In 1963 the Hilltoppers repeated as State Champions on the fourth straight trip to the State Tournament. The regular season was also a duplicate record. Again Elizabethton, Erwin, Greeneville, Morristown, and Unaka were twice victims, with two splits with Bristol and Kingsport. This record placed the J.C. boys in runner-up spot in the Big Seven Conference.
The District Tournament found the Toppers playing five games and winning each. Washington College surrendered in the first. Happy Valley, after a tough game lost 2-1; Boones Creek fell 18-3; Jonesboro 9-6; and University High was shelled 9-1 to give the Toppers the District Crown.
In the Regional Tournament in Kingsport, the Toppers, led by the fine pitching of Wayne Oxendine, easily defeated Sevierville 5-0. The crucial final game saw the Vikings of Bristol wage a hard-fought contest. Vikings pitcher Manney held the Toppers to 2 hits, but those timely hits by Steve Spurrier and Oxendine drove in three runs to give Johnson City the 4-2 victory.
East Ridge, the opponent, was overwhelmed by a score of 18-9. Christian Brothers College threw a fine well-balanced club against the Toppers in the second encounter. Down 6-2 in the top of the sixth, the Toppers rallied to score three in the bottom of the sixth, pushed across the tying run in the seventh, and Tom Hager scored in the eight to win the game. With a day's rest the finals found the same two teams battling it out. Aided by 5 errors, the Christian Brothers easily won the contest 12-3. This necessitated one final game to determine the State Champion. Choo Tipton's home run with one aboard in the second put the Toppers ahead to stay in the Championship game. The Toppers 37 hits in four games and Spurrier's two well pitched games feathered the Toppers march to the title.
1963 Roster
Head Coach: John Broyles Players: Steve Spurrier, Bob McCullough, Dave Foster, Jim Edgemon, Tom Hager, Wayne Oxendine, Jim Sanders, Jim Beckner, Tommy McCracken, Mike Moore, Joe Cowell, Bill Barker, Lenny Fortner (Manager), Larry "Choo" Tipton, Chub Bowman, Tom Berry, Jimmy Bennett, George Lowe