The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 76

TJ24 The Pittsburgh Press Wednesday, April 29, 1992 Shaler baseball coach depends on youth in playoff bid rmemm XXX i i. a -r i i IV I i A vYVTX X. A A A) IKK team they are aware we are a solid baseball team and program. It gives them a little confidence." Matulevic said he looks for confident and tough players. "I want my guys to be hard-nosed and to believe in themselves," Matulevic said "I dont want them to pack it in if things go bad That is a Shaler-type kid" Junker exuded those qualities earlier this season, which is why he is in the lineup.

The Junker kid already has those ingredients," Matulevic said "In four years, they might not be able to get him out" Besides Junker, seniors Brad Stone, center field, Joe Mrazek, shortstop, and Tom Ross, catcher, have hit well. The pitching staff consists of Rojik, sophomores Joe Vesimone and Scott Boronwicz and juniors Doug Vida and Jav Petro. This has also been a learning season for Matulevic. "I'm pleased with this team, but we have a lot of work to do," he said "I'm not happy losing, but I'm realistic." He also doesnt want to give up on this season for the future, either. "I want the kids to be ready for the Seneca Valley game (yesterday) and center their attention there," he said.

"If things go our way, then we can look at the Butler game (today). But no matter what I guarantee this team will give its all (against Butler tomorrow). "We should be real good in the future, but being young and good this season doesn't guarantee a championship next season, especially not in this section. You have to continue to work." I I I -1 takes a titanic cut during a game against North the playoffs. A recipe, of course.

"We look for a certain type of Vizzoca, 7 other local girls part of star-gazing weekend By Ron Fr The Pittsburgh Press There is supposed to be a youth movement taking place with Shaler's baseball program, but it's difficult to notice much difference. The Titans are in the midst of the playoff drive in Section 5-AAA, a position Jerry Matulevic's team's have been accustomed to. The difference is in the lineup, -where there is a freshman third baseman, three seniors and a pitching "staff with no seniors. Matulevic had a few more seniors in the lineup at the beginning of the season, but the team was losing and not improving. He figured ne could do no worse with the young players.

He hasnt gone unrewarded baseman Brian Junker, who bats sixth, is hitting .403. Jeff Rqjik, a junior pitcher-first baseman, is hitting .382 in the cleanup Despite struggling early with a 1-3 record, he is the staffs ace with 26 strikeouts in 28 innings. Titans (7-6, 4-3) played an important game against Seneca Valley yesterday. A victory com-- bined with a loss by Butler to North Allegheny today, would put a playoff Ispot on the line against Butler Shaler has three section losses and Butler two. As far as Matulevic is concerned, this game isn't about which team wins and which loses.

He wants to players. He believes if his players use common sense and 100 percent, the victories will fall into place. Matulevic, who likes to point out 26 of his past players have signed to jjlay in the major leagues, said this Campus life lures Stuper to Yale By Steve Sybert Pittsburgh Press Butler native John Stuper, who vcoached baseball at Butler County Community College for 4V4 sea-sons, didn't stay away long from the "ampus setting he loves. And when he returns to college coaching in September, he'll be jgoing to one of the most prestigious I universities in the nation. Stuper, 34, recently was named baseball coach at Yale University.

He is in his second season as a -rminor-league pitching coach in the iSt: Louis Cardinals organization, -where he had his most success as a pitcher. 11 fell in love with the place," Stuper said of his first visit to the Yale campus in New Haven, Conn. "The people were fantastic to me. kids are something else. They are very intelligent, obviously, but they are fighting the stereotype that that's all they are.

They want to show they can play some baseball, too. "What I really missed was the college atmosphere, the kids and the contact with students. I missed "being the boss and coaching third base. I never dreamed I would get hired at an institution like Yale." Stuper will honor his commit- merit and stay with the Cardinals organization until Sept. 2.

He cur-rentty is the pitching coach for the Cardinals' Class A Florida State League team in St. Petersburg. He held the same post last season in Savannah, in the Class A South Atlantic League. Then it will be on to Yale, an Ivy League school that is the third 1 oldest college in the United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is known for -graduating many of the nation's statesmen, scholars and business leaders.

