Archive for August, 2011

Most men hate shaving. Marc Kanetsky showed up for camp with more than a full beard and has been getting double takes from everyone who has not seen him since last season.  Kanetsky, a senior from Hubbard, is standing out more than ever and has even gotten some black dye involved to add somewhat of an exclamation point.

“I started growing it out earlier in the Summer and it was coming in pretty good”, commented Kanetsky.  “I was talking to my brother who encouraged me that no matter what I did, not to shave it off.  As it was growing out, I figured I might as well dye it black, like Brian Wilson the baseball player.  I think it came out pretty good.  I’m not a Giants fan though, I remain a Tribe fan.”

Kanetsky, who is good friends with starter Kurt Hess and backup Patrick Angle, said he is preparing for the upcoming season.  ” I know Kurt is the guy, but I am going to be prepared every week in the event that I am called upon.  I am dying to get a chance, I have been waiting for three years to get in there and prove that I can play.”

Kanetsky’s father, Marty, commented on his sons facial hair experimentation.  “It’s a mans beard and I couldn’t grow one like that.  I tried, but I quit.  When he dyed it black, I thought it was awesome. Now what he has to do is dye the other half red and by the Michigan State game, he has a chance to be the lead-in for Sportscenter.”

Kanetsky is a 3.9 student attending YSU on academic scholarships that cover his housing and his books, he plays football because of a burning desire to compete and a sheer love of the game.

Youngstown State University hit the field for the first time in full pads on Wednesday.  With so many guys dressed and so few positions to be awarded, everyone was trying to make a good impression.  There was a definitive twinkle in Eric Wolford‘s eyes as guys were going all out on both sides of the ball and the word ‘competition’ was given extra significance.

In a seven-on-seven skeleton passing drill, Will Shaw had running back coverage from his linebacker post.  The running back, Jamaine Cook, got a step on Shaw.  To avoid giving up a touchdown, Shaw grabbed Cook to prevent a catch, which was obvious and blatant interference.  A little pushing and shoving ensued and the two would eventually be separated.  Shaw and Cook are teammates from last season and will surely work out their differences putting the team goals in front of personal gains at a practice.

Several more high intensity skirmishes broke out throughout practice.  Is this a bad thing?  Not if the Penguins can keep it on the field and understand that a unified team is a dangerous force to be reckoned with.  If anything, it was good.  Nobody was hurt and it gets everybody’s blood flowing.  Football is a full-contact sport and every single play is a car wreck.

“Some guys are combine guys and look good running around in shorts, but when you put the pads on, you find out who the real men are“, commented Coach Eric Wolford.  “I have a lot of confidence in these guys and I know that this is very important to them.  There is a lot of competition.  These guys compete just to get in the food line. They are competing for attention right now, and that is a good thing.  Some guys think it isn’t cool to ask the coaches questions, but not this group, they are competing for our attention.”

The defense looks much improved from last season and one of the returners from a year ago, DJ Moss, talked about the improvements so far.  “Last year we didn’t have as much depth and we were adjusting all year.  We understand the defense now, we are ready to hit.  We are getting into the swing of things and we understand the full spectrum of the defense.  Last year at this time we knew we were slanting to the A gap and that a linebacker was filling.  This year we understand where everyone is and who has what responsibilities.”

The Penguins open scrimmage play this Saturday at 9:45 on the shiny new turf of the Ice Castle.  The scrimmage is open to the public.

Dannie Williams, who trains in Youngstown, will be fighting Friday, August 12, on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.  Williams (18-1, 14 KO’s) will face Antonio Cervantes (16-5-5)  in the nationally televised event.

There was concern that Williams injured his hand last time out and would not be able to fight with such short prep time.  Jack Loew, who trains Williams at Youngstown’s Southside Boxing Club addressed the hand issue.  “Dannie’s hand is fine.  He has been training very hard for this fight and we want to make a good showing on ESPN.”

