Dennis Werth’s no. 15 retired by
MPHS Baseball
Inaugural Alumni Baseball Game a huge hit
[May 12, 2025]
It was a double-header of a good day on Saturday in Mount
Pulaski as the Hilltoppers officially retired the baseball jersey
no. 15 that was once worn by MPHS Class of 1971 graduate and
baseball legend Dennis Werth.
That long overdue honor was followed by the Inaugural Alumni
Baseball Game in which there were plenty of hits, runs, walks,
strikeouts and aching bodies the next day. There were zero major
injuries thankfully as the Purple Team beat the Gold Team 12-1.
As the afternoon festivities got underway Saturday, Gale Clark
addressed the crowd with this speech:
“Thank you all for being here today for what is sure to be a
memorable and historic day. Alumni games are always a special
tradition - a time to reflect, reconnect, and celebrate the legacy
of Hilltopper athletics. But today, we gather for something even
more significant: to honor a true legend of Mount Pulaski, Mr.
Dennis Werth, and to retire his jersey, number 15 - the first such
honor in our school’s history.
Dennis Werth gets help from Hilltoppers coach Troy
Burgard in displaying the no 15 jersey. Werth's baseball number is
now retired, a first in MPHS history. Photo by Teena Lowery.
Dennis Werth graduated from Mount Pulaski High School in 1971, and
even then, it was clear he was destined for greatness. During his
high school years, Dennis was a standout athlete in every sense of
the word. His natural strength and competitive spirit showed up time
and again - never more clearly than during the 1969 regional
championship game.
In that tightly-contested matchup, Mount Pulaski faced Lincoln High
School at a place we knew then as “The Pond,” now called Frazier
Park. The game was locked in a scoreless tie going into the 7th
inning - nerves tight, pressure mounting, every pitch magnified.
That’s when Dennis stepped to the plate and did what legends do. He
blasted a home run, the only run of the entire game, and secured a
dramatic 1-0 victory for the Hilltoppers.
His teammate, John Jaggi, recalled it like this: “Let me tell you,
it was 0-0 in the 7th inning. Bob Mitchell was pitching and Werth
hits a home run to win the game. Werth had natural power and was
just really strong.” - Lincoln Daily News
That moment wasn’t just a win - it was a defining snapshot of who
Dennis Werth was as an athlete: clutch, powerful, and fearless. And
his excellence didn’t stop there. On the basketball court, he
averaged nearly 20 points per game as a senior and earned all-state
honorable mention. His work ethic, leadership, and competitive drive
made him one of the most respected athletes to ever wear a
Hilltopper uniform.
After high school, Dennis played American Legion baseball, where he
sharpened his skills and prepared for the next chapter of his
journey - one that would take him all the way to the Major Leagues.
He went on to play professional baseball, including time with the
New York Yankees, proving that a kid from Mount Pulaski could shine
on the biggest stage in sports.
But more than the stats or the headlines, Dennis has always
represented what it means to be a Hilltopper: pride, perseverance,
humility, and heart. His legacy continues to inspire
student-athletes today, reminding us all of what’s possible when
talent meets determination.
So today, with deep respect and admiration, we officially retire
Dennis Werth’s jersey, number 15. It will hang on the side of the
concession stand and in the main gym as a lasting tribute, not just
to a great athlete, but to a hometown hero whose story will live on
in Mount Pulaski forever.
Dennis, on behalf of the Mount Pulaski School District, the board of
trustees, our athletic department, and this entire community — thank
you. You've made us proud at every level, and today, we honor your
legacy the way it deserves to be honored.
Please join me in welcoming Dennis Werth as we retire his jersey.”
Werth was greeted with a round of applause as he walked from the
dugout to the field to shake hands with Mount Pulaski coach Troy
Burgard. Werth admired the framed jersey that will hang inside the
MPHS gym and the wooden replica of jersey no. 15 that will forever
be displayed at Veterans Park before posing for photos.
