Members of the Topeka Decker Oilers semi-pro baseball team are shown in this photo from 1956. Individuals standing in the top row include (l to r): pitcher Junior Coffman; pitcher Ed Wilson; unidentified; unidentified; unidentified; pitcher Gene Shrorer; pitcher/infielder Harland Coffman; third baseman Don Kirkwood; and, first baseman Harlan Mowbray. Kneeling in front are (l to r): catcher Fritz Brown; pitcher Justin Brown; manager Vern Coffman; Paul Packer; second baseman Vern Buschbom; unidentified; left fielder Ed Coffman; and, pitcher Burt Coffman. During the late 1940s and 1950s, the Decker Oiler team was a perennial contender for the state semi-pro title, competing each year in the state tournament held in Wichita. The team won the state championship in 1948, placed second three consecutive years (1950-1952), and finished third in 1955 and 1957. Digital reproduction of the photograph was accomplished through a joint project sponsored by the Kansas Historical Society and the Shawnee County Baseball Hall of Fame.