In Williams’ last fight, a decision he won against Oscar Cuero in Youngstown, Williams struggled in the third to fifth rounds because his braided hair was laying in his eyes.  “We will cut his hair off between rounds this fight”, commented Loew.  “I will stop blacktopping driveways and learn how to be a barber real quick if that happens again.”

Before the Cuero fight, Williams said he was ready to take the next step and needed to get some television exposure.  ESPN Friday Night Fights is some good exposure.  If he wants to keep rising up in the rankings, he will have to perform better than he did against Cuero.  Currently, Williams is ranked ninth best in the United States (of 190 fighters) in the power rankings for lightweights according to Boxrec.com.

Lights Out Productions, a locally-run company, is unveiling a boxing card called “Destruction On The Diamond” this Saturday at Cene Park.  Jake Giuriceo will headline the card as he takes on Ramesis Gil in the main event.

Giuriceo was unsure who he would be fighting until Sunday when Gil was named his opponent.  Mike Cefalde and company have scoured the talent pool in finding a good foe for Giuriceo, who returned from California late Saturday night.

Giuriceo (12-0) has been working with Frank Duarte on the West Coast.  “It’s good that Jake is getting some work with Frank [Duarte]”, echoed Cefalde.  “He is sparring some of the best competition in the world while he is there and Frank is really working hard to sharpen him up.”

Gil, who is a Dominican fighting out of Puerto Rico is 6-2-4.  His only two losses came to a fighter who was 17-0 and a 12-round decision loss to an opponent with a record of 12-0.  He beat a fighter with a 7-1 record last time out with a first round barrage to earn a quality knockout over a quality opponent.

A co-feature on the card, pits popular Cleveland  native Miguel “Silky Smooth” Gonzalez (18-2, 4 KO’s) against Tyrone Harris (24-7).  These two light welterweights should have quite a battle.  Cefalde hinted that Gonzalez will bring quite a following from Cleveland and said landing him for this particular card was huge.

Chris Koval, of Austintown, gets back into the ring after 14 months of inactivity.  Koval returns in much better condition, down about 75 pounds, for his fight against James Porter.  Koval comes in with a record of 24-7 with 18 KO’s.

Besides the Koval – Porter heavyweight battle, there are two more matches scheduled for the big boys.  Nicolai Firtha squares off against Ross Thompson in a six-round match.  Jasson Massie will step in to face Mujaheed Moore in a four-round heavyweight fight.

Aaron Dufour and Paul Parker will meet in a light heavyweight match.

Also set to compete on the card are light middleweight, Dante Moore, and Nicole Woods, a female lightweight (not against each other).

Tickets are $15 for bleacher seats, $25 for general admission, and $50 for ringside.  You can get tickets at Patsy’s, Crickets, Dona Vito’s, and the Wine Cellar.

For more information, contact Mike Cefalde at (330) 787-4228.

The Youngstown Phantoms take great pride in announcing that Head Coach Curtis Carr has accepted an assistant coaching position with the Warriors of Merrimack College. Merrimack competes in Hockey East with the likes of Boston College, Boston University and the University of Maine.

The Phantoms and the BJ Alan Corporation continue to pride themselves on both the development of their players and their coaching professionals that have called Youngstown home. For the Phantoms, this summer has been one for the memories as Scott Mayfield was drafted into the National Hockey League, the organization’s first ever NHL selection, 34^th over by the New York Islanders, seven players attended NHL rookie developmental camps and now the organization will proudly watch as Curtis Carr becomes the first Phantoms coach to coach NCAA Division-I hockey.

“The promotion of our head coach continues to validate the program that we continue to build here in Youngstown,” said BJ Alan President and CEO Bruce J. Zoldan. “Curtis is a solid character coach and he exemplifies what we and the other members of our organization look for in both our players and coaches. We have been proud to have a person like Curtis acting as a role model for the players that we continue to develop in our system.”