Dennis Werth poses with Kolin Gibbs after the
ceremonial first pitch. Photo by Teena Lowery
Werth’s next assignment was to throw out the ceremonial first pitch
to Hilltoppers catcher Kolin Gibbs. Werth also served as a coach of
the Purple Team along with Joel Washko and Nathan Fricke.
“I am honored to be here today and for that number to go up on the
wall, that means a lot to me,” said Werth, while watching the alumni
game from the dugout.
Reflecting on his time at MPHS, Werth said for him it was probably
good that the school didn’t offer football back then. Werth is a
competitive guy and he would’ve gone all out on the football field.
“I would’ve gotten hurt on the football field,” said Werth. “It was
a good thing I could play baseball in the fall, basketball in the
winter, baseball in the spring and again all summer. There were a
lot of at-bats between American Legion ball and high school
baseball. I had a lot of playing time and it was a great opportunity
for me.”
Harry “Bud” Manes was Werth’s high school baseball coach and the
legendary Ed Butkovich was his high school basketball coach.
“I don’t ever want to take anything away from those two guys because
they were fantastic, but the guy who had the most influence on me at
a younger age and who kept me on the straight and narrow was Bob
Gasaway. He was very knowledgeable and just a smart guy in all
respects. In the classroom and on the baseball field, he was just a
really wise guy. And he was a great fundamentalist guy."
Werth picked up more than just the fundamentals of playing baseball
and basketball from Gasaway. He also credits the junior high coach
for mentoring him, so much that Werth passed these things onto his
own son, Jayson.
“When I coached all those summer teams that Jayson was on I
emphasized to them all the time it’s not about winning. It’s about
doing all the little things right and then that winning will happen
by itself. You don’t even need to think about winning. All you have
to do is think about and work on fundamentals daily, whether it’s
hitting, throwing or catching.”
While sports fans near and far are familiar with the Werth family
and their decades of success in the sports world, Dennis still makes
his home in Central Illinois and has a new endeavor taking off
that’s not quite related to sports.
His latest venture has been a few years in the making and is finally
coming to light or is it dark?!
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Faithful to the Purple and Gold. The first Alumni Game was a
success! Photo by Teena Lowery.
“We have a new 72,000 square foot facility in Jacksonville that we
are going to grow cannabis in. We are utilizing 47,200 square foot
of it and we actually just put plants in the house in the past two
weeks. It’s been a two-year endeavor that’s about killed me,” Werth
laughed.
Werth anticipates the first harvest to be near the end of August or
the first of September and then it’ll just keep going, he said.
“Each room has 936 plants in it,” said Werth. “You gotta crawl
before you walk, you gotta walk before you run, you gotta run before
you sprint. So we’re off the crawl and we’re walking.”
Werth shares the pictures of the facility and talks with the
excitement of a new dad. After all, he is a stakeholder in this
cannabis plant and at 72 years old he shows no signs of slowing
down.
Werth does have a goal to eventually head to the Lake of the Ozarks,
but in the meantime he’s focused on the new cannabis product that
will be marketed as Wyvern and he’s supporting another cause close
to him and that’s horse racing.
His son, Jayson, of course went from MLB World Series champion to
horse racing owner. Dennis himself was sporting a hat with the
initials “MHRGA” when he arrived at Veterans Park Saturday.
“Make horse racing great again,” said Werth.
Werth acknowledged that it’s his son’s goal to make horse racing
more popular among everyone, not just the elite. So Dennis is
throwing his support behind horse racing, too.
Dornoch was a horse owned by Jayson that finished 10th in the
Kentucky Derby in 2024 and then went on to win the Belmont Stakes as
a 17-1 long shot. This year, Jayson Werth had ownership in Flying
Mohawk that ran the Kentucky Derby. The Werth family got to enjoy
the 2025 Kentucky Derby with Jayson. The pictures Dennis showed off
proved that everyone was having a good time and looked good, too.
As the interview with Werth came to an end, he emphasized how
impressed he was with the field the Hilltoppers currently play on.
“I wish we had had a great field like this to play on when I
played,” said Werth, admiring the facilities that had just undergone
an upgrade. “It’s awesome. It’s just a neat environment here.”
