Doenges Toyota Indians open tonight in wichita, kan.
Bartlesville Indians Jaxon Zaun makes a play at second base during last season. The Indians open their season tonight in Wichita, Kan. A schedule (subject to change) is at the end of the article.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
May 27, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
(Note: KWON radio (AM-1400, FM-93.3) is planning on broadcasting every Bartlesville Doenges Toyota Indians game this season. Video coverage also is planned on KWONTV.com)
Although the sponsor name will be different for the first time in approximately 85 seasons, the tradition of gritty excitement and pleasant summer evenings at Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium will be the same this summer for the Doenges Toyota Indians baseball team.
The Indians — who are certified with American Legion — are playing a hybrid schedule consisting of American Legion, non-American Legion and college-aged teams.
Their current menu of action includes approximately 50 games, although that could increase or decrease depending on weather, late additions/drops and how they fare in tournaments.
Season passes are available — through Indian players — for $50. Each pass will admit two adults to home games and children are admitted free.
Since 1940 or 1941 the team’s title sponsor had been Doenges Ford. But last fall the long-time Doenges Ford dealership in Bartlesville sold its franchise.
That has resulted in Doenges Toyota becoming the Indians’ name sponsor.
The Indians’ 2025 season is scheduled to launch tonight with a road doubleheader in Wichita, Kan.
Bartlesville’s home opener is scheduled for Friday, with the opening pitch set for 4 p.m., against the Kansas Curve.
John Pannell returns for his 14th season overall as the Indians’ manager/head coach.
He has assembled a 21-man roster that represents nine different high schools (Bartlesville, Dewey, Wesleyan Christian, Copan, Nowata, Pawhuska, Glenpool, Whister, and Caney, Kan.), and six different college teams.
“It seems to be a bunch of great kids,” Pannell said. “I think we’re loaded defensively … and we’ve got a ton of pitching.”
He’s also looking for the older players, especially those who spent last season in a college program, to help mentor the younger players.
Seven of the players are from the high school class of 2024. Four graduated this year. The other 10 represent the classes of 2026, 2027 and 2028.
Following is a breakdown of the roster, with positions obviously always subject to change.
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Bartlesville Indians Grant Clark pitches during last season. The Indians open their season tonight in Wichita, Kan. A schedule (subject to change) is at the end of the article.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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PITCHERS
Brenden Asher (Bartlesville, 2024, Oral Roberts)
Grant Clark (Bartlesville, 2024, College of the Ozarks)
Owen Dum (Bartlesville, 2027)
Lathe Griggs (Dewey, 2026)
Zane Griggs (Dewey, 2024)
Sam Marcella (Bartlesville, 2026)
Hunter Shea (Bartlesville, 2025)
Bryce Sickler (Dewey, 2024, Redlands College)
Benton Spillman (Caney, Kan.,2028)
Zane Stricklin (Copan, 2027)
Justin Swart (Bartlesville, 2025)
Kaiden Williams (Pawhuska, 2028)
Eli Winters (Glenpool, 2025)
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CATCHERS
Byrce Luelf (Bartlesville, 2027)
Zane Stricklin
Tucker Wooten (Whister, 2024, Carl Albert)
Jaxon Zaun (Bartlesville, 2025)
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INFIELDERS
Brenden Asher
Grant Clark
Owen Dum
Brett Eaves (Bartlesville, 2024, Carl Albert)
Bryce Luelf
Sam Marcella
Adrian O’Dell (Nowata, 2027)
Kael Siemers (Wesleyan Christian, 2024, Ozark Christian)
Eli Winters
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OUTFIELDERS
Liam Buchanan (Bartlesville, 2026)
Lathe Griggs
Eddie Rice (Dewey, 2026)
Hunter Shea
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UTILITY
Jaxon Zaun
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TRADITION
This is the 90th season of American Legion-based summer baseball in Bartlesville, played each of those years at Doenges Stadium.
The stadium itself is a vibrant historic facility that has been open since the early 1930s. Baseball immortals such as Satchel Paige and Mickey Mantle both played inside the stadium, as well as several other future pro athletes.
It used to double as the local high school football stadium and has housed many different types of sports and non-sports activities.
In addition to being home for summer baseball, the stadium is the home field for Bartlesville High School baseball games and hosts several Oklahoma Wesleyan University baseball games each spring.
It has survived a direct tornado hit in the late 1980s and major flooding in 1986 and 2007.
Doenges Stadium also has hosted two American Legion World Series tournaments (2003, 2007).
Pannell has been indirectly and directly associated with the Indians since his boyhood days — as a hero worshipper, bat boy, player, assistant coach, head coach, tournament director and back to head coach in 2020.
