While Jeff Schaly doesn't coach baseball on the college level, he is associated with a team, which just recently claimed the NCAA Division II championship.
This past Saturday, Lynn University edged Emporia (Ks.) State 2-1 to win its first national title for the baseball program.
The Fighting Knights finished the season 46-16 overall.
"It was a great ride," said the 41-year-old Schaly in a Sunday e-mail.
At Lynn University, located in Boca Raton, Fla., Schaly is the assistant athletic director. He's also the school's compliance director, and oversees the athletic facilities, game-day operations, sports info and the hall of fame.
In the Mid-Ohio Valley, the surname "Schaly" has long been synonymous with winning.
After all, the late, legendary Marietta College baseball skipper Don Schaly is the winningest coach in NCAA Division III history.
His sons' John (Ashland University) and Joe (Thiel College) have also enjoyed much success at the baseball helm, and Jim is one of the best umpires and officials around.
Youngest son Jeff went in a different sports direction, more on the administrative level.
Actually, Jeff Schaly was a member of the MC Pioneer baseball coaching staff for a decade.
He also served as the school's sports information director, before packing his sun screen and moving south to become the SID at Lynn in 1996.
Good to see Jeff doing so well in the Sunshine State.
Tracy replaced fired Clint Hurdle as interim manager last Friday. He had been the Rockies bench coach.
Hurdle guided the Rockies to the 2007 World Series, where they were swept in four straight by the Boston Red Sox.
Prior to Colorado, Tracy had managed the Pittsburgh Pirates for two seasons (2006-07). During January 2007, he and the Pirates Caravan visited Marietta College, where he spoke at the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center.
After the summer of 2007, Tracy was dismissed as skipper of the Buccos, and replaced by current manager John Russell.
The Pirates have not enjoyed a winning season in 16 years.
Tracy - who also had a managerial stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2001 to 2005 - currently owns a 564-573 MLB mark (as of Sunday).
Maybe if Tracy can turn things around in Colorado, he can get the "interim" removed from his job description.
Ron Johnston is the Marietta Times sports editor and can be reached at 376-5441, or at rjohnston@mariettatimes.com