Werth also had a few final thoughts as the alumni game was winding
down in the heat of the day.
“I just have total appreciation for the wherewithal to make all this
happen for me. To be part of this community after all these years
and still call Mount Pulaski home, even though I live in
Springfield. I am totally humbled and honored to have this done.
This is a neat deal.”
Because some of the alumni would like to see their name in print
again, here’s a little wrap-up of the game:
There was a lot to keep track of in the alumni game, and the stats
could be argued, but it was for certain that Jackson Fricke put the
Purple guys up 2-0 early on a double. Andy Meister’s RBI hit kept
the Purple Team on top 3-1. One inning seemed to have a boatload of
walks and a number of runs scored. In another inning, Drew Houser
smashed a two-run single to add to the Purple Team’s lead. By now
the game was getting out of reach for the Gold, down 10-1. The only
thing these guys were going to be reaching for later was the Icy
Hot.
The Collier twins still looked like they could step into any
baseball lineup easily and they’ve been out of high school ten
years. Beau and Blake turned a double play in the field and ran the
base paths with speed. Blake cracked a two-run double to run the
score to 12-1, the final after the Gold Team said, “Let’s end it
after six innings.”
The pitching was just running out. The arms aren’t what they used to
be.
But the Purple Team did manage to talk Michael Lowery into taking
the mound. Lowery hit the first batter, per usual his record, and
then struck out a few, too. He settled into the lead-off spot in the
batting order, pretty good for a 6’3, 200 pound-something eating
machine. Lowery was relieved to get a couple hits and a walk but
struck out in the last at-bat swinging for the fences.
MVP and Class of 1968 ballplayer Jeff Martin with
his grandson, Drew. Photo by Teena Lowery
The MVP of the game went to Class of 1968 graduate Jeff Martin, who
was playing alongside grandson Drew Martin on the Purple Team. Jeff
hit the ball to short and after a slow retrieval by the shortstop
and a bad throw towards first, he legged his way to second base for
a double. No pinch runner for this guy! Although the current
Hilltoppers were in the dugout ready to run the bases for the old
guys if called upon.
Shoutout to the Gold Team for battling. Josh Blaum started on the
mound and maybe he got a little roughed up, but he’s hovering around
that 40 year mark. Chase Lowery spent a lot of years in catcher’s
gear and maybe his pop time isn’t what it used to be, but just to
get up and down repeatedly is a feat in itself and he caught for a
few innings. Chris Wilson made contact then hit the ground as he
tripped over first base. He got the uniform dirty but stayed in the
game. Gale Clark and Tim Milner coached the Gold Team. But the real
scene stealers of the day were the group of young ballplayers who
came to cheer on their summer coach, young Tim Milner. They
encouraged him from behind the backstop when he was up to bat and
they couldn’t wait to take the field themselves after the game was
over. The young kids brought the energy. Maybe the Gold Team could
illegally draft some of the little kids for their team next year.
At any rate, the guys appeared to be having a great time on the
field and in the dugout. The crowd enjoyed the entertainment on what
was an absolutely gorgeous day filled with sunshine and the smell of
grilled pork chops.
It was decided pretty quickly to keep this going next year. So the
event will go from inaugural to second annual thanks to the
organized efforts and enthusiasm of Hilltoppers head coach Troy
Burgard and his support staff at MPHS.
To borrow the signature catch-phrase of Cubs legend Ernie Banks, how
about next year, “Let’s Play Two!”
Start stretching early, boys!
Purple Team
Michael Lowery, Beau Collier, Brett Huff, Jackson Fricke, Drew
Houser, Matthew Amidon, Blake Collier,
Drew Martin, Nick Solomon, Ethan Payne, Jeff Martin, and Andy
Meister
Gold Team
Chris Wilson, Kody Letterle, Travis Moore, Josh Blaum, Brad
Deibert, Eric Cowan, Ben Fricke, Ian Schneider, Gavin Smith, Tyson
Durst, Mat Davis, Chase Lowery, Austin Killion, Seth Deibert, and
Tim Milner
[Teena Lowery]
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