State Legion tournament ends long Athens run

For almost 50 years, the American Legion state baseball tournament has been played in Athens. But it's being played in Lancaster this summer and maybe a lot longer, largely because of problems with Ohio University.

"A decision like this is difficult and it wasn't made hastily,"said Gerald White, Ohio's American Legion state baseball tournament director. "This had been going on almost several months. An item-by-item comparison of things in Athens and things in Lancaster were prepared by my office and mailed to the seven members of the American Legion state baseball commission and they voted to move the tournament.

"There were some problems the state baseball commission experienced with Ohio University over the past few years and the baseball committee felt those problems would not or probably could not be addressed."

The tournament director emphasized there were no problems with the city of Athens and various other organizations, agencies, or individuals assisting in the tournament.

One of the problems was operations at Bob Wren Stadium, home of the Bobcats. The field was often shut down quickly with a passing shower and sometimes as many as half of the 10 games scheduled there had to be moved to surrounding high school fields.

Jason Corriher, Ohio University's assistant athletics director for media relations, said the turf at Wren Stadium was unsafe, unplayable, and impossible to prepare for a game because of rain prior to and the week of the state tournament last August.

"The decision (to cancel or reschedule games at Wren Stadium) was made in the best interest of the athletes and facility," Corriher said. "The decision, however, was difficult for the leadersip of the American Legion to understand and accept."

Corrider said that Wren Stadium is in a floodplain and does not dry out as well as other fields in the area.

Tournament games at Lancaster will be played at Al Beavers Field and also fields at Lancaster and Fisher Catholic high schools starting Monday. The three fields are within a half-mile of each other.

The American Legion thinks it can save considerable money with the move as far operating expenses are concerned. A plus for Lancaster is it's central location in the state.

There will be a new champion this year. Two-time defending champ Sandusky was eliminated by Mansfield-Galion 8-6 last Sunday at Heidelberg University. Sandusky (32-4) would have had to beat M-G (21-15) twice to win the title.

Also reaching the 12-team field so far are Athens, a 6-2 winner over Lancaster in their district title game, Tuscarawas County (Dover, New Philadelphia et al), a 17-6 victor over nine-times champion Steubenville, and Hillsboro/Bainbridge, a 8-2 winner over Chillicothe.

The Ohio champion moves on to the Great Lakes Lakes Region Tournament at Matoon, Illinois, located in the south central part of the state. Seven state champions and the host team will compete. The World Series will be played in Spokane, Wash.

Ex-Pioneers update

Former Marietta College outfielder Chris Sidick is playing his Frontier League record-setting sixth year with the Washington (Pa.) Wild Things. Sidick is having one of his best seasons, hitting .331, fourth in the league, and he has 27 stolen bases.

Sidick, a league all-star several times, is the Frontier career leader in hits, games played, at bats, runs, walks, and triples. The two-time MC All-American (2004, 2005) owns and operates C-Side Sports Academy in the off-season. C-Side is an indoor baseball training facility in Canonsburg, Pa. where Sidick went to high school (Canon-McMillan).

Sidick is expected to return to action this weekend after being on the seven-day injured list.

Sidick's MC teammate Mike DeMark, a 2004 All-American and a fifth-year pro, continues to pitch in short relief for the San Diego Padres' Portland (Ore.) Beavers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. He's 0-0, worked in 16 games, and 24.2 innings, and has a 5.84 ERA, allowing 28 hits, 16 earned runs, 14 walks, and striking out 20.

Three-time Pioneer All-American pitcher Matt DeSalvo, a 2003 graduate, was released May 3 by the Florida Marlins' Class AAA Pacific Coast League New Orleans Zephyrs after an 0-2 record and a 16.38 ERA in four games.

DeSalvo's eight-year pro career included a brief stint with the Yankees in 2007. He was 1-3 with a 6.18 ERA for 29.2 innings.

Ex-MC hurler Chris Stewart, an All-Mideast Region choice in 2009, pitched a season for the Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier League but was released after spring training this year.

Bill Robinson is a former Marietta Times sports editor.