hollrah pitched for the University of Missouri at Columbia from 1962 to 1966. His team won the Big Eight championship
three consecutive years in 1963, 1964, and 1965. In 1964, his Mizzou team finished second at the College World Series in Omaha. The 1964 team was inducted
into the University of Missouri Hall of Fame.
In the late 1950s, Hollrah pitched for St. Charles High School. He sponsored and coached youth teams in the St. Louis area for seven years.
Inductees are listed in same order as seen on Page 2
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PAUL JAMES A powerful right-handed pitcher,

James was drafted five times by Major League teams. He played
in the farm system of the Texas Rangers from 1985-87. James
played for Francis Howell High from 1979 -82. In 2003, he was
inducted into the Francis Howell Viking Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1982 and 1983, he pitched for the Cottleville & Harvester
American Legion team. In 1983, his C&H team won the Missouri
American Legion championship, advancing to the American Legion World Series. He received the American Legion Most Outstanding Player Award. From 1982 to 1984, he pitched for the
C&H team in the Eastern Missouri Baseball Association. During
that same time, James was a pitcher on Ric Lessmann's nationally-ranked Meramec Community College team. In 1984 and
1985, James pitched for the University of Missouri - Columbia.
James was the starting pitcher in a game against the 1984 Gold
Medal USA Olympic team at Busch Stadium. He was the first
pitcher to ever face Mark McGwire at Busch Stadium. In 1989
and 1990, James was a pitcher for the Columbia Tigers in the Central Missouri Baseball Association. James has volunteered as coach, player development instructor,
administrator, committee and board member for youth baseball teams. He has been a volunteer at the
Cottleville & Harvester Athletic Association since 2003. He has been instrumental in the transformation
and improvement of the C&H ballpark. He is a former board member of the C&H Athletic Association.
He also served as treasurer and president. From 1996 to 2010, he was a volunteer pitching instructor
with the Francis Howell baseball program. In 1929, he started an independent baseball team named
the St. Louis Browns. He recently created a select youth baseball league at the C&H Athletic Association. He is presently a coach with the St. Louis Gamers amateur baseball team. In 2014, James was
inducted into the St. Charles County Amateur Sports Hall of Fame.
WILLIAM SHANKS Shanks, a right-handed
pitcher, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays and voted MVP in
the MIAA Conference in 1984. He received honorable mention
as an All-American. In 1983 and 1984, he was selected to the
MIAA Conference First Team as a pitcher and outfielder. In
1984, he was named to the All-Midwest Region First Team as an
outfielder, and Second Team as a pitcher. Shanks was awarded
a baseball scholarship to UMSL. He was voted captain of his
UMSL team in 1984. In November of 1984, he was chosen as
the Multiple Sclerosis Amateur Athlete of the Year for Baseball.
In 2012, Shanks was inducted into the UMSL Athletic Hall of
Fame. From 1976 -79, Shanks played for Sumner High. In
1979, he was named Amateur Baseball Player of the Year by the
Missouri State High School Activities Association. That year, he
pitched two shutouts in the Tournament of Champions. He had
17 strikeouts in one of the games. Shanks began his baseball career in 1970 in the Lou Brock League. He was a pitcher and third
baseman. He played in the Mathews-Dickey League from 1971

to 1978. He appeared in the all-star game every year. He was a pitcher, third baseman, and catcher for
the Red Sox from 1971 - 75. In 1972, he pitched an 11-0 perfect game. He was a pitcher and outfielder
for the Pirates in 1976 and 1977. In 1978, he was a pitcher, second baseman, and shortstop for the
Scorpions. In 1979, Shanks was a pitcher and outfielder for the Sumner-Beaumont American Legion
team. Shanks pitched for the Mathews-Dickey Knights in the Tandy League. He was also an outfielder.
From 1980 to 1982, he pitched and played outfield for the Emerson Electric Knights. Shanks pitched
for the Sotolar Pointers in 1983 and 1984. He was also an outfielder and infielder for the Pointers.
Shanks coached many teams including the Mathews-Dickey select RBI League team. In 2002, his
team won the Midwest Region championship, and took fifth place in the RBI National World Series at
Disney World. Shanks is presently the pitching coach of the St. Louis Bandits amateur baseball team.
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MARVIN THOMAS A right-handed

pitcher, outfielder, and first baseman, Thomas

starred for the University of Arkansas at Pine
Bluff in 1977 and 1978. In 1977, he was the
Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the
Year with a .471 batting average. He played for
Harris-Stowe State University in 1980 and
1981. He was named the Most Valuable Player
both years.
Thomas played for Vashon High School
from 1974 to 1977. He played for the St. Louis
Braves in 1977 and 1978, and the St. Louis
Blazers in 1979 and 1980.