Carr was named the head coach and general manager of the Phantoms on April 2, 2010 after spending the previous four seasons as an assistant coach within the organization. As a coach in the Phantoms system, Carr assembled a coaching record of 170-100-20 after 290 games behind the bench. Carr and the Phantoms also found post season success as they made three National Championship appearances in the North American Hockey League (2006, 2007 and 2008). Carr also found success on the college recruiting trail as 90 players under his guidance have gone on to play collegiate hockey.

“My time here in Youngstown has been outstanding,” said Carr. “I am very grateful to have worked for the Zoldan family and the entire Phantoms organization. I also want to thank Bob Mainhardt for giving me the opportunity to work as an assistant coach underneath him in both the North American Hockey League and the United States Hockey League. I was very fortunate to move into the USHL and receive the promotion to head coach in such a prominent league. For me and my family we felt like this was the right time to move on and pursue my goal of coaching Division-I hockey.”

The Phantoms now former head coach will be headed to a Merrimack program that saw great success during the 2010-11 season. Not only did the Warriors finish the season ranked tenth in the nation, they put together a 25 win season, a new Division-I school record, reached the final game of the Hockey East postseason tournament for the first time in school history and Merrimack clinched a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998. Ranking second in Hockey East in goals, goals against and power play, Merrimack defeated every Hockey East team for the second straight season and second time ever and was ranked nationally for the final seventeen weeks of the season, reaching #4 nationally in February. The Warriors finished the season ranked tenth by both United States College Hockey Online and USA Today. Adding to the success the Warriors have seen on the ice, this past season, ten Merrimack players were named to the Hockey East All-Academic team, while the program as a whole was named a finalist for the top GPA among all Merrimack male programs.

“I am very thankful and I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to join the Merrimack program,” said Carr. ”Coach [Mark] Dennehy has done a great job over the past seven seasons and Glen Stewart has done a phenomenal job scouting the right players for their program. I am looking forward to learning from both of them as I further my coaching career.”

Congratulations are in order for some of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.  Four of the Cleveland Indians prospects have been named to the New York-Penn League All-Star Team.  Shortstop Tony Wolters and 3B Jordan Smith (above) join speedy Bryson Myles on the offensive side of things. Danny Jimenez was picked as a pitcher to give the Scrappers nice representation in a star-studded field of talent.

Tony Wolters is batting a shade above .300 and posted a big five-hit game against Staten Island on August 3.  He also has scored 36 runs, driven in 15, and has successfully stolen 15 bases.  The 5’10” Californian is enjoying the ride and will continue to push himself to improve.

Jordan Smith had an 18-game home hitting streak broken recently but has amassed quality statistics thus far in 2011.  As a Scrapper, Smith is hitting .327 and has knocked in 34.  Smith seems to be clutch and has a nose for winning and it is a contagious feeling in the Scrappers clubhouse right now.  He has played some outfield but gets the lion’s share of the plays at third base.

Bryson Myles has recently been battling his hamstring problems.  Myles holds a .294 batting average, but really knows how to be disruptive when he reaches base.  Myles has eleven stolen bases in just 109 at-bats.  He has good power, is always working on his bunting skills, and is getting better in the field as the year goes on.

Danny Jimenez has a 1-3 record, but his ERA is only 3.00 in seven starts for Mahoning Valley.  Given a chance on a spot start, Jimenez has posted a gaudy k/bb ratio of 33/15 and has recently transitioned from a bullpen guy to a staple in Coach Greg Hibbard‘s rotation.

Congratulations to all four Scrappers who were awarded the positions.

Hey NYPL, can you say Jake Lowery?

The Youngstown State Athletic Ticket Office is holding a one-day sale for current YSU students on Wednesday, August 10, who wish to purchase a ticket to the Penguins season opener at Michigan State on Sept. 2 in East Lansing. The ticket office opens at 9 a.m. on Wednesday and will sell tickets throughout the day until 5 p.m.

