The El Dorado Elks Semi-Pro Baseball Team won the NBC State Championship played at Lawrence Stadium, Wichita, Kansas in August of 1950. The team also played four games in the national tournament in Wichita. El Dorado was undefeated in the State going into the final game and was opposed by the Topeka Decker Oilers. El Dorado lost the first game by a score of 6-4 but came back in the second game to beat Topeka by a score of 8-5. The game didn't end until 1:45 A.M. an there was an estimated crown of 7,000 in attendance with 2,500 from Butler County. Ray Uniak hit a home run in the fifth inning that led to the victory. The El Dorado Elks was the first team from Butler County to win the State Semi-Pro Tournament. The El Dorado Team was voted the most popular team in the tournament and Smokey Joe Mallot was voted the leading pitcher in the tournament. In addition, Mallot, Homer Smotherman, Jim Griffin, Jack Picket and Ray Uniak were named to the All-State Team. The team's record was 37 wins and 10 loses for the season.
Homer Smotherman, Paul Baker, Lee Beran, Bill Paine, Joe Mallot, Maurice Ketchum, Ray Uniak, Jim Griffin and Carl Lemon all played professional baseball in the Minor Leagues.
Players added to the team for the National Tournament in Wichita are: Jim Morris (Pitcher), Justin Brown (Pitcher), Cliff Haywood (2B), Don Kirkwood (SS), Andy Teter (LF)
State Tournament Results | ||
---|---|---|
Elks vs. K.C. Cole Drugs | W | 6-3 |
Elks vs. Wichita Roskam | W | 3-0 |
Elks vs. K.C Catholic Club | W | 10-1 |
Elks vs. Augusta Merchants | W | 10-3 |
Elks vs. Coffeville | W | 11-4 |
Elks vs. Topeka Decker Oilers | W | 7-6 |
Elks vs. Wichita Boeing Bombers | W | 6-2 |
Elks vs. Topeka Decker Oilers | W | 4-3 |
Elks vs. Topeka Decker Oilers | W | 8-5 |