He was a pitcher for the Mathews-Dickey Knights from 1980 to 1982.

With the Knights, he went the distance in the Tournament of Champions and
won. He also set a Knights pitching record of 21 strikeouts in 14 innings.
From 1982 to 1985, Thomas played on the East Side for the Brooklyn
Robins.
He was a baseball coach at the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club
for many years.

DAVID TRITZ He was a righthanded pitcher for Cottleville & Harvester in

the Eastern Missouri Baseball Association.
He played for Cottleville & Harvester from
1974 to 1993. He was on nine C&H teams
that won the league championship. In 1982,
Tritz was the Most Valuable Player in the
Eastern Missouri Baseball Association. He
appeared in eight EMBA all-star games. In
1980 and 1981, Tritz received the Fred Banze
Award presented by the C&H Athletic Association. In 1981, he had a record of 14 wins

and only two losses.

Tritz is a board member and past president of the C&H Athletic
Association.
He has coached American Legion baseball and little league baseball.
In 2010, Tritz was inducted into the St. Charles County Amateur
Sports Hall of Fame.
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STEVE VIEFHAUS He was a pitcher,

third baseman, and shortstop who was drafted by the
Montreal Expos in 1973 and the Detroit Tigers in 1974.
Viefhaus played in the Tigers farm system from 1974
to 1980. In 1978, he was added to the Tigers Major
League roster by manager Jim Leyland. Viefhaus began
his baseball career in 1965 with Ellisville in the Khoury
League. He played for Ellisville until 1970.
He was an infielder and pitcher for Lafayette
High School from 1971 to 1973. In 1972, Lafayette
won the Missouri State Tournament, and Viefhaus was

the winning pitcher in the championship game. The following year, he was named an AllState pitcher at Lafayette.
He was also selected to the All-Metro team as a third baseman. In 1972, Viefhaus
was a member of the Ballwin team that won the American Legion National Championship.
He also played for Ballwin in 1973 and 1974. In 1974, Viefhaus was a shortstop on the
Meramec Community College team that won the Junior College National Championship
in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was the Most Valuable Player of the JUCO tournament.
He also received the Best Defensive Player Award. He set a record for most home runs in
a JUCO tournament.
In 2007, he was selected to the JUCO Golden Anniversary team. In 1974,
Viefhaus was honored as the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Player of the Year. He was the
top amateur draft choice in the St. Louis area. From 2001 to 2006, Viefhaus managed
youth baseball teams in Ellisville and Ballwin.
ALVIN BUD YATES A hard-throwing,
right-handed pitcher, Bud played for the St. Louis University
Billikens from 1974 to 1978 where many of his stats still remain in the school's record book.
He ranks in the Top 20 among pitchers at St. Louis
University. He is fourth on the all-time list for total wins in
a season. He is fifth on the list for complete games pitched.
Yates had 139 career strikeouts while pitching for St. Louis
University.
Bud was scouted by a number of professional
teams during his playing days at Sumner High School from
1970 to 1974. His senior year, Yates pitched a perfect seven
inning game against McKinley High School.
From 1974 to 1978, he pitched in the Heine Meine
semi-pro league for the St. Louis Dodgers. Bud achieved

many awards during his career with the St. Louis Dodgers of the Cool Papa Bell League including leading the team to the Tournament of Champions title in 1977.
He was a pitcher for the Mathews-Dickey Knights from 1971 to 1973 and honored
by Mathews-Dickey as a Outstanding Alumni in 2007 for his accomplishments as a club
member and in the business world.
Yates pitched for the St. Louis Bees in 1969 and 1970. Yates pitched for the St.
Louis Blazers in 1973 and 1974.
He coached amateur baseball teams in the St. Louis area for a number of years.
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FRANK BURKHART He was the head baseball coach at Hazelwood West High School from 1974 to
1981. During that time, he had 91 wins and 49 losses. In
1978, his team finished third at the Missouri State Tournament. In 2013, he was inducted into the Hazelwood West
Hall of Fame. Burkhart was the assistant baseball coach at
Hazelwood High School in 1972 and 1973. He was the assistant baseball coach at Florissant Valley Community College in 1971.
In 1970, Burkhart was the head baseball coach at
Westran High School in Huntsville, Missouri. He attended
Westran High School from 1958 to 1961, and played third
base for the Westran Hornets. Burkhart was the assistant
baseball coach at McCluer High School in 1968 and 1969. From 1963 to 1965, he was a
third baseman for Moberly, Missouri in the Ban Johnson League. In 1964, he was named
the Most Valuable Player of the Ban Johnson League. In 1966 and 1967, Burkhart played
third base for Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, now called Truman State University. He was a third baseman in the St. Louis County League from 1968 to 1973. He
was on the Geisler-Jorgen team in 1968 and 1969. He was a player-manager for State
Farm from 1970 to 1973. He coached Khoury League and SLABA baseball for 15 years.
He is part owner of the Fieldhouse Training Center which offers baseball instruction to
young players. Burkhart has three sons who all played professional baseball. Morgan
Burkhart played in the Major Leagues for the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals.
Lance Burkhart and Damon Burkhart both played minor league baseball.