Those YSU student’s who wish to purchase a ticket need to bring a valid student ID to the YSU Athletic Ticket Office on Wednesday. Each ticket is $55, which includes a processing fee. It is a great opportunity to see YSU’s first-ever trip to Michigan State. The Spartans, who were Big Ten Conference champions in 2010, are coached by former Penguins assistant coach Mark Dantonio.

For more information contact the YSU Athletic Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978.

Season-ticket prices for the 2011 campaign are $84 for reserved seats and $60 for general admission. Individual game ticket prices for the season are $16 for reserved and $12 for general admission. Reserved seats are in sections two through six on the west stands and 14-18 in the east stands. General admission seats are located in sections 1 and 7 of the west stands.

Fans will be encouraged to purchase game tickets in advance. The cost for all reserved and general-admission tickets on gameday will increase by $2. Individual game tickets are on sale now.

The best seats in the stadium are in the chairback sections in three, four and five at midfield. The only way to purchase chairback seats is through membership in the YSU Penguin Club. Chairback seat availability starts at the $200 Royal Level of the Penguin Club. Penguin Club Memberships are available for as little as $75 and will allow fans to purchase tickets for the Michigan State game.

The 2011 home schedule will feature six hard-hitting games, with non-conference matchups against Valparaiso and Saint Francis (Pa.) and conference tilts versus Illinois State, South Dakota State, Western Illinois and Missouri State.

For Penguin Club information call  (330) 941-2351.

Just one night after a defensive collapse, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers regrouped and took care of business with a 5-3 win over the Auburn Doubledays.  The win pulls the Scrappers into a first place tie with the Doubledays in the Pinckney Division with identical records of 29-20.  Rob Nixon threw six good innings and the bullpen worked hard to keep Auburn at bay.

The game was delayed an hour by rain, and a good crowd of 2,000 plus stuck around to watch the Scrappers battle back to claim victory.  This was the second game of the two-game series.  Auburn won last nights game with the assistance of seven Scrappers errors.

Coach David Wallace said after that game that his players were probably embarrassed by their performance and that he probably would not address the problem.  Saturday’s result being much different, Wallace claimed afterwards that he stuck to his original plan.  “It took care of itself.  I was paying attention to how the guys would react today and how they were coming into the clubhouse, and just as I expected, they moved on, and that was evident in the way they played tonight.”

Nixon (above) threw six strong innings for the Scrappers for his fifth win, putting him in a tie for the most wins in the league.  He is a great location pitcher, sort of a Greg Maddux-type who will not overpower hitters, but locates his pitches and lets his defense do the work.  Drew Rucinski started the seventh and pitched two scoreless innings of relief.  Enosil Tejeda came in to start the ninth and slammed the door for his team-leading seventh save as he struck out all three Doubledays batters he faced with some dominant pitching, a big change in contrast from Nixon.

“He didn’t have his best stuff tonight, but he battled through it”, said Wallace of Nixon’s performance.  “He used the defense tonight.  A lot of guys nibble and nibble and get walks.  He was not afraid to challenge guys and trusted his defense, and that is how he got through six innings and picked up the win.”

Auburn tallied the first run on a Matt Skole RBI single that drove home leadoff hitter Caleb Ramsey.  Mahoning Valley went ahead 2-1 in the bottom half of the first inning.  With two outs, Jake Lowery and Jordan Smith were issued back-to-back walks.  Red-hot Todd Hankins (top photo) then tripled in both Scrappers base runners with a gapper to right-center.  Hankins would trot home a couple of pitches later on a wild pitch from Doubledays starter, Nathan Karns, who took the loss.  Auburn cut the lead to 3-2 in the second when Justin Miller tripled and would later score on a Billy Burns sac fly.

In the third, the Scrappers reclaimed the two-run lead to go ahead 4-2.  Tony Wolters, who had the rare “feat” of being hit in each foot during two separate at-bats scored on a Jordan Smith (above) single.  Auburn again cut the lead to 1 with a run in the fifth.  Mahoning Valley again responded in the bottom of the fifth when they closed out the scoring, forging ahead, 5-3.  It was a duplication of their last run as Wolters was hit in the other foot and Smith drove one through for his second RBI.