Fourteen Nobel Prize win-, ners have been associated with Yale. But Yale isn't all classrooms. One of those statesmen was a baseball player there, and George Bush (class of '48) a first base- man described as light hitting but slick fielding made it all the way to the White House. Another Yale graduate, Fay Vin- cent, is the commissioner of Major I League Baseball Professional ath- letes such as football's Calvin Hill I (Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins) and baseball's Ron Dar-l ling (New York Mets and currently With the Oakland Athletics) played at Vale, which has sent 126 athletes to the Olympic Games. wanted to go up there with an open mind," Stuper said "I'm sty-; mied by the attitude that there are no good athletic programs at Ivy League schools.

That's not true at Yale. Athletics are important there. I was impressed with the facilities." Although financial aid is avail-J able, Stuper will have no scholar- ships to offer prospective Yale players. education is what per-' suades them to go to Yale," he said. 1 "Yale competes for the same kids Stanford tries for." Yale Athletic Director Harold E.

Woodsum was impressed by Stu-; pier's college background, which impludes being the director of BCCC's satellite campus in Cranberry and teaching English part -A rxVx Shaler's Charles Martin season's young team has especially made him realize the importance of John Stuper hopes to find time. Stuper has a master's degree in English from Slippery Rock University. "I think we have made an excellent choice in John Stuper to head our baseball program," Woodsum said. "The search committee was particularly impressed by John's enthusiasm and his understanding of the appropriate role of athletics in the education process. We are excited about the future of baseball at Yale." Stuper, a 1975 graduate of Butler Area High School, compiled a 32-28 record in the majors.

He was drafted by the Pirates in June 1978 after successful stints at BCCC, where he was 25-3 and all-conference for two seasons, and Point Park College, where he was 9-0 with a 1.30 earned run average and an NAIA Ail-American. He led Point Park to the NAIA World Series in 1978. Traded to the St Louis organization in 1979, Stuper reached the majors in 1982, posting a 9-7 record In Game 6 of the 1982 World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cardinals won 13-1 behind Shiner's four-hitter to tie the series, and they went on to win Game 7. In 1983, Stuper's record was 12-11. He developed arm trouble and, after the 1984 season, the Cardinals traded Stuper to Cincinnati, where he spent one season (8-5 record) before being dealt to Montreal.

He was released by the Expos before the start of the 1986 season. That spring, Stuper took the coaching job at BCCC, where he posted a record of 92-68. "I appreciate Chuck Dunaway f'ving me my start as a coach after went there as a player," Stuper said of BCCC's athletic director. "And I modeled my coaching after Tom Beckett, my coach at community college. If not for them, I don't know where I'd be today.

I value them as friends and colleagues." Beckett is now assistant athletic rector at Stanford At Yale, Stuper will replace interim coach Don Brown, who will return to his full-time duties as defensive coordinator on the football team. Brown is filling in for Joe v. ki sWj ag-S t.a. Greg LanierThe Pittsburgh Press Allegheny player at Shaler," Matulevic said "When the kids come out for the "We're hoping for a turnout of 4,000 (for the Roundball Classic). We're doing things different this year to promote the game." Bob Gallagher North Allegheny's Lou Meyer, Oakland Catholic's Suzie McCon-nell-Serio and Cranberry's Jim Garland will coach the West North suburban girls who will play in the preliminary game are Shaler's Marcy Sergi and Stacie Cook, North Allegheny's Maureen O'Hare, Mount Alvernia's Anne Gallagher, North Catholic's Julie Antoszewski, Vincentian's Sally O'Donnell and Avonworth's Katie Elder.

All will play for the North team except Elder, who will play for the South. The players selected for the Western Pennsylvania teams were chosen from a tryout on April 11 at Pitt. Seventy-five seniors were evaluated by nine coaches. The coaches were selected based on their team's performance this season and on recommenda ModellODUVMT 25" or 26 rider with powerful 6 HP easy-start Five speeds; on-the-go shifting. Hi-Vac system for superior bagging.

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The current Yale team plays the kind of baseball Stuper loves. Last year, Yale set a school record for stolen bases, swiping 89 in 34 games en route to a 19-15 record. Stuper, who also patterned his coaching after his manager with the Cardinals, Whitey Herzog, promoted what he liked to call "intelligent recklessness" at BCCC. That style emphasized speed and defense. Year after year, BCCC set school records for runs and stolen bases, a trend that has continued under new Coach Tim Beck, who was an assistant under Stuper.

