Baseball, softball teams benefit from expansion
James Moore, Joe’s son and the camp director.
Among the camp coaches will be Russ Grimm, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, and legendary former Pitt lineman Bill Fralic. Steelers line coach Mike Munchak, Kansas City Chiefs line coach Andy Heck and Buffalo Bills line coach Juan Castillo are also part of the camp staff. Some district high school coaches also are part of the staff.
“Think about it: We don’t pay them a dime to work the camp,” said James Moore. “They all fly in or drive in. We pay for their hotel room and to eat for the weekend. It’s all in honor of my father. He used to never ask for anything but give your best and loyalty. That’s what offensive linemen are about, working as a team. I know these guys like to come in and tell stories about each other and about my dad.”
Those interested in participating in the camp can go to www.olinecamp.com.
Hempfield for history?
Maybe it’s not grabbing headlines like it would in football or basketball. So you wonder if people fully realize the significance of what the Hempfield softball team is doing. It’s practically unheard of in its sport.
Hempfield will play for the WPIAL 6A championship next week. A victory will make the Spartans only the third team to win three consecutive WPIAL titles in the largest classification. Baldwin did it twice, winning four from 1993-96 and three from 1989-91. But Hempfield also has a 36game winning streak. The WPIAL record for the longest softball winning streak is unknown, but Hempfield’s has to be one of the longest. The Spartans are 22-0 this season and won their final 14 a year ago.
On top of that, star pitcher Morgan Ryan now has 68 wins in her career.
Penn Hills hires female AD
Earlier this week, Penn Hills hired Stephanie Strauss as athletic director. She replaces John Peterman, who resigned as AD and football coach to become the AD only at Kiski Area.
Strauss will be the fourth female athletic director at a school that plays either 6A or 5A football in the WPIAL. The others are North Hills’ Amy Scheuneman, Seneca Valley’s Heather Lewis and Chartiers Valley’s Angie Potthoff.
Strauss was a multi-sport standout at Penn Hills (2007 graduate) who was inducted into the Penn Hills Sports Hall of Fame last year. She spent the past three years as an assistant women’s volleyball coach at the Naval Academy.