These two teams will both be on their respective buses headed to Auburn for about five hours.  ETA is set for about 5 a.m. and they will face off for two more in Auburn on Sunday and Monday to decide which team will walk away in first place.

Cleveland Indians fans, meet Tony Wolters.  He is a shortstop who is doing it with, both, the glove and the bat for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.  Wolters missed time last season due to injury after being selected by the Indians in the third round of the 2010 Draft.  So far in 2011, he has not disappointed.  Hustle and dedication are two intangibles that cannot be taught.  Wolters runs out every ball, no matter how routine of a play it looks like.  He is a quiet guy with a big smile who signs plenty of autographs for the fans after home games.  Learn the name, he is Cleveland’s shortstop of the future.

Paneech: Growing up in California, were you a Padres, Dodgers, Giants, or Angels fan?

Wolters: I was a Padre fan.  We use to constantly go to the games when they used to play at Qualcom Park.  My dad would always get tickets in the outfield right on the edge, those were his favorites.  The first player I was always watching was Tony Gwynn.  I try to pattern myself after him from a hitting standpoint.  My dad always tells me a 180-foot hit will get you there, keep doing those.  So Gwynn was my idol.  I was amazed with Khalil Greene at shortstop because he made some special plays and I tried to mock him and even went as far as wearing my pants the way he did, and I grew my hair out because he had long hair.  I liked Mark Loretta a lot too while he was there.  Once they moved to Petco, we started going there too.  I actually got to play at Petco for the Afflac game, it was an awesome and great experience for me.

Paneech: When you are here in Niles, Ohio, there is about a six foot radius around the mall with some nice restaurants but no beach, no Disney, no mountains.  There isn’t really as much to do, does that free your mind to think baseball?

Wolters: I love the game of baseball and feel truly lucky to play every day.  If I strike out, I get mad, but then I think myself down that I am so, so lucky to be doing what I am doing on a day-to-day basis.  Baseball was my first sport, I also played hockey, and very little, but some soccer.  Hockey was my first sport and then I fell in love with baseball.  It came easy, but as I progress it gets harder.  I have to get in the right mindset everyday and find my swing.  I love the challenge and feel like over the next few years, I want to develop into the best possible player that I can become.

Paneech: Coach Wallace and others before him say that this is a developmental league and the wins are nice but winning and losing are outweighed by progress of individual players.  What are your feelings on winning versus going 0-5 in a win?

Wolters: All of the players on this team want to win.  A lot of it is development, as far as learning how to be a winner at this level.  When we lose, nobody should have a smile on their face and be goofing around.  We want to win.  We want to get to the playoffs and win the whole thing.  We see it as getting better everyday, and secondly, winning as a team.

Paneech: You are in the 2011 Bowman Baseball Card Set.  How do you get into that process and are there other contracts for you?

Wolters: It all goes through my agent, and I really don’t know all of the aspects of it.  Every year you have a card that comes out at some level.  At extended Spring training, I took about five hours to autograph the cards of myself as part of the agreement.  (** Bowman Baseball inserted autographs into packs randomly in 2011.  There are 500 Wolters Autos, plus 150 Blue, and 50 Gold randomly inserted in the whole print run**).  The other contracts, I can’t really talk about right now.

Paneech: Last year you were injured and missed a lot of time.  What was going through your mind when you were drafted by the Indians?

Wolters: I was at breakfast and missed school that day.  I wasn’t expecting a call or anything and was kind of sad.  My dad looks at his phone and says ‘hey, you just got drafted by the Cleveland Indians’.  I was like ‘really?’  Right after that, I got a call from the scout.  I was really not expecting the Indians to pick me.  Ironically, I played for a team called the Indians when I was in Little League, and my father just happened to be wearing his old Indians shirt.  The Cleveland Indians were like the only team in the majors that I didn’t talk to much before the draft.  It was kind of a boring Summer.  I did go play for Team USA in 2010.  When I first got to Arizona, I was so excited, and I am loving it right now.

