Going south is for birds

It would have been easier for the Canfield and Austintown Fitch high school baseball teams to play at Cene Park.
Then again, in mid-April, they wouldn't have had the blue sky, warm temperatures and sandy beach nearby.
As the OHSAA tournament draws closer, and players and coaches begin to feel that rush of making a run toward Columbus, there's a sense of unity that binds teams together.
Canfield and Fitch are unified this season -- in more ways than one.
Familiar faces
Not only did the Cardinals and Falcons make spring trips to a prestigious tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C., earlier this month, they ended up playing each other for the championship.
Canfield won 10-0 to complete a six-game undefeated sweep along the East Coast.
"It's a tremendous bonding week for our kids, where we develop team ties and build memories that go way beyond baseball," Canfield coach Tony Ross said.
It takes patience to play or coach baseball in Northeast Ohio, where the weather is as unpredictable as the Cleveland Indians' bullpen.
That's why it was so refreshing for Canfield and Fitch, along with Cardinal Mooney and South Range, to make trips to the 36-team Hawaiian Tropic tournament.
While many of the southern schools already had played 20-plus games, Ohio was just getting its season started.
"Our kids were so caught up with the great facilities and having the chance in the warm weather, rather than battling snow and rain," Ross said.
And the coaches finally had a legitimate chance to evaluate players in game situations, and not from what they saw in a cold, lifeless gymnasium.
Flying high
What they saw in South Carolina was quite impressive. In playing six games in four days, the Cardinals outscored their opponents 57-7 while totaling 78 hits and pitching four shutouts.
Seniors John Virostko, Frank Turocy and Joe Pitzer each had three of Canfield's 16 hits against the Falcons, who went 5-1 in the tournament.
"It's a lot of baseball," Ross said. "We also allow our kids to have free time to build those ties that are important down the road, when they have to rely on one another for the team."
Canfield has played in Myrtle Beach for the past three seasons, and Ross reported Thursday that the Cardinals will return next season, as well.
"Baseball is so rich in tradition in South Carolina; they basically play year-round," Ross said. "You find out how competitive your team can be.
"We're real proud of where we're at right now."
No question, the highlight of this year's tournament came in the championship game, when Canfield and Fitch, coached by Wally Ford, provided a Youngstown flavor that still has fans talking.
"It was two Youngstown teams that wanted to play each other," Ross said. "It was nice to have Youngstown represented so well in a baseball-rich community."
Trip planning
The spring trips, made possible through program fund-raisers, apparently have held a positive effect on both teams, who have carried high expectations throughout this season.
"The kids are willing to work for it; the parents are willing to work for it," Fitch athletic director Dick Kenney said. "The bottom line, it's a good experience, and they've felt it's helped their program."
Canfield (16-3), which has 16 seniors on its roster, was batting above .400 as a team while getting consistency from pitchers such as seniors Chad Baker and Rick Banna.
Fitch (11-3), a Division I district champion last season, has been led at the plate by seniors John Burnich and Bob Melnek and juniors Dom Modarelli and Mike Eliseo. Senior Jeremy Hartman, junior John Mang and Melnek have anchored the Falcons' pitching staff.
With just one week before the OHSAA tournament, Canfield and Fitch have a history that extends hundreds of miles outside Ohio, binds them in unity and prepares them for the future.
XBrian Richesson covers high school sports for The Vindicator. Write to him at & lt;a href=mailto:richesson@vindy.com & gt;richesson@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;.