KEITH GUTTIN He has been the head baseball

coach at Missouri State University since 1983. During those 33
years, he has won 1138 games, ranking him among the top college
baseball coaches in the United States. Guttin is currently eleventh
in most career victories among active NCAA Division One baseball coaches. He has been a part of the MSU baseball program as
a player, assistant coach, and head coach for 38 of the program's
52 years. His 1138 career wins are the most recorded by any head
coach in the history of Missouri State University. In 2003, Guttin
led the Missouri State Bears to the NCAA Division One College
World Series in Omaha. In 2015, his MSU team won the regional
championship. Under Guttin, the Bears have won 61 percent of
their games, averaging over 34 victories a year, and racking up
nine 40-win seasons. The Bears have finished in the top half of
the conference race in all but three of Guttin's 33 seasons. He has
been named Conference Coach of the Year ten times. He was the
Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 1997 and 2003. During Guttin's tenure at Missouri State, he has coached 114 young men who
signed professional contracts, including five first-round draft picks, and fourteen players who advanced
to the Major Leagues. In 2015, Guttin was inducted into both the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and
the Springfield Area Hall of Fame. From 1970 to 1973, Guttin played second base for University City
High School. During the 1970s, he was also a second baseman for Truman State University, Mineral
Area Junior College, and Southwest Missouri State University which became Missouri State University.
He had two notable seasons as the Bears second baseman, earning all-conference honorable mention
in 1977 as the Bears made their first NCAA tournament appearance in seven years. In 1975 and 1976,
Guttin was a second baseman for Clark Funeral Home in the St. Louis County League. His team won
the Missouri NBC championship both years, advancing to the NBC World Series in Wichita.
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RANDY MARTZ An overpowering right-handed

pitcher, Martz was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1977 after being
named the Most Valuable College Player in the nation. That year,
he had 14 wins and no losses for the University of South Carolina.
His team advanced to the final game of the 1977 College World
Series, but lost to Arizona State by the score of 2-1. Martz was
named a First Team All-American. After playing several years in
the Cubs farm system, he made his Major League debut in 1980 at
the age of 24. He remained with the Cubs through the 1982 season.
In 1983, he pitched in the Major Leagues for the Chicago White
Sox under manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan.
Martz has been the head baseball coach at Lewis and Clark Community College since 1991. Jason Isringhausen was one of his
players in the early 1990s. In 1996, the Lewis and Clark Trailblazers won the Region 24 Tournament and the District Championship.
The Trailblazers finished third at the NJCAA national tournament

in Millington, Tennessee. In 1997, the Trailblazers won the Region 24 Tournament again, but fell one
game short of winning the District Championship. In 2012, Martz was inducted into the Lewis and
Clark Sports Hall of Fame.
From 1987 to 1990, he was the head baseball coach at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois.
Martz has been the pitching coach for the Gateway Grizzlies since 2007. He was the manager of the
River City Rascals from 2004 to 2006. He was the assistant coach of the Rascals from 2000 to 2003.
Martz grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and played baseball, basketball, and football for Upper
Dauphin High School. An outstanding quarterback, he received a football scholarship to the University
of South Carolina. He is a member of the Harrisburg Hall of Fame. In 2014, Martz was inducted into
the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.

FORREST MESSEL Messel was born in

Indiana in a small rural town where he grew up playing
baseball and basketball. He moved to the Dogtown
neighborhood of South St. Louis after serving in the
Army Air Corps during World War Two. He married
a St. Louis girl. Messel saw the need to get the youth
of Dogtown involved in sports. In 1946, he began
coaching baseball and basketball in Dogtown. He
started out as a CYC coach for St. James Catholic
Church. One year, he was voted CYC Coach of the
Year. In 1951, Messel founded the Congo's Boys Club,
which was based in Dogtown but included boys from
surrounding neighborhoods. It started out as a church
youth activity with a few teams and eventually grew
into an organization of over 12 teams per season, ranging in age from 7-year-olds to
adults. Messel primarily used his own financial resources to fund the teams. The
Memorial Congregational Church helped sponsor the Congo's Boys Club. Congo
is short for Congregational. Baseball teams that Messel coached won multiple league
and tournament championships, and seven Khoury League national championships.
Many boys from Dogtown grew up playing for the numerous Congo's teams in the
1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. In 1968, Messel received the Khoury League Meritorious
Service Award. In 1989, he was named the Honorary Mayor of Dogtown for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