Paneech: What is it like playing for Coach Wallace and Coach Mansolino?

Wolters: It is awesome.  They both know so much about baseball.  I have learned so much physically, as well as, mentally.  I am working hard on my mental side and they are guiding me through it.  CoachWallace always comes to me and drops pointers of things that I need to work on.  Coach Manso has done good things for my hitting.  We butt heads sometimes, but that is how you learn.  They haven’t coached much, but I feel like they have.

Paneech: Sometimes when you bat, you lay the bat across the box (above), is it alignment or superstition?

Wolters: I am measuring how far I am from the plate.  If I don’t see where I step in, I do it.  I am very superstitious.  If I have a bad game, I can’t wear the same sliders, and I have to wear different socks, different things on my wrists, or rearrange the order of what is on my wrists.  I have to go out earlier to change the rhythm.  I do everything different until the right combination of things work, and if they work, I stick with them.  If they don’t then I change things some more.

Paneech: So if you go five-for-five tonight, what time do I have to come back and interview you tomorrow?

Wolters: (laughs) You are totally obligated to do that.

** Wolters went 5-6, and was 5-5 until his last at-bat the day of this game.

One Word Answers

Favorite Meal of The Day: Dinner.

Favorite Thing To Drink: Always Water.

Favorite TV Show: ESPN Sportscenter.

Favorite College Football Team: USC.

Favorite Baseball Team Still The Padres? I can’t say that (laughs).

Musical Preference: Starting to like Country.

Song on Your ipod That People Would Be Surprised By: Baby by Justin Bieber.

Best Friend On The Team: Jake Lowery.

Favorite Candy: Sour Patch Kids.

Fast Food Order: Chipotle, Chicken Burrito with rice, no beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and medium salsa.

Favorite Cartoon Character: Tasmanian Devil.

** Top Photo Courtesy of Jesse Piecuch.

Turnover is usually a bad word in the game of football.  It signifies a loss of control and being on defense preventing points instead of having the ball and trying to score.  Youngstown State University Head Coach Eric Wolford has some major turnover issues to the tune of 46 new faces to learn.  In this case, turnover creates competition, and in this case, turnover is good.  Wolford kicked off football with a media press conference this week.

Wolford spoke highly of two transfers from Miami.  Redshirt freshman LB Travis Williams and redshirt freshman CB Devont’a Davis both came to YSU from a storied Hurricane program.  “Some of these kids transfer out because they get close to the coaches that recruit him”, remarked Wolford.  “We have a standard here, winning championships, that we plan on getting back to.  I don’t care where a guy is from, we have guys from many states, if he can help this football team win, follow the rules, and uphold the standards of the program he can play for us.”

Five of the 46 incoming players participated in Spring practice. With this influx of new talent, combined with the 36 new faces from last season, Wolford only has 23 players left from the Jon Heacock Era.  Wolford talked about what having a full year of recruiting does.  “Last season, I was hired in December and was very picky about picking a coaching staff.  There was not as much time spent as we were able to use this full year of recruiting.  We had camps that had over 900 campers, it is like test driving a car before you buy one.“

When asked if being picked to finish eighth in the conference this season would be used as motivation, Wolford was careful in saying, “I made the mistake last year of saying that we were better than we were picked.  Our guys will be motivated enough.”

Wolford credited Kurt Hess, Jamaine Cook, and Andrew Radakovich for taking steps this Summer to be leaders.  “Those guys have taken complete ownership of the team.  When a bunch of players in the program tell you, Wow, coach… ‘So-and-so can really play’, or the team doctor tells you that ‘we haven’t seen a guy like this around here, ever’.  And when someone else tells you that some of these guys don’t belong here, those are all good signs. When a whole bunch of people give you feedback like that, it makes you feel good.”

With only 29 practices until the Penguins venture North to take on Michigan State, the excitement is obvious, and the buzz is back.