Friday, May 18, 2012
Manager blends baseball with a taste for fine wines
Lake Erie Crushers manager John Massarelli meets the normal expectations for a minor-league guy, a natural lover of baseball and competition in general, but a man who has a few more worldly nuances than the stereotypes of his profession would indicate. The Crushers open their season tonight against the Schaumburg Boomers beginning at 7 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. at All Pro Freight Stadium. As a brief background, Massarelli led the Crushers to a Frontier League championship in 2009. Massarelli, a catcher and outfielder at the University of Akron who played 10 seasons in the minors – including five at the Class AAA level – is 158-128 over the past three seasons. OK, most of that is normal for a minor-league manager, but his hobbies pull him …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Avon's Short continues run in last season as Westlake coach
Westlake baseball coach Jeff Short has a good sense of humor, but he’s not a fool. For a second – and a very brief one at that – he contemplated what it might be like to change his mind and continue his 23-year coaching career after announcing his retirement a few weeks ago. Demon senior pitcher Kevin Neumann’s four-hit shutout win over Avon, 1-0, put him in the regional semifinals for the first time in 13 years and set his mind adrift on Wednesday. What if? Hmmm. Then another thought came to him. “Is my wife behind me?” Short joked. Well, no, she wasn’t, but Julie Short and Jason, the Avon couple’s 18-month old son, were certainly foremost in his thoughts. Despite the uplifting win at the Lorain Pipe Yard, Short has no intention of …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Pitcher leads Avon to second-straight district final
As you might expect, Avon junior pitcher Matt Wentz is pretty handy on a grass field, and evidently that extends to his parents’ lawn. While he’s quite the man on the mound, Wentz played the role of dutiful son and helped his mom do some mulching this past Mother’s Day. Perhaps all that time in the grass helped him reflect and then dominate Amherst Steele in a 7-2 district semifinal win Tuesday at the Lorain Pipe Yard. The Eagles (24-3) will face Westlake (21-6) for a trip to the regionals in a 5 p.m. tilt today at the Lorain Pipe Yard. Westlake defeated Midview, 4-2, in a later semifinal. Wentz, who yielded a mere three hits, raised his season’s overall record to 8-0. Before the game, his ERA was an impressive 1.45. After leading his team…
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Lake Erie Crushers opening at All Pro Freight Stadium on Friday
Play ball! The Avon based Lake Erie Crushers are ready for the May 18 season opener at the 5,000-seat All Pro Freight Stadium. The stadium lights, one of which fell last winter, have been repaired and are operable. The team has been practicing since spring training started and the marketing department has announced the team’s first promotion. The “We Win-You Win” promotion marks the first time the organization will host an opening day special. If the Crushers can beat their opponents, the Schaumburg Boomers, every fan in attendance will be able to use their ticket as a voucher for another home game during the 2012 season. The vouchers will be good for any home box seat that is available for any remaining regular season game, except for the…
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Thursday, May 10, 2012
Eagles look to overcome late-season stumbles for greater playoff glory
Avon baseball’s top playoff seeding has them ruling the roost these days, but recent events may have ruffled the Eagles' feathers a little, perhaps making them wonder where they really stand. Are they the team that opened the season with 18 straight victories or the one that’s stumbled to a 3-3 record in its last six games? Avon coach Frank DeSmit knows he and his gang better figure it out quick as the Eagles (21-3, 10-2 West Shore Conference) face Olmsted Falls in their Division I sectional opener today at 4:30 p.m. Avon, ranked fifth in the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association’s poll, moved up to Division I this season after a Division II district final loss to Holy Name, 6-5, last season. After Avon defeated Mayfield, 5-3, on …
Douglas has a chance to play in 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
Avon running back Ross Douglas was nominated to play in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl to be held Jan. 5 in the annual East vs. West match-up at 1 p.m. Last year, the game was held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Of the 400 nominees, 90 will be selected and invited to the bowl. Those nominees will take part in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Tour in September. Final player selections, along with All-American Marching Band musicians, will be announced throughout the fall, with the selection tour ending in early December. Douglas helped lead the Eagles to the Division II state title game last season and earned third team Associated Press All-Ohio honors. Douglas, who scored 15 touchdowns and ran for more than 1,000 …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Annual event features Lake Erie Crushers
Community Resources Services (CRS), a local non-profit agency dedicated to meeting the social service needs of the Avon and Avon Lake communities will host the 4th Annual “Homeruns for Hunger” event on Thursday, June 28 at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon. The Lake Erie Crushers take on the River City Rascals at 7:05 pm. By purchasing your ticket vouchers through CRS you are supporting its food pantry and other emergency assistance programs which directly assist Avon and Avon Lake residents. Ticket vouchers are $9 each and for every voucher sold, the Crushers will donate $3 to CRS. Visit www.aalcrs.org to print off the order form or for instructions on how to pay for your tickets with a credit card. Ticket vouchers can be redeemed for …
Lee might be squeamish about how tall he is but not his game
So let’s gets right to the long and the short of it. After a post-game sprint through the All-Pro Freight Stadium outfield, Avon right-handed pitcher and infielder Nick Lee made the startling claim that he stands at 5-foot-11. Met with a skeptical eye, Lee quickly changed his tune with a sheepish look: “Maybe 5-10.” Senior teammate Anders Mahon attempted to pull the same stunt a few weeks ago, with a healthy amount of teasing from his buddies, of course. Nonetheless, despite a few recent hiccups, the Eagles (21-3) have secured the top seed in the Division I, Lorain bracket heading into the playoffs that begins for them Thursday. Senior Lee has been a big part of that happening, especially on the mound. Lee is 6-1 on the season with a 1.54 …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Lady Eagles will play Avon Lake on Tuesday
Young son changes long-time coach's perspective on life
Westlake baseball coach Jeff Short has a new boss. He’s not very tall, sleeps infrequently, doesn’t speak much English and let’s out quite a wail when he’s hungry – Short’s 18-month old son, Jason, is calling all the shots these days. And if a cute, bubbly little face can’t convince a man to put aside a 23-year coaching career at the high school, what can, right? Short has decided this season would be his last coaching the Demons, and he leaves behind a legacy the school and his son can enjoy with great pride. “He kind of puts a lot of things in perspective. I’ve coached my whole life. I’ve been blessed to have that opportunity to do it at Westlake. And when you do it for 23 years, it takes a lot out of you. I think I got to that point …
Colleen K
4:50 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Nick Lee, I can't believe that you are a Senior!! Congrats on your success in baseball and good luck at Ohio State. You will do well in whatever you do. I am so proud of you! :o) Mrs. Karasevic more ›