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DAVE SCHEER Scheer was the head baseball

coach at Union High School for 25 years. His overall record
was 260 wins and 201 losses. During that time, the Union
Wildcats won four conference championships, four district
championships, two sectional titles, and made one trip to the
Final Four. In 1983, the Wildcats finished third at the Missouri State Tournament. Scheer was named the Missourian
Coach of the Year in 1992. In 2012, he was inducted into
the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
Many of the boys he coached at Union High School went
on to play college baseball, and one boy played professional
baseball. In 1980, Scheer was the assistant baseball coach
at East Central College in Union. He coached American Legion baseball in Union. From 1983 to 1994, he was the director of the a summer youth baseball clinic in Union. Scheer was a shortstop and first baseman who played for New Haven High School from 1971 to 1974. In 1974, he was named to
the All-State team. He played for East Central College from 1974 to 1976. He was a shortstop
for Missouri Western State University from 1977 to 1979. Scheer was a member of the Midwest Stars select team in 1975. From 1976 to 1983, he was a shortstop and first baseman for
the Washington Buds semi-pro team. Scheer is a charter member of the Missouri High School
Baseball Coaches Association. He served as president of that organization from 2009 to
2011. He is currently the All-State Chairman. From 2005 to 2008, Scheer was a vice president of the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association. He has served as a district
representative, clinic speaker coordinator, all-star game coach, and umpire.

MIKE SIGLER He was the head

baseball coach at Parkway Central High School
from 1977 to 2001. During that time, he won six
sectional championships, eight district championships, and seven conference championships.
Parkway Central finished second at the Missouri
State Tournament in both 1992 and 1993. The
Parkway Central Colts finished third at the Missouri State Tournament in 1983 and fourth in
1985. Sigler was selected seven times as Coach
of the Year. Fourteen of the boys he coached at
Parkway Central went on to play professional
baseball. Ninety boys played college baseball.
Sigler was the junior varsity baseball coach at Parkway Central in 1976, and
the assistant varsity baseball coach from 1973 to 1975. From 1982 to 2001,
he was the Athletic Director at Parkway Central High School. In 1994, Sigler
was inducted into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
He was on the United States Olympic Selection committee in 1983. From
2005 to 2012, Sigler was the head baseball coach at Maryville University.
Since 2012, he has been the Director of Player Development for the
Rawlings Tigers Baseball Club.
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EDWIN BIGGS GASAWAY He was a

dedicated and successful player, coach, and founder of
leagues in St. Louis.
In the 1970s, Gasaway left an indelible mark on
St. Louis amateur baseball. In 1976, he resurrected the
failing City American Legion program, giving players
from St. Louis city schools the opportunity to participate
in Legion Ball. In 1979, he founded and was the first
president of the St. Louis Metro Collegiate League. He
was also very successful as a manager, guiding the St.
Louis Brewers to the Metro Collegiate League championship. As a manager, he led both Clark Funeral Home
and the St. Louis Browns to the Missouri National Baseball Congress championship. The Browns finished in
fifth place at the NBC World Series in Wichita, defeating

both the Florida and California state champions. He spent a lifetime coaching baseball
at competitive levels.A good-hitting catcher, Gasaway played for Central Catholic High
School in East St. Louis. After his selection to the All-Metro football team, he declined
a football scholarship to Purdue University, and instead signed a professional baseball
contract with the New York Yankees.
He played two years in the Yankees farm system. He later played at St. Louis
University. After his graduation from law school, he played service ball for the United
States Air Force where he was a member of the Judge Advocate General's Office.

MICHAEL SEARS Sears is one of the

founding members of the St. Louis Amateur Baseball
Association. SLABA was organized in 1987 to offer
players maximum exposure to the toughest competition by affiliating with nationally recognized and sanctioned youth baseball programs. Sears has been the
Program Director of the Jefferson County Blazers
since 1992. Prior to that, he was a Blazers coach. The
SLABA Blazers program has provided hundreds of
young men the opportunity to play baseball at the collegiate and professional level. Blazer teams have won
numerous league titles and championships. Sears has
been a board member of SLABA since 1991. He has
also served as treasurer since 1991. He manages
SLABA's league-wide finances.

Sears is in charge of SLABA's tournaments, all-star games, and banquets.

Sears coached the Arnold American Legion team from 1983 to 1991. He was the
head varsity baseball coach at Fox High School from 1998 to 2001. He was the assistant varsity coach at Fox from 1992 to 1997, and the sophomore coach from 1980
to 1991. He was the Athletic Director at Fox High School from 2001 to 2007. A
left-handed first baseman, Sears played for Jennings High School from 1970 to 1974.
He played first base for Northeast Missouri State University from 1974 to 1978.
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