PREP BASEBALL Leslie headed back to Mooney

Ursuline's basketball coach will return to his alma mater to coach baseball.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Steve Leslie is going home.
Leslie, a 1985 Mooney High graduate, was named the new head baseball coach for the Cardinals, replacing longtime coach Tom Flynn, who resigned after this season.
"This job is pretty close to my heart," said Leslie, Ursuline's head boys basketball coach the past three seasons. "I'm excited about the opportunity."
Leslie will voluntarily resign at Ursuline, where he compiled a 26-39 record.
"I owe an awful lot to Ursuline," said Leslie. "One of my goals was to become a head coach and Ursuline gave me the opportunity. The people there were very good to me and they supported me in this decision.
"I thought it was the best one for me."
Role model
At Mooney, Leslie played baseball under the late Ron Stoops. He also played basketball.
"I can't say enough great things about the man," Leslie said about Stoops. "He was a role model. He dedicated his life to the school and the baseball program."
Leslie, who played baseball at Hiram and also attended YSU, was an assistant baseball coach at Mooney from 1986-94 and 97-00. He also coached summer league baseball, leading the Astro Falcons to the Connie Mack World Series in New Mexico in 1990 and led them to the 1993 state title.
"I'm excited about going back to my alma mater," said Leslie, who was an assistant basketball coach at Mooney for 14 years. "But I'm also leaving a great group of kids [at Ursuline]. I'm going to miss them and I wish Ursuline and the basketball program nothing but the best."
Leslie and his wife, the former Julie Kopp, have a son, Daniel, and live in Boardman. He is employed by Mahoning County Engineers.