"We plan to hit-and-run, delay. steal, squeeze we're going to do it all," Stuper said of his plans for. Yale. He said there are three sophomores with speed currently playing the infield and that interim coach Brown "did a good job getting some pitchers in there. The cupboard isn't bare." The team that wins the Ivy League gets an automatic berth in the College World Series played in Omaha, Neb.

"My goal is not just to win the Ivy League," said Stuper, who was inducted into the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. "Ultimately, I want to go all the way to Omaha." Stuper, who with his wife, Kelly, has one daughter, has said he aspires to manage in the majors. Pirates General Manager Ted Simmons, who at the time was the Cardinals' director of player development, gave Stuper his job as a minor-league coach. Would Stuper like to work for Simmons again someday? "I really respect Ted He's been great But I never look that far ahead. I was told by some people that Yale could be the kind of place to retire "Right now I'm just looking forward to what I have to do at Yale.

I'm very excited to be going there." 1 Ill tions by their peers, according to organizers chairman Bob Gallagher. In the main game, the East team will feature Tina Nicholson of PIAA Class AAAA titlist Downingtown. Nicholson, a 5-3 guard, averaged 24.1 points. Nicholson and Calhoun of Penn Hills will attend Perm State. Both games will use college rules, with 20-minute halves and a 30-second clock.

There will be a three-point contest at halftime of the main game. Last year's Classic attracted 1,500 fans, but Gallagher is hopeful of a much better turnout Last year's games were played on a Sunday afternoon. "We're hoping for a turnout of 4,000. We're doing things different this year to promote the game. We have people positioned in different parts of the state to advertise it "I'm getting a lot more calls from people asking if they could help.

Last year, we didn't have a lot of time to put this together. A Friday evening event should draw better. I'm confident the attendance will be a lot better." More than 200 players will be honored at the banquet at noon Saturday. Edna Campbell, a former Allderdice High School and University of Texas standout will be inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame. Full-size, lightweight push mowet Powerful easy-start engine.

engine. Won't Cut It NORTH HILLS NORTH HILLS SALES SERVICE 947 PERRY HIGHWAY 364-1455 2ELIENOPLE BILL HARPER 154 SOUTH MAIN STREET 452-6370 Heavy-duty steel structural By Wayne Szwedko For The Pittsburgh Press The 1991-92 high school season is over, but girls' basketball fans will get a chance to see senior standouts perform again and be honored by the Western Pennsylvania Youth Basketball Club, with a weekend of festivities. The second annual Western Pennsylvania High School Girls' Roundball Classic will be held Friday at Pitt followed Saturday by the third annual Western Pennsylvania Girls' Hall of Fame Banquet at the Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel and Towers. The feature game of the Round-ball Classic will begin at 8 p.m. Friday at Fitzgerald Field House.

It will feature 14 of the best seniors from Western Pennsylvania against 12 from the eastern part of the state. The preliminary game will feature 26 seniors from Western Pennsylvania, split into two teams designated as North and South. Selected to play in the main game is Shaler's Lisa Vizzoca, a 6-1 center. She averaged 17.9 points and 8.0 rebounds this season. Vizzoca's inside play helped Shaler (22-6) share the Section 3-AAAA title with North Allegheny and advance to the quarterfinals of the WPIAL and to the second round of the PIAA playoffs.

Vizzoca finished as the Titans' career scoring leader with 1,554 points. She was selected to The Pittsburgh Press Finest Five Seniors and will attend St. Bonaven-ture. Vizzoca's teammates in the feature game will be Connellsville's Denise Gallo; Perm Hills' Kim Calhoun and Dayna Smith; Bethel Park's Casey Burke; Mt. Lebanon's Erin Butcher; Colleen Brady of Moon; Geibel's Shelley Bortz; Amy Hale of Montour, Washington's Elizabeth Proudfit; Altoona's Bridget Adams and Melissa Hauser; Mercyhurst Prep's Angela Potthoff and Grove City's Kristen Ferrucci.

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