Team low on wins, but Conkey high in ranking

Ursuline entered the postseason with a 6-15 record. The senior pitcher was 10th-ranked in his class.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
Ursuline High rode the arm of Josh Conkey into the Division III state semifinals, but St. Henry rode roughshod over the Irish at Cooper Stadium in Columbus on June 6.
That 10-0, five-inning loss ended Ursuline's unusual season and it ended Conkey's high school career.
Although the Irish entered the postseason with a 6-15 record, then finished 12-16, coming within two wins of a state championship was no small feat.
For it, the now-graduated senior from McDonald has been chosen Vindicator player of the year.
"We should have made some plays, but they were hitting it hard," said Conkey, who finished 7-3. "St. Henry had a pretty good team."
Despite the 2003 season's sudden end, Conkey has some good memories.
Two trips to state
"I'll remember making it twice in three years," Conkey said of his time at Ursuline, a state runner-up to Marion Pleasant at Ohio State's Bill Davis Stadium in 2001 when he was a sophomore.
The Youngstown-born Conkey, who transferred to Ursuline after a year at McDonald High, is headed to Ohio Northern to study pharmacy and to play baseball.
The right-hander who lived on the west side until the first grade said he was having trouble with his best pitch -- the curve -- in the tournament, so he relied on a lot of fastballs.
"I thought we had a good chance," he said of the St. Henry game. "But I didn't have the control I would like to have had that day."
Conkey, ranked 10th in his class, struck out 76 his senior season and, he estimates, 100-plus in three years at Ursuline where he posted a 14-5 record.
He thought the momentum from Ursuline's 5-3 win over Elyria Catholic for the regional crown would carry over at the next level.
"That was probably the best game we played all year -- hitting, fielding, pitching," Conkey said of the Elyria Catholic game.
When Ursuline's No. 2 pitcher, lefty John Metzinger, was on the mound, Conkey played second base.
Although he's known for his pitching, Conkey believes he's equally capable as an infielder.
"Most people don't know that I'm a pretty good fielder."
The son of Don and Debora Conkey used the position to his advantage when Metzinger was pitching against Elyria Catholic.
"I figured out how to pitch to every one of their batters while I was watching," he said of his vantage point behind the mound.
"I saw what he was doing and learned from his only mistake when he left a ball up in the zone."
Metzginer, the starter, pitched the first 22/3 innings before Conkey relieved.
Junior year
His junior year, Conkey broke his wrist and only pitched three games. The team's 2002 record was 3-12.
"I didn't want to see that happen again," Conkey said. Ursuline started the 2003 season 2-1, then lost seven straight.
"We didn't lose faith and everyone hung in there. That's why we went so far."
An unusual move by coach Sean Durkin helped turn the tide.
"He never appointed captains in his coaching career. But, halfway through the season, he appointed Kevin Barry and me team captains. We had a meeting and told them we all make mistakes and had to work through them. I think that kept us together."
Conkey, who put leadership skills and intelligence to good use, may have closed one chapter, but his days at Ohio Northern will open another.
Down the road, he'd like to operate his own pharmacy.
After being occupied most of the summer playing with Rondinelli of the Class B League, Conkey will have some down time before leaving for college on Sept. 7 -- a day after his 19th birthday.
bassetti@vindy.com