By Michael Peters
The Shippensburg Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is pleased to announce the Class of 2025. The inductees are Coach Ray Staver (Class of 1976), Dr. Katie (Finkey) Baum (Class of 2003), and Dr. Cary Hess (Class of 2013). These remarkable athletes and coach will be inducted during a ceremony at SASHS on September 5th at 5pm and recognized at halftime of the varsity football game versus Waynesboro later that evening.

Ray Staver
It’s not a stretch to say that no one has been associated with or more dedicated to Greyhound basketball than Ray Staver. Coach Staver began his basketball journey in Shippensburg as a player in the mid 1970’s and concluded his incredible coaching career at the end of the 2022 season. That’s nearly 50 years of commitment to one program.

After returning to Shippensburg to teach, he accepted his first coaching job as the 7th and 8th grade boys’ basketball coach at the former Shippensburg Junior High School in1981. He moved up the ladder to coach the high school junior varsity and eventually the varsity program. Coach Staver was on the Greyhound bench for 30 seasons, amassing an impressive 445 career wins, including 7 division titles, two District III runner-up finishes, and winning four games in the PIAA tournament.

Perhaps his best season as head coach was his final one in 2022. That year, the Greyhounds finished as Mid Penn Division Champs, District III Runner-Up, and advanced to the Elite 8 of the state tournament.

There are 10 boys’ names on the 1,000 point banner in the SASHS gym and Coach Staver guided 8 of those players. He now joins three of them as a member of the SASHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Among his long list of accolades, Coach Staver was named Public Opinion and Sentinel Coach of the Year multiple times. His teams were also known for their character both on and off the court, winning the Pat Dieter Sportsmanship Award and the PA Officials Sportsmanship Award. Coach Staver’s Greyhound Basketball Camps and Clinics were annual events where kids from all over the area sharpened their hardwood skills during the off-season.

Coach Staver was an invaluable teacher and coach during his 44-year employment with the Shippensburg School District, teaching thousands of students and guiding nearly 500 basketball players over his impressive career.

Dr. Katie (Finkey) Baum
Dr. Katie (Finkey) Baum graduated from SASHS in 2003, leaving behind a stellar career on the volleyball court and softball diamond.

As a volleyball player, she earned a varsity letter in each of her four years with the program. As an underclassman, Baum was named team MVP in 2000 and later named co-captain her senior year. In 2002, she was named to the Mid Penn All-Star team. While her accolades in volleyball are impressive, Baum is widely known as one of the most dominant pitchers in Greyhound softball history.

Katie’s career record on the mound was an impressive 46-7. She pitched 369 innings wearing the #4 Greyhound jersey, and she struck out 455 batters, an average of 114 K’s per season. While those numbers are staggering, the most impressive statistic for Baum is her minuscule ERA of 0.68. Of the 369 innings she pitched in high school, 332 of them were scoreless.

A three-time selection to the Mid Penn, Public Opinion, and Sentinel all-star teams, she was also named Sentinel Player of the Year in 2002 and 2003 and Public Opinion Player of the Year in 2003. Baum also made the Patriot-News Big 11 roster twice and was ranked #29 on the PA Coaches Association Top 40 Players in PA her senior year. She received the Mary Lehman Award in 2003, which is presented to the top female athlete at SASHS. Baum led her team to Mid Penn Division titles in each of her four seasons and led the Greyhounds to the District III title her senior year. Dr. Baum is employed as a teacher with the Chambersburg School District.

Cary Hess
Dr. Cary Hess was a three-sport athlete at SASHS as a member of the football, wrestling, and track and field teams. Hess earned multiple varsity letters in each sport and helped lead the boys’ track and field team to their first-ever Mid Penn Title as a qualifier in the shot put. Hess’s strength led him to success in both the discus and shot put, but he really excelled on the football field and wrestling mat.

While wrestling for the Greyhounds, Hess was a three-time Mid Penn and Public Opinion All Star, was twice named Shippensburg Wrestler of the Year, and was also a team captain. Hess saved his best year for last, earning medals at both Districts (4th) and States (7th) his senior year in 2013. When he graduated, Hess held the school record with 106 wins and a season record for pins with 22.

His strength and power were always on display on Friday nights as a lineman for the most successful class in Greyhound Football history. During his three years on the varsity team, Hess started in all 34 games, helping the team achieve 26 wins and a Mid Penn Colonial title. He was selected to play in the Pennsylvania East/West All Star Game and was named one of the top 100 players by the Patriot-News. Other awards include being named a Mid Penn Conference 1st Team All Star on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Hess was a winner of the Roy V. Mauer and Charlie Pague awards at SASHS and a finalist for the prestigious John Travers award.

His high level of play earned Cary a scholarship to play Division 1 football at Bucknell University where he played all four years as a Biology major. Hess was a semi-finalist for the Campbell Trophy, which is the Academic Heisman for Division 1 athletes. Dr. Hess is currently in residency at the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Hospital, and will be employed at Chambersburg Hospital following his residency.

With the 2025 induction, there are now 38 members of the SASHS Athletic Hall of Fame. If you would like to nominate a former SASHS athlete or coach for HOF consideration, please contact Ms. Sarah Fanus (SASHS Athletic Director) Sarah.fanus@ship.k12.pa.us. Athletes are eligible for HOF consideration 10 years after their graduation from SASHS. Nominations are due by March 1st of each year.